This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Highfield - Lower School Boarding
Highfield is the Lower School Boarding House. Boarding in the Lower School is flexible so it can be tailored around family life and out of school commitments.
Highfield is a fun, happy and exciting House to be a part of where strong friendships are made. As a Houseparent, I want to create a House where pupils feel confident and comfortable, a home from home where we all celebrate each other’s achievements in and outside of the classroom. In Highfield, we aim to build confidence and help to prepare pupils for when they move up into Main School.
Lauren Davey Houseparent of Highfield
Highfield provides a small and secure environment for those settling into Ë®ÃÛÌÒapp life and in particular, those pupils who have not boarded before. There are many benefits to boarding such as independence, structure and routine, and access to academic support.Ìý Pupils in Lower School can choose to be a weekly or flexi boarder. Weekly boarders return to school on either Sunday evening or Monday morning and stay at school until Saturday afternoon. Flexi boarders can board between 1 to 4 nights per week. Pupils also have a number of trial nights to use throughout their time in Russell Dore to see if boarding is right for them.Ìý
There are a number of resident staff that live in the House who care for the pupils. The Houseparent, who coordinates Lower School boarding, Deputy Houseparents and Matron as well as a Resident Tutor. The resident team organises a number of activities throughout the week ranging from arts and crafts, to cooking, to sports. The House benefits from joining on to the Wellbeing Centre and if often used for film nights or baking.
Highfield is split into two wings. One for the boys and one for the girls with some shared social space in the middle. Pupils are accommodated in spacious bedrooms, which give a good balance between helping pupils to build friendships with one another, but also giving space for some peace and quiet. Highfield has two common rooms, which contains some games tables and a games console, which pupils are free to use during their free time. Each of the boys and girls wing also has a kitchen where they can prepare snacks throughout the day in addition to their meals in the dining room.
ÌýMeet the Houseparent of Highfield
Lauren Davey joined Ë®ÃÛÌÒapp in September 2016 as a Resident Tutor in Highfield and Head of Lacrosse. Since joining, Lauren became Assistant Housemistress of Highfield and in 2020 took the role of Head of Lower School 1 before being appointed Houseparent of Highfield in 2021. Lauren lives in Highfield with her husband Kieran who is also a PE teacher at a school in Stevenage. Lauren enjoys all sports and when she is not in Highfield, she can be found down on the sports pitches coaching sport to pupils. In her free time, Lauren enjoys skiing, cooking, crafting and visiting family in Cornwall.
Learn more from our Lower school pupils