St Paul’s offers a modern, nurturing boarding environment for approximately 330 students.
With four well-equipped houses (three for boys, one for girls), boarding students benefit from close-knit peer support, engaging leadership from senior students, and the dedicated pastoral care of our staff. Meet our pastoral care staff and boarding housemasters here.
- A strong boarding family: Housemasters, deputies, assistants, residential assistants, and a matron form a 24/7 support network, guiding boarders academically and pastorally. Students also have access to an onsite nurse, counsellor, chaplain, careers advisor, and other wellbeing services.
- Routines and community: Students eat, study, and play together, sharing meals, prep time in the dining room, and recreational activities that build camaraderie and character.
- Smooth transition: New boarders are welcomed into small peer support groups and paired with senior leaders and prefects to help them settle in and feel at home fast.
- Supervised study: Boarders complete homework during evening prep time, overseen by house staff.
FAQs
Who supervises the boarders?
Each boarding house is led by a Housemaster, supported by two Deputy Housemasters, a Matron, and two university-age Residential Assistants. Housemasters and their deputies are part of the teaching staff and live onsite, providing strong academic and pastoral support. Residential. The Matron oversees domestic arrangements, supports younger students, and helps with minor clothing repairs.
How much contact do parents have with their child?
We actively encourage regular connection between boarders and their families. Parents are welcome to visit during the week, take their child out for a meal, or spend time together on weekends. Boarders may also return home on many weekends and during scheduled breaks. Families are warmly invited to attend school events, sports fixtures, and Chapel services throughout the year.
What are the leave arrangements?
Boarders may apply for weekend leave once school commitments, such as sport or cultural activities, are met. Permission must be granted by the Housemaster or staff on duty, and boarders are required to sign in and out. Boarding houses also close for several days each term to give students the opportunity to spend time at home.
How is student wellbeing supported?
Housemasters keep in regular contact with families through emails, newsletters, and reports. Students are supported by a full-time counsellor, chaplain, nurse, and other pastoral staff, and are encouraged to speak with whoever they feel most comfortable.
How many boarders are there and where do they come from?
Around 330 students board at St Paul’s, making up 30% of our school community. Most come from the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupō, and Auckland regions, while others join us from across New Zealand and overseas.
What do boarders do after school and at weekends?
Boarders enjoy a full range of co-curricular activities, including sport, music, and drama. They also have access to school facilities such as the gym and library and may apply for leave to visit Chartwell shopping centre. See the daily routine schedule here.
Do boarders have internet access? How is this monitored?
Yes, boarders can connect to the school’s secure Wi-Fi, and internet use is monitored to ensure safe online behaviour. Year 9 and 10 students are not permitted to keep mobile phones in boarding unless handed in after travel. See our phone use policy in our school rules here.
Where do boarders eat and what is the food like?
All meals are served in the school’s dining hall, with food prepared onsite to meet dietary guidelines for adolescents. Special dietary requirements, such as vegetarian or gluten-free, are catered for. Most meals are cafeteria style, and once a week, boarders enjoy a formal dinner together.
What are the laundry arrangements?
Boys’ laundry is sent to a central onsite facility, while girls’ laundry is managed within their boarding house. Bedding is also laundered regularly as part of the boarding routine.
What are the healthcare arrangements?
The school doctor visits St Paul’s several times each week. A qualified nurse lives onsite and is available to offer medical treatment for minor injury or illness. In more serious cases, external professional support is obtained from local medical clinics or the Emergency Department at Waikato Hospital.
Want to learn more?
Book an Open Day or get in touch with our enrolments office on +64 7 957 8889.
