Boarding FAQs

The Boarding House is home to 120 girls from Years 7 to 12.

We encourage you to tour the School and Boarding House at a time that suits you. The Admissions team can be reached on 9285 4100 or by email at enrol@sthildas.wa.edu.au.

Transitioning to boarding represents a significant adjustment that warrants a thorough family discussion. To gain insights, it can be beneficial to review the Boarding Handbook, have conversations with our Dean of Boarding or your daughter’s Head of Year, and engage with other families who have boarding experience.

Our Boarding House fosters an environment where girls can build enduring friendships, starting with mutual support as they adapt to boarding life. We support this transition by offering opportunities that help girls build self-esteem, skills, and independence. We encourage our boarders to take responsibility for their actions and to coexist peacefully with their peers. An engaging social and cocurricular program keeps the girls occupied and stimulated, aiding in a smooth adjustment to their new surroundings in a supportive atmosphere and encouraging parental participation.

The St Hilda’s Boarding House offers a safe, happy, nurturing environment with an exceptional standard of care. Celebrating differences and diversity, we foster respectful relationships and encourage the development of lifelong learning, supporting girls to accomplish their full potential.

We provide a caring, dedicated and diverse group of supervisors and tutors who are available to assist our boarders with their boarding life and academic studies;

The Peer Support and Mentor program is designed to help new boarders settle into Boarding House life. Each week, Year 7 boarders will meet with the Year 11 Peer Support Leaders or mentors for a range of activities and discussions. The Year 11 students involved in this program have been carefully selected after participating in the Leadership Training program at the end of Year 10.

Most girls are busy after school, either at sports or music practices or other cocurricular activities. Many girls use the time to catch up on school work, take a walk to the river, do a little personal housekeeping or even go shopping after school in the local area.

A weekend recreation team manages weekend activities and social events, such as movie nights, discos, cooking competitions, excursions, and joint activities with other Boarding Schools in Perth. In addition to structured recreational activities, the girls can enjoy walks along the scenic Swan River or visit local shops in Mosman Park, Cottesloe, and Claremont. 

As the girls advance through the Year levels, they are given increased independence for pre-approved outings beyond the boarding house, including trips to Subiaco, Fremantle, or the city.

The Dean of Boarding, Rachel Stenslunde, and her team comprise a range of experienced supervisors, also called ‘house mums’ by the girls. 

The boarding team serves as the primary point of contact for the girls, guiding them through their academic and personal development during adolescence. Academic tutors support the girls in various subjects and offer assistance as needed. The boarding team is dedicated to helping students develop strong learning habits through structured and supervised homework and study sessions on weeknights, with one staff member assigned to each year’s group. Students can access the library and school services in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings.

St Hilda’s also has onsite school psychologists and a chaplain available to support the girls with any challenges.

Our boarding is split into five areas all under the one roof. Balla Balla, Durack, Molloy, Margaret and Capel.

Girls in Years 7 will share large rooms that will have a configuration of either 4, 5 or 6 girls to a room. The girls absolutely love sharing in these larger rooms when they first start with us. We move the girls at the end of each term to make sure they are making friends with all the girls in their year group. For girls in Years 8, 9 and 10 they will share a room just with one other girl and in Years 11 and 12 the girls will have their own room.

The girls’ rooms include ample desk space and storage, including a large cupboard with shelves and hanging space, perfect for clothes, belongings and memories of home. Our boarders love to pin up photos of family, friends, pets, and home so we encourage you to bring in some of your special photos and memories.

The modern Boarding House includes open living spaces, ‘end of journey’ facilities and family space. An indoor gym, cooking facilities, break-out spaces, lounge rooms and a soundproof music room are just some of the design features that provide our boarding girls with a comfortable and practical living environment that reflects the everyday feel of home life.

Our boarding is split into five areas. Balla Balla, Durack, Molloy, Margaret and Capel. Where possible each area is designated to a specific year group. Each area has a common area, including a kitchenette, television, Netflix, lounges and shared wifi.

Many of the sporting facilities are available for use by boarders after school and at weekends.The School’s swimming pool is a popular treat in the summer months! Other facilities accessible by the boarders include the Tutoring Centre, School Library, Gym, Roger Goode Centre, and the music practice rooms. The Library is open until 7.00pm Monday – Thursday and 4.00pm on Friday.

We provide a detailed packing list before arrival. Essentials include clothes, toiletries, bedding, and personal items.

Each evening, from Monday to Thursday, students have time set aside for study. Prep is a time used for doing homework and general revision.

You never have to worry about who will pick up your daughter from the airport, train, bus station or even who will take her to an appointment, as we will always ensure your daughter is safely transported and appropriately accompanied when needed.

The Health Centre is staffed by experienced registered nurses who care for our boarding and day girls. Our nurses work closely with the Dean of Boarding and Boarding House supervisors to provide excellent care and attention to boarders, offering physical and emotional support, when required. This includes but is not limited to looking after students when they are unwell or have been injured, providing ongoing medications (if prescribed), arranging appointments with health professionals, providing support, education, and health promotion.

Visitors of the girls who have signed in are always welcome in our Boarding House. Girls can check out with approved hosts, enabling them to spend time with their day-school friends and family in Perth. 

In alignment with our duty of care practices, the Boarding House employs an electronic leave management system, enabling parents to receive immediate and current information about their daughter’s location and planned activities. By maintaining close communication among parents, guardians, day school and boarding staff, and the girls, we can support the success of our boarders.

We also recognise the importance of open communication between parents and the Boarding House. We aim to inform parents about their child’s progress through regular updates, parent-boarding House meetings, and various school events. We believe in fostering a partnership that allows us to collaborate in the best interest of each student’s success.

Our onsite catering team are award-winning, winning silver in the 2024 Education Caterer category at the National Awards!

The Boarding House provides all snacks and meals in the school dining hall, with menus designed to meet students’ nutritional needs. 

Throughout the school day (recess and lunch), boarding students collect their lunches and snacks from the dining area and can eat anywhere on campus, often joining their day-school peers. At night, boarders come together for shared meals in the dining room. The flexible breakfast and lunch schedules allow students to engage in cocurricular pursuits while ensuring they have time for nutritious and fulfilling meals.

Beyond the regular meal services offered at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack times, the boarding facility provides storage and cooking amenities that the students can utilise under supervision during weekends. This setup allows the girls to indulge in homemade treats, from preparing milo in the afternoon to baking muffins on weekends, fostering a sense of home away from home.

Before your daughter’s arrival, it’s essential to inform the boarding staff about any specific allergies or dietary requirements they may have. 

The Laundry is open each day after school until 8.15pm (Sunday’s 6.00pm).

Boarders may send school and sports uniform to the school laundry service each week.

The laundry service will also wash each student’s bed sheets, pillow slips and bath towels weekly.

Students are responsible for washing their own personal laundry.

Boarding Scholarships are awarded to girls from rural, regional, or remote Western Australia entering Year 7 who display academic excellence and the ability to shine in an area of interest, such as music, sport, dance/drama, or community service.

The Boarding scholarship covers a reduction in boarding fees. It is tenable for a girl’s education at St Hilda’s (subject to satisfactory academic performance and contribution to school life).

You can read more here.