Prep Boarding
Hatton House really is a home away from home for our boarders.
The boarding team, headed by our extraordinary houseparents creates a fun, safe, nurturing place for every child, from the youngest, who can start from Year 3, to our Year 8s who become the leaders of the house and take their role as older brothers and sisters very seriously. Hatton becomes a huge family, with kindness, genuine love and support overflowing through the community.
The boarding team, in a myriad of ways, builds a kind, inclusive and fun ethos, taking time to know each child and family on a deep level, even before they start boarding. They nurture each child, calling out the good, working through mistakes with a restorative approach, and intentionally creating structures that help each child grow in independence and responsibility, depending on their age. Not to mention having extraordinary amounts of fun and memories that stay with them long after they have moved on from Hatton.
We know that for families for whom boarding is the right choice at this stage, it is vital to know they will be loved and helped to grow as you would, and that is exactly what we do.
We see it as a privilege to partner with you in helping your child flourish and grow.
WEEKENDS
Monkton stands out from many boarding schools. Far from emptying at the weekends, Hatton is full, and the range of activities, trips and time as a boarding family is amazing. In fact, at times we are fuller than ever, inviting day pupils in to join in the fun.
Boarders can give a "golden ticket" to day friends to invite them to a sleepover and day pupils in Year 6, 7 & 8 join Hatton for a weekend each year, and our annual camp out for Year 5-8 is a highlight for everyone, as they enjoy a night of fun and adventure in our beautiful grounds. These all help build connections amongst our pupils, that cross year groups and day/boarding, making for a rich experience for every boarder.
For Years 5 - 8, school continues on Saturday morning, often looking a little different to the week, including taking learning outside the classroom. This is followed by sports matches in the afternoon most weekends. Years 3 and 4 are looked after by boarding house staff and have a range of activities organised for them.
Weekends are an important time in Hatton House and on a Sunday we get to enjoy a range of wonderful trips out, such as going to Longleat, New Forest Water Park, camping, high ropes courses, Bristol Science Museum, indoor trampolining, exploring National Trust properties, Blenheim Palace as well as trips to London.
As a House, having an active lifestyle is important and we enjoy as much time outside together as possible. Every Sunday the school Chaplain comes in to run the ‘Hub’, an informal time to explore the Christian faith, and some Sundays we attend the local church to join in with our local community.
Short films of the weekend are sent to families on Sunday night to share the adventures from Hatton House.
MEET THE HOUSEPARENTS
Matt & Sarah Winfield
Sarah and Matt came to Monkton from Scotland. Sarah studied at the Royal Academy of Dance and has experience as a youth, childrens and families worker. Matt studied Adventure Education and has worked for a variety of outdoor centres in the UK and Zambia.
Matt and Sarah have three children as well as a Cockapoo called Skylar who closely resembles a living teddy bear! They look forward to welcoming you to Hatton House, along with Mr and Mrs Hurdle, the brilliant GTAs and the wider team.
What do you love most about being houseparents?
The immense privilege it is to walk alongside a wide variety of awesome young people and cheer them on to be the best that they can be.
What 3 things should the children should bring with them to make the most of their time in Hatton House?
The real you, your belongings (labelled of course!) and a sense of fun!
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Monkton Prep has always welcomed international pupils and there is no doubt that the school benefits from a rich diversity of cultural backgrounds. Many of our British boarders have families who live abroad and whose parents are in the military but the house is also enriched with a number of children from other countries. We recognise that for any new boarder the transition to boarding life is a big change and with a large staff team we are able to care for individuals to help make the transition from home to boarding life as smooth as possible.
Find out more about life as an international student at Monkton
CONTACTING HOME
During the evening specific times are provided to contact family or friends. Boarders can bring their own mobile or tablet to call home. We have house ipads available for those who don’t have a mobile phone. Apart from these times, phones & tablets are stored securely to enable each child to revel in all the fun to be had with their friends in Hatton.
HATTON MENTORS
We have an amazing mentoring programme with our Senior school. Every Hatton boarder that wants to, has a mentor from our older pupils at Monkton Senior.
Each week around 45 senior pupils join us in Hatton over supper to chat, be a listening ear and a role model for our boarders. The buzz in the dining room is amazing and you can see the connections growing. It is an absolute highlight for the boarders and our Senior school pupils learn so much about leadership and service.
You always had a big brother or sister who was there for you
"My mentor was really special to me because I always had someone to look up to, play with and she was always there and I will never forget her"
BOARDING INDUCTion
An award-winning approach
Sarah Winfield has spear-headed research into how to truly help new boarders,and, cruciall, their families, prepare for and adapt successfully to boarding life. Her work has led to a reimagining of how we approach supporting our junior boarders.
before you start
Prospective families are invited to join multiple “Be a Boarder” events throughout the year, free of charge, for families at every stage of considering boarding (whether or not they have registered to come to Monkton).
For international families, the team creates video opportunities to meet current boarders. These strategies enable the child to build relationships and become familiar with the boarding environment before they arrive.
Houseparents schedule a one-hour video call with each new family to understand the child and the family, discussing everything from family activities and routines to family values and aspirations. They get to know the child, not just their interests, but their character, what they need when they are stressed, how they celebrate and what will make boarding a success for them as a family.
WHEN you arrive
Every new boarder has a current Prep buddy for the first year, who writes to them before they arrive, and helps them orientate: finding classrooms, clubs, introducing them to key people, navigating meals, laundry, and taking them to informal chats with pastoral leads, and crucially, continuing to support them for the whole year, not just the first few weeks.
The mentoring programme with Monkton Senior provides another level of support, alongside our dedicated and inspiring boarding team.
Because the change impacts the whole family, we run a boarding family event each term, to help build relationships, learn from experts and continue to grow the community of pupils, familes and school.
National recognition
The impact of this approach has made a huge impact on our boarders and their families and Sarah has been asked by the SCiP Alliance to speak at their annual conference and to join Anderson Education’s think tank to create a Boarding Thriving Lives handbook for families nationwide. And we are delighted to announce that, Sarah and the whole boarding team's ground-breaking work has been recognised as Monkton Prep has been awarded the 2026 Boarding Schools Association Support for Junior Boarders award at their national conference.
One of the greatest benefits Monkton offers is the strong connection between the Prep and Senior School. Both our children transitioned seamlessly from Year 8 at the Prep to Year 9 at the Senior School. They have maintained and grown friendships as many continued on from the Prep, and they had already been taught by many of the teachers and had spent time at both sites playing sport or attending performances.
Given the number of schools our children had already attended, we are so thankful we chose a school that offers this continuity and delivers it so well.
Mrs Davies, parent
