Our First Weeks at Winchester
‘I was really surprised at the amount of time we have to do extra-curricular activities here, and free afternoons mean we get more time to do what we want, which is great.’ William
Starting a new school is daunting. There is so much to learn and discover, and lots of new relationships to build, with teachers and other pupils. Boarding for the first time presents more new experiences: first time away from home, first time living with friends, first time eating with a house family, rather than parents and siblings. It can also be a period of adjustment and worry for parents too. However, whenever we ask pupils how they are getting on, the answers are invariably the same so this selection, along with a visual diary of the first couple of weeks at Winchester, aims to give a snapshot of their experience.
‘There’s something different to do every day, even if you’re not a fan of sport there are always creative activities to try. These first couple of weeks have been incredible! I’ve made so many great friends and I haven’t stopped laughing and having fun since day one.’ Arthur
'The first few weeks are the hardest but the environment of Kenny’s [boarding house] helped me through the rough times. I am so glad I chose Winchester as it has opened many doors to new things that I hadn’t tried before but now love.' Billy
'Winchester has been fun and very busy for the first couple of weeks. Everyone is very welcoming. I already feel at home! The wide variety of sports and activities keeps you very active in your free time and there are lots of societies too like astronomy, history, coding, science, literature and many more. It’s hard to be bored!' Sebastian
'I have really enjoyed Winchester so far, particularly the amazing opportunities, such as the sport (especially football) which is on offer every day and is a great way to make new friends and burn off some energy. I have also found that all the teaching has been incredible and that subjects that I might not have liked in the past, I am now really interested in as Winchester encourages you to try new things! In house, I have really enjoyed the food and I really like the amount of free time we get as we are allowed the freedom to choose what we want to do with it, whether that is going in to town or playing football on the astro.' Max
‘I have four other boys in my dorm and it’s really fun getting to talk before bed and in the mornings – we’ve been told off a few times for staying up too late!’ Beloe's pupil
‘I come from London and really like being able to walk in to Winchester. The roads are really quiet, it’s clean and there’s lots of shops and a cinema to go to.’ Thomas
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