Offering full boarding, weekly and flexi boarding options for 9 to 18 year olds.
Archers Lodge
“Boarders will feel known and supported”
Our purpose-built boarding house, Archer's Lodge, offers 50 en-suite rooms for boarders from Year 5 upwards. Each room is designed with comfort and functionality in mind.
Our aim is to foster a home-from-home environment where boarders can mix and feel like part of a family. During evenings and weekends, we organise a varied and fun schedule of trips and activities, allowing boarders to make the most of the school's facilities and the beautiful surrounding countryside while being close to London and the coast.
As a part of our boarding house, you will find a warm and welcoming home here. Our boarding house is not just a place to stay; it's a community where we support and inspire each other. Here, you'll meet friends from different backgrounds, share joys and challenges, support each other, and grow together.
Mei, Head Boarder
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Boarders feel well known and supported and get to know school routines and expectations quickly through the comprehensive induction they receive on joining the community.
ISI Inspection 2024
Sherfield is a wonderful close-knit community that benefits from its small size and works brilliantly for my son. The teachers are very committed, and I appreciate the open structure of the school, especially the parents' tea room. I chose Sherfield to help my son mature under a caring and positive environment, and he is making excellent progress. There is a real team effort from key staff to address and deal with issues effectively. The school culture of mutual respect is clear, and my son has made more progress in 1.5 terms at Sherfield than in 2 years at his previous senior school.
Year 9 Boarder Parent
THIS IS
Your Home Away From Home
International Students
Sherfield School is home to students from across the globe. From the moment you step onto our beautiful Hampshire campus, you will feel part of the Sherfield family.
Each room is designed with comfort and functionality in mind. Each floor of Archer's Lodge has generously sized common rooms equipped with living, dining, and kitchen facilities.
The rooms feature internet access, a study area, a comfortable bed, bedside cabinet, chest of drawers, wardrobe, and a spacious en-suite bathroom. Boys' and girls' bedrooms and bathrooms are located in separate wings to ensure privacy.
The common rooms offer comfortable seating, video and digital TV, board games, and books, creating a welcoming and homely atmosphere. When the weather is fine, the terrace is a popular spot with shaded tables and seating.
WELL-BEING
The well-being of our students is at the heart of everything we do.
Our dedicated pastoral care team provides robust support to ensure that all students feel safe, happy, and valued. We offer a range of services, including counselling and mentoring, to help international and UK boarding students adapt to life in the UK and thrive at Sherfield.
LOCATION
Our students enjoy a peaceful rural Hampshire setting with easy access for family visits. It’s both close to towns, the capital city and the coast.
Sherfield School is located between two major motorways, the M4 and M3, with a travel times of less than one hour from Heathrow Airport or Gatwick Airports. The school is located near to mainline trains for easy access into London.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE SUPPORT
We offer comprehensive English as an Additional Language (EAL) support to ensure that all our international students can fully participate in school life and achieve their academic goals.
Our skilled EAL teachers provide tailored lessons to help students develop their English language proficiency, enabling them to engage confidently with their peers and teachers.
Admissions
We offer rolling admissions and welcome applications from parents throughout the school year for children from 3 months to 18 years old.
We have full-time, weekly and flexi-boarding options. Full-time boarding is available for students who stay with us throughout the term, while weekly boarding allows students to stay from Monday to Friday and return home for the weekends. Day and flexi-boarding is offered to students either on an ad-hoc basis (availability allowing) or regularly less than 5 days per week, e.g. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night every week. Day boarding is until 9pm and includes dinner. Flexi-boarding is overnight and includes dinner and breakfast.
International Entry Requirements
International students are required to submit their academic records/latest school report and proof of English proficiency.
For all prospective international students, we conduct a virtual interview with one of our Senior Leadership Team members. This meeting is an important opportunity for the student to learn more about Sherfield and for us to gain a sense of the prospective student's character and aspirations, as well as their academic potential, interests, and talents.
For students for whom English is a second language, they undertake a PASSWORD Maths and English test to gauge their levels in both subjects under exam conditions, invigilated by their current school or, where applicable, an Agent.
Living Arrangements and Daily Life
Boarding students follow a structured routine that includes timetabled lessons with the day students, study periods (for sixth formers), extracurricular activities, meals, evening study time and free time. Weekends often feature trips, activities, and time for relaxation.
When boarders arrive, they are familiarised with the school site and local area as part of their induction. Boarders do have ‘free time’. Year 9 and above can sign out independently on Wednesday after school and on weekends (parental permission will be sought if their destination is other than Basingstoke). Boarders have access to the local village in small groups.
Weekly boarders go home every weekend, while full-time boarders can go home during designated half-term breaks and school holidays. Full-time boarders may also visit home with prior arrangement.
Our dining facilities offer a variety of nutritious and balanced meals, catering to different dietary requirements and preferences. Special themed dinners and cultural cuisine nights are also organised regularly. For more information on our food and menus, please visit our Food page.
Safety and Wellbeing
The safety and wellbeing of our students are our top priorities. Our boarding houses are supervised by experienced staff, and we have strict security measures in place. Regular fire drills, first aid training, and health and safety protocols are also implemented.
There are coded locks on boarding house entrances and external doors are kept shut at all times. Boarders are reminded in their induction that these codes must not be shared with third parties.
All pupils should make sure that their property is marked with their names or other identifiable mark.
Archer’s Lodge has a safe to store passports, BRP cards and pocket money and this may be withdrawn as needed. We strongly advise all pupils to hand in passports and money for safe- keeping as the school cannot accept responsibility for their loss if they are not handed in.
Other safety and security information such as out of bounds areas and signing in and out procedures are covered in the boarders’ induction. Each boarder has a drawer in their rooms which can be locked with a small padlock.
Our Boarders' Top Tips
Our boarders have compiled a list of useful tips based on their boarding experiences:
Make sure all your items are labelled so that they don’t get mixed up!
Don’t worry if you have forgotten anything, you can buy things in the village
Wake up early enough to avoid a rushed morning
Don’t worry too much about settling in, everyone here is very welcoming
Don’t be afraid to mix with anyone, everyone will be happy to get to know you
Try to spend time in the common rooms to get to know people and have fun together
If you struggle to find your way around, everybody will be happy to help
Mix with different year groups, everyone is very friendly
Talk to us, we have been here a while and will be happy to help you
Make the most of your time as a boarder. It’s great fun!
