Full, Weekly and Flexi Boarding: What Each Means

Full, weekly and flexi boarding describe how many nights a child sleeps at school: full boarders live in the boarding house throughout term, weekly boarders go home at weekends, flexi boarders stay a chosen number of nights, and day pupils go home each evening. The Boarding Schools' Association lists full, weekly and flexi boarding as separate options in its school listings, and each school's own boarding page sets the exact nights, so the label alone never settles what a place includes.

Details vary more than the labels suggest. Taunton School describes weekly boarding as heading home after Saturday commitments, Shiplake College gives flexi boarders a limit on nights per week, and King's School Rochester asks weekly boarders back by a stated time on Sunday evening. Reading the relevant page for each school on a shortlist, and asking about anything it leaves out, is the reliable way to compare patterns.

What do full, weekly and flexi boarding mean?

Full boarding means a pupil lives at school throughout term, weekly boarding means the pupil boards on school nights and goes home at weekends, flexi boarding means a pupil who is otherwise a day pupil stays for a chosen number of nights, and a day pupil goes home each evening. Taunton School, for example, describes full boarding as seven nights, weekly boarding as heading home after Saturday commitments, and flexi boarding as a minimum number of nights with daily access to the boarding house. Shiplake College describes flexi boarding as a limited number of nights a week, with day pupils also able to book single nights subject to bed space.

Schools add in-between arrangements, so the same word can mean different things. King's School Rochester describes daily boarding as day pupils staying into the evening for supervised prep and dinner without a bedroom, and occasional boarding as one or more nights when needed. Another school's flexi option centres on the long day, with pupils arriving for morning registration and staying for evening prep and dinner. The Boarding Schools' Association tells families to apply direct to the schools that interest them, which is where the exact meaning is confirmed.

How does a typical week differ between the patterns?

A typical week differs mainly in where evenings and weekends are spent, because lessons, activities and, at many schools, Saturday sport usually run to the same timetable for every pupil. Full and weekly boarders usually have supervised prep, supper and bedtime in the boarding house on school nights, whilst day pupils leave at the end of the school day and flexi boarders do the same on nights they are not booked in. Shiplake College says weekly boarders can go home on Friday if they have no Saturday commitments.

Weekends then separate the patterns. Full boarders usually stay for the weekend, weekly boarders return on Sunday evening or Monday morning according to the school's rules, and flexi boarders return on their agreed nights. Because Saturday lessons or fixtures change when weekly boarders can leave, a school's weekly calendar is worth requesting before comparing patterns.

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What do schools say about weekend activities and exeats?

Schools describe exeats as weekends on which boarders are expected to go home, and full boarders usually stay at school on the other weekends. Shiplake College says all boarders go home on the Friday night of an exeat weekend, that no fixtures or school commitments are scheduled, and that it provides no on-site accommodation on those weekends. Taunton School has reading weekends in place of exeats, with no Saturday lessons or fixtures, and pupils may leave after Friday commitments but are not required to.

Weekend programmes are generally run for the boarders who stay. Shiplake College employs a Boarders' Activities Co-ordinator who organises trips such as London visits, sporting events and go-karting, and says weekly boarders and day pupils can join. Taunton School lists trips including surfing and paintballing, and says weekly boarders who want the weekend programme join through its occasional boarding arrangement. Another school page describes Friday evening activities, Saturday team sport and a quieter Sunday with a later start.

Which boarding pattern suits which family?

Distance and family routine are the factors school pages mention most often. One school describes weekly boarding as suiting families who live nearby but have demanding weekday work, and King's School Rochester describes it as suiting long commutes or demanding parental schedules. Full boarding is described by several schools as the pattern in which pupils remain at school at weekends and can still choose to spend time with family or friends. The pages read set out no rule that makes one pattern better than another.

A child's confidence and siblings are matters for a conversation with the school. The Boarding Schools' Association advises asking children already at the school about it, and says many boarding schools allow a prospective pupil to stay overnight in a boarding house. King's School Rochester describes flexi arrangements that can start from one night a week, which some families use as a gradual introduction. The pages read give no rules for siblings, so families with children at different stages usually ask whether each child can hold a different pattern and whether beds are free on the nights wanted.

Sixth-form workload is the fourth factor. The Boarding Schools' Association says older boarders tend to have fewer roommates and larger desks, and that boarding staff watch that students do not work through the night at the expense of the next day's lessons. It also describes sixth-form boarding as a step towards independence before university. Scholarships for sixth-form entry are covered in our sixth-form scholarships guide.

Can a boarding pattern change once a child has started?

Many schools allow a pattern to change, and the notice and conditions are set by each school. Taunton School says flexi boarders can keep the same nights each week or change them as long as sufficient notice is given to house staff, and that in the sixth form flexi boarding continues if space allows, with weekly boarding needed to secure a place. Shiplake College says a flexi boarder who wants more than the permitted nights a week moves to weekly or full boarding.

King's School Rochester says weekly boarders usually give a stated period of notice to end an arrangement, and that its Head of Boarding meets parents to plan a transition. Another school describes day pupils moving to boarding as they move up the school. Where a page gives no switching process, the admissions or boarding office is the place to ask.

What should you ask a school about each pattern?

The Boarding Schools' Association advises families to visit at least three schools, ideally in the summer term of the year before entry, and to ask about evenings, weekends, pastoral care and activities. It also tells parents to check that a place is available when it is needed, since some boarding schools lack spare beds. Questions can then be tailored to the pattern under consideration.

• Full boarding: which weekends are exeats or reading weekends, whether the house stays open on other weekends, and what the weekend programme includes.
• Weekly boarding: the day and time pupils leave and return, whether Saturday lessons or fixtures apply, and whether weekly boarders can join weekend activities.
• Flexi boarding: which nights are available, how far ahead they are booked, whether the bed is fixed, whether a trial night is possible, and what happens in the sixth form.
• Day pupils: how late they can stay for prep and dinner, and whether occasional nights can be booked subject to bed space.
• Every pattern: how to change pattern, how much notice is needed and who to ask.

Does the boarding pattern affect entry and the interview?

The pages read do not say that the chosen pattern changes the entrance test or interview, so the school's admissions office decides how it handles each application. The Boarding Schools' Association advises applying direct to schools, checking bed availability, and talking to the headteacher early, and says an entrance test helps a school ensure the provision it makes for a student is appropriate. Shiplake College directs enquiries about its boarding to its Registrar.

Families often find it useful to ask early whether the pattern wanted is available in the year of entry, since flexi and weekly places depend on beds. A child who has visited, met current boarders or tried an overnight stay can usually describe the boarding house and weekend routine from experience. International families should check immigration questions about living arrangements on gov.uk, which sets the rules for student visas.

Related guides

• Is boarding school right for your child?
• Boarding schools in the UK
• 13+ Common Entrance tutors
• Sixth form tutors

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