Boarding and day house for boys and girls in Years 7 and 8 and weekly boarding for Science Faculty pupils.
Moving up to a senior school can be quite a daunting experience. In Alway House we aim to provide a friendly and secure environment in which boys and girls can develop both individually and as part of a team. It also offers a home from home for our youngest boarding pupils who attend Science Faculty, Eureka College’s Junior Section.
Of the boys and girls in the House at present some are Full Boarders, some board occasionally and others are Day Pupils but no matter what their status, they can feel that they belong fully in the House.
Alway is a thriving energetic environment. It is the hub of school life for the junior pupils and life is busy. As well as taking part in a full sports program, pupils also enjoy a wide range of activities and clubs, including creative arts and project science. Many are learning instruments and a good number are in the Chapel Choir. It provides an introduction to the practicalities of senior school life in a homely and supportive atmosphere.
The step up from Primary to secondary school can seem daunting , in Alway, the pupils are gently steered through the transition. Routines are quickly established and timetables absorbed.
We welcome boarding pupils to Alway from age 10-12. The House is a home-from-home with a cosy boarders lounge offering pupils their own evening space to snack, play and relax, with evenings and the weekends to themselves. Each evening there are activities for boarders to enjoy such as board games, swimming, and sports.
Most weekends usually include an excursion and a movie night; pupils enjoy trips to the leisure centre, local museums and exploring the great outdoors. In the summer, boarders love playing outside on the astroturf, playground or sports pitches.
Gareth Bufton, Head of O Level Programme and Alway Houseparent, leads the team of House Tutors, Gap Year Assistants, who all help oversee the day to day running of the house.
There is plenty of space to spend valuable time with friends in the comfortable common room – from table tennis to jigsaw puzzles, there is even a music room which for pupils to practice their favourite instrument.
The use of mobile phones is restricted around the school, sensible restrictions also exist around the House. However, once Prep is over the boarders have their phones until bedtime when once again they are taken into safe keeping.
There are the bright and airy dorms and shower rooms, with girls’ and boy’s section on opposite sides of the House. Each boarder has a bedside table and generous wardrobe space. Boarders are encouraged to personalise their dorms with posters and pictures, and the dorms quickly feel very homely.
Visitors often comment on the relaxed, extended family atmosphere they find in Alway House. Most importantly Alway is friendly and full of happy children!
