Typical Day

One of the features of Papplewick is that no two days are the same, with matches on Wednesday afternoons and activities on Thursday afternoons, but they are all long, busy, and fun for the boys!

Weekdays

The boarders wake up at 7.10am when they get dressed and make their beds before going down to breakfast at 7.40am. Day boys arrive from 8.00am to play with their friends, ride their waveboards, or perhaps enjoy a little cricket ‘on the square’. At 8.20am, boys meet either their tutors or form teachers for a short tutor/form period. Then at 8.35am, the whole school gathers for a short chapel service before boys head off to class for 3 academic lessons. On Wednesday morning, there are no tutor/form teacher periods or chapel, and the boys go straight into lessons at 8.25am. Mid-morning break is 30 minutes long and boys have the ‘run of the grounds’ to enjoy their games of chase, make dens, play football, ride scooters, or feed their snake! 2 more academic lessons follow for Years 2-4 before our family style lunch, and 3 more lessons for Years 5-8.

All boys have a reading period after lunch followed by their daily sports session and 2 more lessons for Years 2-4, and lessons followed by sports training for Year 5-8. Year 2 boys go home at 4.30pm while Year 3 and 4 leave at 5.15pm. At this time, boys in Years 5-8 settle down to complete 50 minutes of supervised ‘prep’ (homework). Day boys in Year 5 and 6 then go home leaving the boarders to tuck into their supper before enjoying the daily evening activities programme until 7.30pm.

Hot chocolate and snacks follow after activities before fun and games up in the dorms under the care of their Houseparents. Finally, 15 minutes before their lights out, all boarders settle down on their beds to read or listen to ipods to ensure they fall asleep happily exhausted when their lights go out between 8.30pm and 9.00pm.

Weekends

Saturday mornings are especially busy for all boys in years 3-8 with the Headmaster’s weekly assembly at 8.20am followed by four academic lessons. After mid-morning break, the whole school gathers, together with parents, for our special weekly service in chapel. If not involved in a school match in the afternoon (most will be in Years 5-8), boys may go home after the service.

Boarders then enjoy our popular Saturday evening entertainment programme which includes marshmallows round fires, camping out, ‘socials’ with girls’ schools, exclusive use of local leisure pools, ‘chocolate Olympics’, and ‘all-you -can-eat’ Chinese restaurant nights out! On Sundays, the boarders relish their long lie-in before tucking in to their slap-up full English breakfast. They then enjoy the wide range of activities at Papplewick and trips out of the school that staff provide every Sunday.