Ampleforth St Martin's

Bursaries enable pupils to attend the school who otherwise would not be able to afford the fees. To apply for a bursary a detailed form about your personal circumstances needs to be completed.

Common Entrance

An exam taken in the final term of Year 8 to enable pupils to gain entry to Ampleforth College or another independent/private senior school.

Curriculum

The course of work that each year group follows

Dormitory

The room in a boarding house where a number of boarders sleep (often called a ‘dorm’ or just a bedroom). The number of beds varies, ranging from four up to about eight.

Evensong

The choral evensong is a Christian service of reflection held in the evening.

Exeat

Weekend where all pupils, including boarders, go home.

Extra-curricular activities

Activities taking place outside the formal curriculum, which are designed to encourage non-academic skills and experiences

Flexi-boarding

This is where pupils and their families opt for boarding for three or four regular nights a week.

Full boarding

This is where pupils live at school for most of the term, including weekends. There are usually specific exeats (leave weekends), when full boarders go home or to their guardians in the UK

Guardian

An individual who acts on behalf of a pupil’s parents and takes care of the pupil during term time and holidays. Students whose parents live abroad will require a guardian.

Housemaster/mother  

A staff member responsible for the supervision and care of boarders in a boarding house.

Independent Boarding School

Institutions that are run independently rather than by the state (the UK Government) to provide a general education and accommodation for young people between the ages of 7 and 13. Independent schools are commonly known as private schools. Some schools have pre-preparatory departments, which take non-boarding pupils from age five or even younger in some cases. The majority of boarding schools in the UK are non-profit-making foundations.

Matron

The matron looks after the health and hygiene of boarding pupils.

Mentor

Each pupil in the prep school has an individual mentor who takes an active interest in all aspects of their progress. Mentors are on hand to talk through and help to solve any problems pupils may have both academically and pastorally.

Nursery

Class for 3 to 5 year olds

Ofsted

The Office for Standards in Education is the Government department responsible for the inspection of schools in the UK. It works closely with Independent Schools Inspectorate.

Prep

The term commonly used to mean homework. (Also used as an abbreviation of ‘preparatory’.)

Preparatory

Year 3 (aged 7-8) to Year 8 (aged 12-13)

Pre-Prep

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes

Scholarship

A financial award to a student who shows talent or ability in a particular subject or area