Boarding

DLD College London is centred on the principles of Development, Leadership and Diversity. The boarding experience at the school aims at enhancing you as an individual and your time as a Boarder will support you to develop your skills to live independently, to demonstrate leadership through the opportunities that are on offer to you and to live fully and respectfully in a diverse environment.

Only here can boarders enjoy the convenience of living in one of our 250 ensuite bedrooms above the school! Rooms are organised by age with boys and girls housed on separate floors and designated Houseparents oversee each boarder.

We want our boarders to feel safe, happy and at home, while they are with us in our boarding house. Boarders are encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions, offer ideas, contribute to their boarding community, and to show initiative and take on various responsibilities such as joining the Boarding Council.

Boarding with us in an extraordinary experience, offering unique opportunities for a wide range of boarders’ trips throughout London, in-house activities and special occasions.

The Boarding House is also home to our Resident Houseparents, the Principal, the Director of Boarding and the school Matron and our two boarding dogs!

Our rooms are, quite simply, some of the best boarding accommodation available in the UK.

There are two options available:

1. Single Ensuite
2. Twin Ensuite

All of the rooms are situated in our recently completed building directly above the school. Each room has an ensuite shower room, and contains a bed, study space, wardrobe and other storage above and below the bed.

Single ensuite rooms come in different shapes and sizes but due to the interesting shape of our building’s architecture, every room is unique, and it is therefore not possible to provide precise dimensions.

We have a small number of twin rooms which allow students to share a room with another boarder of the same gender and similar age. These have a dividing wall down the middle for privacy if preferred.

Students are encouraged to personalise their rooms with posters etc, and to make themselves at home!

Regarding laundry, students can either use the chargeable washing machines on site or sign up for the weekly laundry service which is available at an additional cost.

Each floor has a Common Room for the use of the boarders on that floor, containing a kitchen, where boarders can prepare drinks and snacks, with comfortable seating, tables and chairs, and a TV. Tea, coffee, bread, milk and fruit are all provided.

In the evenings and at weekends, the Atrium downstairs becomes the main social space for boarders, where they can receive visitors, play table football, pool, badminton or ping-pong, watch movies on our giant projector screen, or game with friends on one of our smaller projectors.

Our Global Kitchen not only provides breakfast, lunch and dinner but is a valuable social space where students can relax and study together in evenings and weekends, enjoying coffees or treats from our House cafe.

Each floor has a Common Room for the use of the boarders on that floor, containing a kitchen, where boarders can prepare drinks and snacks, comfortable seating, tables and chairs, and a TV. Tea, coffee, bread, milk and fruit are all provided.

In the evenings and at weekends, the Atrium downstairs becomes the main social space for boarders, where they can receive visitors, play table football or ping-pong, watch movies on our giant projector screen, or gaming with friends on one of our smaller projectors.

Our Global Kitchen also provides valuable social space where boys and girls can relax and study together in evenings and weekends, enjoying coffees or treats from our House cafe.

For fitness, there is the option to join the Urbanest health club, situated in the basement of the building, for a small additional cost. Please note this is only open to students aged 16+.

Meals are taken in our purpose-built Global Kitchen. A choice of healthy breakfast options, three course lunches and three course evening meals are included in the fees, with optional extras also available. Students are encouraged to request menu options and the catering staff work hard to ensure there is a wide variety of food catering to many tastes and dietary needs.

Our House coffee shop has a wide variety of coffee options, snacks, paninis, cookies etc available at an additional cost, significantly cheaper than high street Starbucks branches.

Boarders are encouraged to be independent, and to explore Central London. For their own safety, we insist that boarders have the Houseparents’ mobile phone number and the College phone number stored in their phones when they sign out of the boarding house. All students must return by the appropriate curfew, and it is mandatory that they attend all meetings or school functions where they may be required.

Compulsory School Age students (those aged under 16 at 1st September of the academic year) must sign out in groups, and they must sign back in to the house in the same groups.

We have full fire and lockdown drill procedures in place so that everyone is aware of what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency.

We have curfews for all boarders, compulsory school age students have a 9:30pm curfew Monday-Sunday. Non-compulsory school age students (16+) have a curfew of 10pm Sunday-Thursday and 11pm Friday-Saturday.

The School Matron is available for boarders who are unwell. She carries out health checks, registers boarders with the local Health Centre, and administers medication to boarders. Parents of boarders are asked to provide details of any medical conditions, allergies etc on application. All Houseparents and the Director of Boarding are also first aid trained, and we are fortunate to be right across the road from St Thomas’ Hospital, which also has an Accident & Emergency.

