Boarding at West Buckland is fun and rewarding, a home from home for students from all over the world.
As Head of Boarding at West Buckland School, I’d like to offer a warm welcome to all our boarders.
The aim of myself and my team of Houseparents is to create a warm and happy ‘home life’ in a relaxed and safe environment.
As well as full boarding, we have many students who flexi or weekly board, working around busy schedules and family lives.
My team of houseparents look after students outside of the normal school day. Because they are not teachers, they can establish close and trusting relationships outside the classroom setting.
We look forward to welcoming you!
Richard Boyle, Head of Boarding
Girls and Boys in Prep Years 4 to 6 have Gables available to them, for boarding on an occasional, flexi or weekly basis. Gables provides a lovely, homely environment with a female House parent who provides individualised support to each child. Alina takes a very personalised approach and this has enabled younger members of our school community to grow into boarding, building their confidence and now happily arriving at Gables to enjoy evenings and nights with their friends.
Boys aged 11 to 16 are housed in Boyer House; Girls aged 11 to 16 enjoy Bamfylde House. There are shared rooms for students in Years 7 to 9, and new for September 2025 there will be a limited number of single rooms for students in Years 10 and 11, as well as shared options.
Both houses are integrated within the campus, just a short walk from the dining hall, classrooms and all day facilities. The two houses provide space for up to around 40 boarders each, under the supervision of caring House parents who live connected to the houses and are on duty from early evening until the following morning.
We welcome pupils from all over the world, as well as our own UK boarders, creating a thriving and lively, multi-cultural boarding community.
All boarding students have access to e-mail and internet facilities to allow easy communication with friends and family at home and this is encouraged.
Boarding in the Sixth Form is in Parker’s, our stunning eco-designed Sixth Form centre, with 70 single, en-suite rooms, providing light, spacious facilities, with private study facility within each room. Parker’s is extremely popular with our students and spaces are in high demand each year.
Sixth Form boarding is very sociable with different shared social areas, and allows students increased independence and privacy, an important part of growing up.
Parker’s provides that stepping stone toward independent living, either in a university setting or out in the wider world.
There are numerous opportunities to take part in activities outside of the normal school day and at weekends.
Some boarders will be involved in sports fixtures on a Wednesday or Saturday. Every weekend has activities on offer, including trips to nearby cities, a full weekend schedule in London, surfing and coasteering on our stunning coastline, paintballing, cooking, bowling and regular shopping trips to Barnstaple, just 10 miles away. The main activities are scheduled for a Sunday, so that those involved in Sport do not miss the opportunity to join in with the full program.
Weekday evening activities include dance, volleyball, basketball, art, singing, movie nights, football, keep fit, as well as two early-morning swim opportunities. When demand allows, we also arrange horse riding on Exmoor.
Flexi Boarding.
Subject to Availability, £42 per night (inc VAT):
Flexi-boarding is an ideal option for students with busy schedules or those looking to transition gradually into full boarding. Booking is for a minimum of one term, with regular nights stay, from 2 – 4 nights a week. With flexi-boarding, your child has the certainty of planning around their known commitments, with less travel in and out of school through the week, making busy timetables more manageable. Please email [email protected] to book your place. Flexi-boarding is available in all boarding houses, Gables Y4-6, Boyer and Bamfylde Y7-11, and if rooms allow, Parkers Y12-13.
Occasional Boarding (Must be booked by 7pm the day before on the Portal. Subject to availability) £42 per night, (inc VAT):
This option is specifically designed for day students who occasionally wish to spend a weeknight at school. We understand that modern life can be demanding, and to support our families, we offer occasional boarding.
Recognising the challenges of balancing various commitments, we have created this solution to provide flexibility for day students who may occasionally require an overnight stay at the school. Whether it is to participate in late-night study sessions, parents work commitments, attend early morning activities or simply to have additional time to engage in school-related opportunities, our occasional boarding option aims to cater to these needs. It is subject to availability, with a limited number of beds allocated for this purpose. Occasional boarding is available in Gables (Y4-6), Boyer, Bamfylde, and sometimes Parkers. For Sixth formers, if Parkers is fully booked, we may be able to consider a separated single room in Boyer or Bamfylde, subject to availability.
Full Boarding:
Students will stay at the school seven nights a week during term time. Students are welcome to stay one extra evening before and after each end of each term and half term. These students also have an additional extra- curricular programme option for weekends. Both UK and International students board with us on a Full Board basis, enabling focussed study, access to visiting performers and speakers in the evenings, additional sports, and weekend activities with friends, providing a great experience for young people – one in which responsibility and maturity, as well as time-management and organisation skills really flourish. Full boarding is available in Boyer, Bamfylde and Parkers.
Weekly Boarding (5 nights per week):
Designed for relatively local students that wish to partake in everything school has to offer. This option is for busy students that wish to save time travelling to and from school during weekdays.
Students have the option to return to school on Sunday evening and take the bus home Friday after school or take the bus to school Monday morning and leave for home following sports fixtures on Saturday. Bus transport is free for weekly boarders.
Additional nights may be booked with the houseparent, subject to availability.
Weekly boarding is available in Gables for Years 4 – 6, with 4 nights a week only – arriving Monday and leaving Friday;
Weekly boarding is available 5 nights a week in Boyer, Bamfylde and Parkers
Weekly boarding is a popular choice in Years 9 and 10 as students begin their GCSE courses. They benefit from the supervised Prep each evening, as well as less travel which can be tiring for students as they enter this stage of their educational and developmental journey. Students are also seeking increased independence at this age, which Weekly boarding can provide.
We are taking applications now for all areas of the school and warmly welcome you to come in for a tour. Explore the curriculum below.
Our middle school boarders have access to a broad range of extra curricular activities with a huge selection to choose from, covering many interests and skills. These include chess club, gymnastics, art club, book club, choirs and orchestras, dance, swimming, badminton, writing club, Warhammer club, The Greenpower Car Project and many others.
A thriving coeducational independent day and boarding school in Devon for boys and girls aged 3-18, located on a beautiful rural campus between Barnstaple and Exmoor.