Boarding
Why Board?
A Family Home with Classrooms
At Belhaven, children thrive in a warm and familiar environment where happiness is key to an all-round education. For all children, boarding and day, Belhaven is a family home with classrooms – and our extended family includes loyal four-legged companions and caring adults who know each child by name.
Time spent with friends under the stewardship of our experienced boarding staff is not only great fun, it is fundamental to developing emotional intelligence that produces resilient, responsible and caring young people. We believe in companionship. The fullness of life at Belhaven teaches empathy, with openness and resilience.
Children can board from ages 7 to 13. Many younger children and some older pupils are day children. They also benefit from Belhaven’s action-packed, holistic education and 24-hour pastoral care. You decide if and when your children want to board.
Generations of Belhavians agree that friendships made here last a lifetime, and boarding truly confirms and accelerates that process. The security of being 'known' stays with you for life.
The Benefits of Boarding
As we prepare pupils for life's challenges and the UK's top senior schools, boarding offers significant benefits:
- Builds confidence and independence – a transformational experience nurturing courage.
- Learning teamwork, responsibility and empathy – contributing to a community with courtesy.
- Broader, all-round curriculum – more time for sports, music, drama and art to explore creativity.
- Breadth of opportunity – activities from animals and adventure to sunshine and seaside.
- More time in the Makerspace for individual and collaborative projects.
- Less time on personal devices – our ‘no smartphone policy’ protects childhood.
- More time to explore our core values, courtesy, courage and creativity.
- More time with friends – forging friendships that last a lifetime.
| The school's food gets rave reviews (our match teas are the envy of other schools!). The kitchen provides a healthy, wholesome diet with local produce, including fruit and veg from our own kitchen garden. |
We are now one of just a tiny handful of prep schools in the UK offering full boarding. Belhaven follows a 'fortnightly boarding' model because we believe it's in children's best interests: strong friendships and familiar routine, delivered with a light touch, help foster good habits for life.
Boarding at Belhaven means you extend your family by adding trusted mentors in whom children have faith to help them grow. We offer flexible transition options that can be discussed with the Headmaster and houseparents.
"Belhaven is such a unique school where my child and his abilities have been nurtured. He has learnt the key life skill of tolerance which can only come from a boarding environment."
Parent, Form 3
Key Features of Belhaven's Fortnightly Boarding Model
- Fortnightly boarding – 11 nights in school followed by a 'weekend out' (Friday 1pm to Monday 8.30am).
- Regular communication with parents, events at school and family-friendly decision-making.
- Lots of fun! Outdoor adventures and activities fostering courage, creativity and courtesy.
- Extensive, supportive community across Scotland and England, including Military and International families.
For day children who may be considering boarding, we offer taster boarding experiences which typically run from Thursday to Sunday mornings. The transition to boarding is a phased approach, arranged to suit individual family circumstances.
Action-Packed Weekends
Our boarding 'fortnights' are jam-packed with learning and activities from Sunday evening or Monday morning until Friday, eleven nights later. School days are filled with animals and adventure, sunshine and seaside.
Saturday mornings feature lessons and sporting competition against fellow prep schools, followed by free time, 'Saturday sweets' and a movie.
Sundays mix traditional with modern activities – letter-writing and Sunday service (parents invited), then activities including 'Pirates', 'Capture the Flag' and the intriguing 'Wookie Special', alongside skiing, art, golf, surfing, coding and cooking. Most staff still live on site.
Our idyllic location allows us to cater for every desire: 40 minutes from Edinburgh, a stone's throw from Belhaven Bay and a short hike from the Lammermuir Hills. We guarantee children experience the full majesty of Scottish life with their friends.
Belhaven boarding also features:
| In-house socials | Surfing/coasteering/paddle-boarding |
| Sunday Art | Horse-riding |
| Edinburgh Christmas Market | Bubble Football |
| Cinema trips | Golf |
| Free time in Dunbar | Inflatable Fun |
| Rugby internationals | Foxlake Adventures |
| Dorm-decorating | Beach runs |
Meet Our House Parents
Judy Barnard runs the girls' house and lives with her younger daughter, Ashley. Jack White runs the boys' house, supported by wife Vicky and daughters Rosie and Grace.
Both houses benefit from the warmth and professionalism of a team of matrons and teaching staff support.
Judy joined in September 2025 with significant boarding experience from South Africa. A keen runner and Primary teacher with Art and Design specialism, she supports Form 6 mornings and teaches Form 4 afternoons.
Jack joined in September 2021 from Marlborough College Malaysia. A keen sportsman and outdoor enthusiast, he explores the East Lothian coast with pupils and his family.
Pastoral Care at the Heart of Belhaven
The happiness and welfare of your children is paramount: pastoral care is at the heart of everything we do. This empowers children to achieve their very best, knowing they'll be supported throughout life's ups and downs. They are known.
Our dedicated pastoral team includes an Assistant Pastoral Lead and Wellbeing Lead under the Deputy Head (Systems and Welfare), ensuring we address concerns through our internal network or external partners.
The school divides into four Patrols, each staff-led and aided by Patrol Leaders and Junior Patrol Captains. Forms 1-3 have Form Tutors; Forms 4-5 have Form Teachers; Pre-Prep children have Form Teachers with Child Protection team support – all meeting daily.
Children can talk with any staff member, including Houseparents, Matrons or the Headmaster and his wife. The staff-pupil relationship is fundamental at Belhaven, based on mutual respect.
Our team of Nurse, Wellbeing Lead, Pupil Support and 5 matrons ensure each child's physical welfare.
Comprehensive Travel Arrangements
Situated outside Dunbar on East Lothian's finest coastline, Belhaven Hill enjoys idyllic natural setting with easy access to the A1, the main East Coast Rail Line (between Edinburgh and London) and Edinburgh Airport. Our back gate opens onto Winterfield golf course, and it's a 10-minute stroll to the sweeping beach of Belhaven Bay.
Minibuses run to Stonehaven, Perth, Berwick-upon-Tweed and Dumfries on the Fridays and Sundays of Weekends Out and Half Term.
Rail: Staff accompany children to/from York and London via the East Coast Main Line, with fortnightly service to London Kings Cross if required.
Air: We accompany children on flights to/from London Heathrow, checking them in and handing them to airline ground staff for onward flights using the unaccompanied minor service.
