Grange House - Girls

Abi and Jonathan Blair started as Houseparents of (the resurrected!) Grange House in September 2017.  They are loving growing this community in the heart of Monkton, getting to know the girls, and watching them all getting to know each other each year. 

Prior to working at Monkton, Abi was working in support of the homeless, most recently running a hostel for young people as well as managing an outreach project to prevent homelessness.  Jonathan has most recently been head of year, and teacher of Maths, at St. Gregory's School nearby. Before this, the Blairs lived in a boys boarding house in Dean Close where Jonathan was the Assistant Chaplain resident tutor and Abi was a house tutor in one of the girls' houses. 

The Blair family

The couple have three boys, Billy, Gregory and Alexander. When they're not running around after them Abi enjoys running slowly along the canal, reading (in the holidays!) and listening to true crime podcasts. Jonathan enjoys watching and playing (any) sport.

Abi and Jonathan define their vision for the girls of Grange house as 'fostering bold and passionate young women, equipped to thrive in an ever-changing global community, proud of who they are and driving themselves to use the gifts they have been given to their full potential'.

Abi and Jonathan Blair
Grange House Houseparents

What 3 things would you recommend girls should bring with them to get the most out of their time in Grange House?

A good sense of humour, a lack of presumptions about boarding school life, and an alarm clock.

What is the funniest thing a student has ever said to you?

“Miss, don’t try drinking that cactus….I did it once and I couldn’t feel my mouth for three days”

Describe your job as house parent?

Being a Houseparent is probably, we think, the best job in the world.  It is chaotic, fun, emotional, and, above all, a real privilege, to live alongside this wonderful bunch of girls.

What is the unofficial motto of Grange House?

I put this one to the girls - their responses were:
“We are strong, kind women and we don’t apologise for it”
“Let’s clean the kitchen TOGETHER”
“Just go for it”
“What a legend”