Our four purpose-built Boarding Houses range in size, making each House entirely unique.
Macgregor House, our female-only House refurbished in 2017, is home to 25 girls across Fourth Form to the Upper Sixth. Collinson, Ridgeway and Burton Bank Houses are all co-educational Houses of mixed year groups, with their numbers of boarders ranging from 32 to 66.
Our boarders develop a close attachment to their particular House, where they live and study under the care of a Housemaster or House Parent who knows them thoroughly and who maintains a close relationship with their families back home.
House identity is keenly fostered as part of a close-knit community.
Find out more about each of our Boarding Houses below.
Burton Bank
Burton Bank is ideally located on the edge of the main school campus at the bottom of Wills Grove and only a short distance from the main site areas. The short walk home allows pupils to escape from the hustle and bustle of our busy schools before reaching the pleasant tranquillity of the House, with far reaching views over the playing fields and idyllic countryside which surround us.
The House is well-equipped for pupils’ everyday needs including a large common and games room, TV and study room, smaller study areas and access to the House kitchen for pupils to practise their cookery skills – something we encourage. The House garden is a wonderful space which enjoys splendid sunshine and provides the grounds for many barbecues, sports and firepits together.
My family, coupled with an incredibly devoted House team, all strive to nurture excellent relationships within year groups, as well as the positive rapport across the House where senior pupils become positive role models for our younger pupils. We aim to provide an environment in Burton Bank where all members, including all House staff, feel welcome and valued and recognise that one-to-one pastoral care is essential in getting the most out of any one individual.
Burton Bank has come to mean friendship and loyalty where we all work together for the benefit of the House, the Schools and each other, showing respect for one another at all times. We aim to instil a culture based on a disciplined approach, integrity and happiness where we all strive to the work to the best of our ability, challenging ourselves to go beyond our comfort zone and embracing the many opportunities that are available at our wonderful schools.
Day to day life in Burton Bank is a place in which to seek good company, to have fun away from the rigours of academic pursuits and to enjoy down time and relaxation. We see importance in creating memories and very much hope that these will be instilled in us for a long time to come.
Graeme Turner
Housemaster, Burton Bank
Collinson
Collinson opened its doors for the first time in 1903. In our 120-year history, there have only been 11 Housemasters. This stability is characteristic of the calm of boarding life here.
While we live in the present and look to the future, the warmth of memories surrounds the House, and we are visited regularly by alumni hoping to see where their formative years unfolded.
Today, we are proud to be the smallest of our three co-educational boarding houses; home to 46 female and male pupils. We pride ourselves on having a close-nit, caring community and despite our size, always punch above our weight in House competitions.
We are equipped with modern furniture and facilities, and our bedrooms have recently undergone a full refurbishment. We have a prep and dining area as well as a large common room where formal and informal House gatherings take place. Pupils also have access to a kitchen for personal use. During the week, there is a broad range of activities which evolves constantly to reflect the needs, interests, skills and curiosity of both staff and pupils with the weekly House quiz being a particular favourite!
Our most important resource is our staff, all of whom are fundamentally committed to the pupils’ pastoral wellbeing and academic success.
Collinson is best summed up by our House vision:
A caring place where acceptance, empathy and collaboration empower us to be the best version of ourselves.
Stuart Hendy
Housemaster, Collinson
Macgregor
Macgregor was built to house the Mill Hill School Sanatorium in 1877, most recently transforming from a Day House to a girls Boarding House. We are located off The Ridgeway with our own amazing grounds, overlooking Mill Hill School’s Sixth Form Centre and miles of protected parkland with panoramic views towards the West End of London. The House is so named after the founder and first Headmistress of the Mount School for Girls which is now Mill Hill International.
Macgregor was fully refurbished in 2017 and is the smallest Boarding House. It has room for 29 junior and senior girls, all of whom have study bedrooms. Lower School pupils are allocated to rooms of two or three. The Sixth Form have larger study bedrooms, shared between two in the first year then they may be allocated a single room for their final year.
We are lucky to have a large common room area with a TV, board games and games consoles, with karaoke nights being a particular favourite, alongside access to the House kitchen for the girls to prepare their own food as they wish. There is also a large study room so that pupils can continue their academic work undisturbed. The gardens are large enough in which to play badminton and volleyball during the summer months and the girls enjoy many barbecues and firepits together here.
My accommodation adjoins the Boarding House where I am always on hand to our boarders. I am supported in the House by an Assistant Housemistress, an amazing team of tutors, and of course, matron. Everyone is assured of a warm and friendly welcome in Macgregor. It is a superb home to our boarders.
Karen Justice
Housemistress, Macgregor
Ridgeway
Edwardian architect T E Collcutt, whose other work includes the Wigmore Hall and the Savoy Hotel, built Ridgeway in 1911. Close to the main school campus, Ridgeway overlooks protected parkland with panoramic views towards the West End of London and enjoys picturesque grounds and extensive gardens. Ridgeway’s prestigious alumnae include the DNA scientist Sir Francis Crick and Stan Lanevski (Viktor Krum from Harry Potter).
Ridgeway is a spacious mixed Boarding House for 72 pupils, all of whom have study bedrooms. We have two separate common room areas: a television room with Sky TV and a film projector, and a large games room with pool table, table-tennis table, board games, games consoles and a piano. Additionally, there is an inviting large kitchen with a wide range of facilities with which pupils may prepare their own food, drinks and snacks.
More important than these facilities is the strength of Ridgeway’s spirit, and the open, trusting and familial ethos which is at the heart of the House and has been its cornerstone for many years. When pupils join Ridgeway, they join a family and become part of a very special community in which each are supported and cared for, differences and diversities celebrated, and all encouraged to be the very best they can be.
As well as Ridgeway’s Housemaster, I am a Mathematics teacher and part of the Games Department at Mill Hill School. I have been a Housemaster for 10 years. I reside in Ridgeway with my partner, Jane, and our French bulldog, Toffee. The residential House staff offer round-the-clock support to the Ridgeway family ensuring they are safe and happy in their home.
Mark Fryer
Housemaster, Ridgeway