Our dedicated College Counsellor works closely with the Welfare and Medical staff to support students and staff who may have counselling needs on a one-to-one basis.

We aim to provide only the very best, individualised pastoral care for boarders. Houseparents and Personal Tutors meet with boarders every week to find out about how their week has gone, check on their health, and to discuss any academic or personal issues they may have.

The Houseparents send regular messages to parents and guardians to update them on a boarder’s progress, and to ensure that parents are kept informed of their progress, not only academically, but also individually.

There’s a lot to take in when you first start boarding, particularly if you’re coming to a new country. Our staff and returning boarders have put together a programme to mentor and support new students and to help them settle into boarding at DLD and life in London.

New Boarders are expected to arrive on the day the Boarding House opens for the academic year in time for the Boarders’ Induction Programme, which includes tours of the school and local area, registering with a doctor, opening a bank account, medical checks, getting an Oyster card, and getting to know the systems and procedures for boarding at DLD.

London is the ideal place to experience a wide range of boarders’ trips, and we arrange a broad programme of cultural, musical, sporting and recreational trips for boarders to enjoy, as well as enabling boarders to enjoy all that this great city has to offer. Previous trips have included football at Wembley Stadium, concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and the London Jazz Festival, West End and Globe theatre trips, ice-skating, paintballing, go-karting amongst others.

Each Houseparent organises a termly House Trip, and all members of a House are encouraged to attend these.

We have regular in-house activities in the Atrium, including movie nights, quiz nights, and inter-House tournaments and competitions, as well as themed events such as our International Day celebrations.

We celebrate special occasions together throughout the year such as Halloween, Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Valentine’s Day. These often involve special themed meals in the Global Kitchen, and boarders are involved in organising and running these events, providing valuable leadership experience for CVs.

• Guardianship Information
• Commitment to Care Charter

Visit our YouTube channel Boarding Playlist for a range of videos showing boarding life at DLD College London.

This tour of the school from one of our Heads of School, filmed during the summer break, as we prepared for the new academic year, features Boarding at 4m55 and check out the amazing views at 6m40!

Here are frequently asked questions about the Boarding House at DLD College London, if you need more information please contact the Director of Boarding or the Houseparents.

Will I have to share a room?

DLD offers single and twin rooms and students can give their room preference on the Boarding Application Form. Students will be allocated rooms according to availability and preference on a first come first serve basis.

What is included with my room?

Every room has:

• A bed with bedding and linen
• A washroom with shower, basin, and toilet
• A desk and chair
• Wi-Fi access
• Fresh linen and towels every week
• Access to a common room with kitchenette

Are meals provided?

Yes, meals are taken in the Global Kitchen where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served every day. Boarders can choose from a range of cooked meals and we will cater for special dietary requirements.

Where can I wash my clothes?

The laundry room is located in the basement of the boarding house, washing machines and dryers are coin operated. Houseparents will show students how to use the machines and where to buy laundry detergent.

The laundry service is available for an additional fee, boarders using this service place their laundry in a labelled bag which is then collected, washed and dried, and returned the next day. Bed linen and towels are provided when boarders arrive and are replaced every week.

Who will take care of me when I am unwell?

DLD has a School Matron who runs her office on weekdays. The Nurse will register boarders with the doctor and will look after any boarder who is unwell. The Nurse can give medications and flu vaccines and will carry out health checks for all boarders.

Can I have guests?

Guests are not allowed into the Boarding House, although boarders may ask permission from a Houseparent to bring a guest into the school in the evenings or at weekends. Once given permission guests may come to the Atrium or the Global Kitchen once they have signed in with a Houseparent.

Can I stay for the holidays?

The Boarding House remains open throughout the half term and Easter holidays and students are welcome to stay for these periods. The school and the Boarding House both close for the Christmas and Summer holidays.

Is there an alternative to the Boarding House?

In some cases, students aged 18 and over may choose to live outside of the college accommodation. Any student wishing to live away from their parents or legal guardian and outside of the college should have their parents seek permission from the Principal. Please contact the Director of Boarding for more information.

Students who wish to reserve a place in the Boarding House must complete the Boarding Application Form and return this to the Accommodation Team.

Independent day students are not permitted to live in the adjacent Westminster Bridge Road Urbanest building.

To visit the boarding house for a tour or to speak to a member of our boarding team for more information about life at DLD College London please contact us:

The International Admissions Centre:
+44 (0) 330 053 6082
admissions@abbeydld.co.uk