On arrival at Ampleforth, all pupils join a boarding House which is their home from home during their time here. We have seven Senior Houses, three for girls and four for boys, as well as a co-educational Junior House for Years 7 & 8 called St Edward’s & St Wilfrid’s. For further details about St Edward’s & St Wilfrid’s please visit the Junior House page.
Each Senior House is a very friendly and supportive home for between 55 - 65 students from Years 9 to 13 (First Form to Upper Sixth at Ampleforth). Run by a Housemistress or Master with the help of a resident Assistant, every House has its own dedicated team of staff including Tutors, Matron, and Housekeeping team. Day students (18% of the school) are fully integrated into House life. They have their own study space and can stay overnight if they have a late activity.
Every House is named after a saint and has their own coat of arms and school colours. Lots of inter-house challenges and sports competitions foster a strong sense of House spirit and solidarity. Deaneries (vertical teams within Houses) encourage friendships across the year groups with older pupils looking out for the younger ones and younger pupils helped to find their voice. Houses eat breakfast and lunch together which helps engender a sense of family and allows House staff and pupils to check in with each other over the course of the day.
The core pastoral team around every child involves their Houseparent, Assistant Houseparent, Tutor, Matron, and Chaplain. Tutors are also responsible for monitoring and ensuring the academic progress of a small group of pupils in a particular Year group in House, in close liaison with parents. Matrons play a vital role in creating a warm and homely atmosphere and making sure everyone is happy, healthy, fed, and the House – and pupils - are clean and tidy! Chaplains help provide morning and evening prayers and a weekly Mass in the House Chapel as well as an annual retreat.
Extensive daily contact with pupils from other Houses through lessons, activities, clubs, shared supper (and other meals such as weekly Year group lunch), as well as social events every Saturday night, enable friendships between pupils from different Houses to develop easily and naturally.
Ampleforth is a full boarding school, with a vibrant and busy atmosphere throughout the week. On Saturday morning there are lessons, followed by sports matches against other schools in the afternoon, and a diverse programme of fun social events for different year groups in the evening. After Mass on Sunday morning, there are many opportunities for trips, activities and spending time with friends. The school usually grows in size at the weekends with a number of parents coming to visit, watch matches, and join us for Mass and coffee afterwards. Parents are always very welcome to come and see us at weekends and can take their children out after matches on Saturday and after Mass on Sunday.
St Edward’s and St Wilfrid’s House is situated in Hume House, purpose-built boarding accommodation in the heart of the school with a large garden behind and its own astroturf.
Sebastian Phillips is Housemaster of Junior House. Sebastian is an Old Amplefordian who joined us originally as Assistant Housemaster first of St Dunstan’s and St Oswald’s and then St Thomas’. He is also Head of Cricket. Before he joined our staff, he spent fourteen years working in prep schools, most recently as a Housemaster for six years at Cranmore Prep School. Sebastian is married to Victoria (also an Old Amplefordian) and they have a young son and a cocker spaniel called Burty. The whole family get involved in House life! Sebastian brings great prep school skills and experience to Ampleforth and has an instinctive and warm pastoral approach. He also has tremendous energy and our Junior pupils enjoy a packed programme of events and activities throughout the year.
On arrival at Ampleforth, all pupils join a House, which will become a central focus and their Home during their time at the school.
We have three girls' boarding Houses. Each one is home to up to 70 girls of all ages who live in a friendly and supportive atmosphere which is run by a Housemistress. Every House is named after a saint, and each has their own crest and school colours, nurturing a strong spirit of solidarity and loyalty in the girls.
A resident Assistant Houseparent and a team of House Tutors take part in the pastoral care of the House. In particular, a tutor is responsible for the academic progress of every student in a single House year-group, as well as their pastoral wellbeing. Tutors ensure that every student is correctly placed in subject sets and is studying the subjects that best suit her abilities and interests. They also monitor progress and liaise closely with parents. This watchful help will continue throughout the student's stay at the school and will extend to the choice of university and career.
House Matrons also play an important part in the general pastoral care of students and liaising with the College Infirmary and keeping an eye on rooms and dormitories.
Morning and evening prayers, Mass (whether for the whole House or for groups), seasonal prayers in Lent or at other times, and the annual retreat, are centred on each student's House and House Chapel. Equally, students are welcomed to pray with the Community in the Abbey Church.
Houses are by no means exclusive communities. Sporting competition between the Houses is keen. The school's many activities and shared meals make school-wide communication easy, and friendships between pupils from different Houses naturally develop. Lessons, of course, are organised in year groups, which ensures that pupils have extensive daily contact with those from other Houses.
A number of senior pupils, following suitable training, are invited to take responsibility for the welfare of the school and the Houses as School and House Monitors. They are answerable to the Head for the trust which is extended to them.
On arrival at Ampleforth, all pupils join a House, which will become a central focus and their home during their time here. We have four boys' boarding Houses.
Each House is home to up to 65 boys of all ages who live in a friendly and supportive atmosphere which is run by a Housemaster. Every House is named after a saint, and has their own crest and school colours, nurturing a strong spirit of solidarity and loyalty in the boys.
A resident Assistant Housemaster and a team of House Tutors take part in the pastoral care of the House. In particular, a tutor is responsible for the academic progress of every student in a single House year-group. Tutors ensure that every student is correctly placed in subject sets and is studying the subjects that best suit his abilities and interests. They also monitor progress and liaise closely with parents. This watchful help will continue throughout the student's stay at the school and will extend to the choice of university and career.
House Matrons also play an important part in the general pastoral care of students and liaising with the College Infirmary and keeping an eye on rooms and dormitories.
Morning and evening prayers, Mass (whether for the whole House or for groups), seasonal prayers in Lent or at other times, and the annual retreat, are centred on each student's House and House Chapel. Equally, students are welcomed to pray with the Community in the Abbey Church.
Houses are by no means exclusive communities. Sporting competition between the Houses is keen. The school's many activities and shared meals make school-wide communication easy, and friendships between students from different Houses naturally develop. Lessons, of course, are organised in year groups, which ensures that students have extensive daily contact with students from other Houses.
A number of senior students, following suitable training, are invited to take responsibility for the welfare of the school and the Houses as School and House Monitors. They are answerable to the Head for the trust which is extended to them.
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