Giggleswick is a genuine boarding school, with 60% of pupils attending as full boarders.
All boarders live in one of our seven boarding Houses, where they are looked after by a team of House Staff. A Housemaster or Housemistress, appointed by the Headmaster, supervises each house and is responsible for the academic and personal progress and general welfare of all the pupils in the House within a caring, disciplined framework. In addition, there is a team of Tutors attached to each House and, among the senior pupils, are a Head of House and other House Seniors who help the Senior House Staff in discharging the day-to-day duties involved in a boarding community.
Certain weekends each term are designated as 'Closed Weekends'. On these weekends absence from school by boarders on Saturday night and Sunday will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances, requiring written permission in advance.
On closed weekends there will be a full programme of school activities, which day pupils will be welcome to join. Chapel on these Sundays will normally be a morning service, and all parents are welcome to attend any service.
On 'Open Weekends' boarding pupils may leave school on Saturday after their last school commitment, returning to attend Chapel on Sunday evening at 7.00 pm. Tea will be served at 5.30 pm before Choir practice at 6.00 pm. Evening chapels will allow us to offer more activities on and off-site on Sundays, whilst giving the whole school, including the choir, a more relaxed start to the day.
We anticipate that the majority of boarders will remain at school and there will continue to be a full programme of activities for boarders in School over Open Weekends as well as Closed. Pupils who are unable to go home or to guardians at Whole School Exeat Weekends may continue to remain at school for which there is a nightly charge.
There are usually two Exeat weekends per term when school finishes at 1.30 pm on Friday and restarts at 9 pm on Sunday. Whilst most pupils either go home, or stay with guardians or friends over exeat weekends, it is possible for pupils to stay in School if necessary.
