Spotlight on Boarding at ACS Cobham
We met with Sara Thomas, Assistant Head of School (Wellbeing) at ACS Cobham, to find out about the extensive boarding programme we offer.
Can you tell us about your role at ACS Cobham?
It's my third year at ACS Cobham. I joined as lead house parent of Woodlands house, and then moved into the Head of Boarding role for a year. Previously, I worked as a Deputy Headteacher in Dubai and as a Head of Sixth Form in Wales. I am currently Assistant Head of School at ACS Cobham, with responsibility for student wellbeing and this includes overseeing the boarding houses as well as the pastoral systems, safeguarding teams, student services and the medical centre.
Can you provide an overview of how the boarding programme works and what makes it distinctive?
There is not one outstanding feature that sets it apart, but rather the combination of a variety of factors that make up something truly special as a whole product. When these ingredients come together they create the magic of boarding at ACS. The daily routine, from wake-up calls in the morning to bedtimes at night, is busy but encompasses a healthy blend of activity and relaxation time, and ultimately ensures that all our boarders feel safe within these boundaries. Our impressive campus provides the perfect environment for sports, drama, interactive learning - the list goes on, and this sits perfectly alongside the diverse and vibrant boarding houses.
Our truly international community, with over 70 nationalities, allows our boarders to mix across cultures, genuinely promoting inclusiveness and diversity that ensures all can thrive. We couldn't run such successful boarding houses without being well staffed with a team of talented and dedicated people and this includes our wider staff in catering, facilities and the medical centre. The boarding community at ACS Cobham is a happy one and happiness comes down to relationships. Ultimately, boarding at ACS instills connection, belonging and trust. Trust is key to our boarder numbers increasing and we go above and beyond to gain the trust of our boarders and their families who choose to entrust us with their children.
How are students supported in their wellbeing and academic studies?
ACS Cobham prioritises pastoral care through the Lotus project, ensuring regular one-to-one check-ins with students. We also address real-time issues through a new pastoral programme, including sessions on peer pressure and domestic abuse. Academic support is provided through resident academic tutors and additional subject teachers. Study Hall is run each evening from 7pm to 8.30pm and students can work collaboratively, individually or in classrooms with staff to assist as well as our peer tutors. House Parents play a crucial role as mentors, supporting students beyond academics. They plan a well-rounded enrichment programme, including clubs, sports, and activities. Weekends feature a variety of student-driven trips and activities. Creating a true home away from home for students of various nationalities is a challenge. We carefully consider our boarding applications, maintain regular communication with families, and host induction weekends to help students settle into the school community.
What is offered for students at the weekend?
We offer a variety of trips and activities which ideally are student driven with students showing agency in choosing the types of activities that they would like to participate in. This means that the programme changes year on year and is obviously supervised closely by the staff. Activities include watching shows in the West End, Go-Karting, Paintballing, cultural visits to places of interest, Winter Wonderland…the list goes on. We've even brought inflatable obstacle courses onto campus, been to puppy yoga in Camden and our murder mystery activity has been a real hit this year.
How do you help students settle into the school?
The process starts before the students arrive at the school with the boarding team collaborating effectively with the admissions department to carefully review all applications. Our objective is to admit students whom we can comprehensively support within our school and the boarding community. Striving for a well-balanced mix of nationalities among our boarders, we aim to prevent the dominance of any particular culture or language. To enable a smooth integration, we conduct both in-person and virtual meetings, along with tours with boarding families before their arrival. These interactions serve to clarify expectations, build trust, and establish a foundation for positive relationships. Before they start full-time, our new boarders undergo an induction weekend designed exclusively for them. During this period, the focus is on getting to know one another and helping them to navigate their way in a new country and community. We also arrange student buddies and connections with local services like banks to facilitate a seamless settling-in process. Our commitment is to assist students in acclimatising to their new environment as effectively as possible.
How do you foster internationalism in the boarding community?
We have community programmes in place to celebrate our diversity and to mark special events for all the different nationalities. This can sometimes include wearing national dress or developing our enrichment activities around specific cultural events. We mark celebrations such as Thanksgiving and Eid with a variety of activities.
This collective celebration of cultural diversity transforms our boarding community into a true melting pot, where students come together to create a unique and harmonious environment.
Looking ahead, what does the future look like for boarding at ACS Cobham?
The future of boarding at ACS Cobham is exciting. We aim to foster independence, ensuring that when students leave us they are ready to engage with the world and help to build a better one. Student safety and wellbeing continue to be the priority and this enables students to thrive in their studies, future careers and in life as a whole. It’s a really positive time as we have recently been through an organisational restructure which has allowed the boarding team to grow and flourish even further. I’m really looking forward to this next chapter.
