A whopping 138 pupils from Years 7 and 8 and 18 members of staff went on a Music Tour to Paris from…
School Life
It is the people here at Berkhamsted, whether pupils or staff, who make it what it is.
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Berkhamsted Boys provides a warm, supportive and grounded environment where boys have the freedom and space to grow and thrive.
Our pupils at Berkhamsted Boys have a wide variety of skills and we nurture and develop the skills of each individual.
Wellbeing
The wellbeing of our pupils is of vital importance at Berkhamsted Boys, with mental health an absolute priority.
We seek to develop compassionate and resilient pupils and we do this by providing a good example for them to follow. Our Deputy Head Pupil Wellbeing leads our Wellbeing Team, which includes chaplaincy staff, nurses and counsellors/coaches.
Our Wellbeing Team supports our teaching staff in their pastoral roles, implementing a proactive wellbeing strategy. This strategy helps to keep our pupils well, looks out for early signs of potential problems and supports those who have any pastoral difficulties.
Our Medical Centre is staffed by fully qualified nurses providing cover at each School site during the school day. The School Medical Officer has special responsibility for boarders.
A team of qualified counsellors is available to all pupils for confidential counselling. The school also has a full-time residential Chaplain and an Assistant Chaplain.
Pastoral Care
Our aim at Berkhamsted Boys is to maintain good discipline within a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, encouraging the development of responsibility and self-discipline in our pupils.
Berkhamsted Boys is composed of smaller units – Houses – where every individual receives pastoral support and academic guidance. The Houses, which are made up of pupils from different year groups, are the centre of pupils’ lives, giving a sense of belonging and encouraging self-confidence.
The Head of House, with help from House Tutors, takes responsibility for each boy’s social and academic development and is the main channel of communication between home and school. They are the main channel of communication between the student’s school and home life.
Year 11 boys have the opportunity to take leadership roles in their Houses. Houses are also an arena for competition and cooperation. Sport, drama, music naturally provides many opportunities for the boys to work together along with lots of other competitions and fundraising for charities.
We are committed to developing boys’ values and ability to regulate their own behaviour so excessive rules are not necessary. Each pupil is issued with a Code of Conduct and a copy of the School Rules, which are updated regularly.
Our Houses also provide an environment for cooperation and competition, with Inter-House competitions, music, quizzes, debating and sport. Pupils also regularly fundraise for charity within their House.
Community Service
At Berkhamsted, we are a community that understands the importance of service.
We celebrate and encourage the work of our pupils in the local community, as volunteers who engineer change for good, both inside and outside the school.
Our expectation is that Berkhamstedians will not just go on and do well, but they will also go on and do good, with a sense of compassion. Last year, our pupils undertook over 5,000 hours of voluntary work across our Senior Schools.
Fundraising for charity is a central focus of many House initiatives. In one year, Berkhamsted pupils and staff raised over £50,000 for a range of local, national and international charitable causes.
Chaplaincy
At Berkhamsted we value the history of our School and its strong Christian foundation which dates back to 1541. Nearly 500 years later, we remain committed to the way we live out our Christian foundation and values which are integral to the ethos and beliefs of the school community.
Our two full-time members of chaplaincy staff support our pupils and help to establish Christian values within their everyday lives. This pastoral care is available to our pupils through optional Confirmation classes and extracurricular Christian Unions and lunchtime drop-in clubs.
Our pupils attend chapel services once a week. The services are Christian focused and cover a variety of different topics and issues. They are designed to be accessible to all pupils, whether they practise another religion or have no faith.
There are special services at Berkhamsted for Remembrance Day, Christmas and Easter. There is also school communion service every half term.
We encourage our pupils to question and debate throughout their spiritual journey, allowing them opportunities to contemplate and reflect.
Our chaplaincy supports our pupils as they grow spiritually. This, along with social action, encourages pupils to develop a sense of compassion and strong community focus.
The Parent Partnership
At Berkhamsted we recognise that our pupils’ wellbeing is vital for their happiness and success. This success relies on a strong line of communication between our staff, parents and pupils.
In today’s fast-paced world with ever-changing technology and social media, parents and teachers need to be able to provide advice and support with confidence.
Throughout their time at Berkhamsted we support our pupils through any problems or difficulties they face. We do this in a way which allows them to leave us as independent and resilient young adults.
The Parent Talks and Courses programme we provide is designed to strengthen the relationship between home and school to give parents and staff the opportunity to discuss certain issues and how to overcome them.
Our Facilities
Berkhamsted Boys is located on our Castle Campus which is is the site of the historic Old Hall, the first building of Berkhamsted School which was completed in 1544. Our Castle Campus Chapel dates from the late nineteenth century and Deans’ Hall dates from the early twentieth century.
The facilities on our Castle Campus are superb and include dining facilities, a library, Science labs, Drama and Music facilities, Art and Design Technology facilities and several of our sporting facilities.
Our Art and Design Centre, named The Chadwick Centre, incorporates modern dining facilities.
Berkhamsted boys also enjoy access to excellent sports facilities including a 25m indoor heated swimming pool, extensive playing fields covering over 40 acres, an athletics track, all-weather tennis courts, a sports hall, Eton Fives courts, two fitness rooms and a well-equipped strength and conditioning suite.
Boarding – flexi, weekly and termly options available
At Berkhamsted Boys we offer a range of flexible boarding options to meet the requirements of busy parents. The accommodation at our boys’ boarding house is of an extremely high standard and many bedrooms are en-suite.
Our extended day provision means your son can be collected from our boys’ boarding house, Incents, up until 20:00 and includes a boarder’s supper and supervised prep.
Flexible boarding, which is charged at a nightly fee, can be used as a regular booking throughout the term, on an ad hoc basis or even at short notice.
Weekly boarding, which is available for pupils in Year 9 and above, offers four nights of boarding, usually running from Monday to Thursday.
Termly boarding is available to pupils from Year 9 and above.
We are always happy to arrange a visit to Incents Boarding House if you are interested in boarding for your son.
My Journey
In Year 11 Freddie suffered a broken finger just as the cricket season was about to begin. With rigorous training in the nets and exceptional support from staff, Freddie recovered to have a remarkable season with the 1st XI.
Life at Berkhamsted Schools Group in our news articles
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