Boarding Options

Full, Weekly or Flexi Boarding?

Full Boarding

The inclusive, accepting and globally aware ethos of St Chris is a natural partner for full boarding, and we have a long tradition of welcoming full boarders from the UK and international boarders from a wide range of countries, cultures and faiths.

With care and support from a highly experienced pastoral and academic team, we offer international students an authentic experience of life in a British school and indeed the wider community. International students can join any year group, dependent on the availability of places. Most of our international students share the aim of studying for A levels and going on to a British university.

We also offer full boarding to British students whose parents live or are posted abroad, or whose work commitments may include weekends. In certain situations, we also offer boarding for children of these families from the age of 10 years, for example for children of FCO staff.

The close proximity of St Chris to airports Gatwick (1.5 hours), Heathrow (1 hour), Stansted (50 minutes) and Luton (30 minutes) is a huge bonus to international families, as well as Letchworth being on the national rail network with direct links to Kings Cross and St Pancras in London.

The Admissions team at St Chris understand the challenge for families to find the most suitable school from many miles away, often without the luxury of being able to visit in person. We work closely with parents and agents to ensure an open, transparent and supportive enquiry and application process for everyone involved, especially the child. Where families cannot visit us, we have permanent online open events on this website, and can offer discussions with Admissions staff, testing and interviews via Zoom.

Parents and agents who are interested in discussing international or full boarding with our Admissions staff can find more information on our website about how to apply.

How to apply – with an international passport

How to apply – with a UK or EU passport

Weekly Boarding

Weekly boarding allows students to enjoy their busy school life without the usual time taken up by commuting. Students go home on a Friday afternoon and can opt to return as late as Monday morning, with weekends free for the whole family to relax and enjoy together.

For busy parents, weekly boarding enables families to free up more quality time together, with prep largely completed, and extra-curricular activities and sporting fixtures having taken place at school during the week. Naturally, more time becomes available for shared hobbies and activities, to visit friends and family or just to relax together at home.

With access to the national network railway at nearby Letchworth Garden City station, St Chris has direct links to London, Cambridge and beyond for pupils to travel home at the weekends.

Flexi Boarding

We offer flexi boarding to students who wish to spend up to three nights per week at school. These can be booked on a termly basis. Flexi boarding includes supervised prep, an evening meal and breakfast.

“I wasn’t necessarily a very sociable person coming here. I would consider myself definitely an introvert and I was slightly worried about that boarding, because you’ve got people around you a lot of the time. I was worried that I would feel that I would have to socialise a lot. And I have socialised a lot, but it’s because I’ve wanted to. I’ve enjoyed it a lot more because I feel like you can talk to anyone about anything. I was shocked that wanted to do more socialising!”

Boarder, Year 12

“The best thing about boarding is making friends with people. Being so close to school saves me loads of time in the morning. I can’t believe I didn’t start boarding earlier. It also encourages a lot of mental discipline – I’m now better at doing my laundry and ironing! It’s made me a more disciplined person and you get good at making your own structures and routines.”

Boarder, Year 12

“Everyone is free to be their own person, while understanding the responsibility we all have to make the boarding house feel like a home.”

Molly, Head Boarder, Year 13

“As an international boarder I was lucky to be part of the boarding house, which was full of interesting people from all over the world. Living together and being at the same school enabled us to become very close friends and have such a great time.”

Boarder, Year 12