The Boarding Experience
Fostering a sense of belonging in a home-from-home environment
Take a collegiate atmosphere, dedicated staff and a host of fun activities and you’ve got the unique home-from-home experience that boarders at St Mary’s Music School love.
Around a third of our pupils board with us here in Coates Hall, where the top two floors (the Boarding House) are given over to comfortable en-suite bedrooms, a small kitchen and a common room with sofas and armchairs, a TV, games and books, all just for the use of boarders. Accommodation is divided into boys’ and girls’ corridors and each well-appointed single and twin-bedded room provides each boarder with their own desk and storage facilities.
It's never boring when you’re a boarder!
Wifi is available throughout the Boarding House and boarders have access to the School’s computer suite, library and practice rooms before and after school hours, and enjoy membership of a local leisure centre with a gym and pool. As well as enjoying a range of homely activities such as baking, movie nights, arts and crafts, and themed evenings, there's a trip to one of Edinburgh’s many cultural venues for orchestral concerts, chamber music performances, the opera or the ballet every single week! These cultural trips are also open to day pupils.
Evenings and weekends are well-structured, offering a balance between supervised prep sessions, leisure time and social activities and our flexible boarding options cater to individual needs, including full-boarding, flexi-boarding (where pupils go home most weekends) and occasional nightly boarding for day pupils, for example after late performances.
If music be the food of love…
The culinary experience is a highlight, as our School Chef takes great pride in crafting diverse menus with healthy, locally sourced ingredients – some even grown in our garden and greenhouse! Individual dietary requirements are imaginatively catered for and regular themed dinners add a cultural touch, transforming the Dining Hall into a vibrant new environment. Boarders also have the opportunity to learn cooking skills and contribute to meal preparation, creating a lovely, homely atmosphere within the boarding community.
Friendly, approachable and professional
Each member of our dedicated Boarding House Team is on hand to offer help and advice as well as support boarders with their academic work during supervised prep time after the boarders’ evening meal at 6pm. We have four permanent members of staff – our Boarding House Manager, Deputy Manager and two full-time Houseparents - and a further five part-time Houseparents, all dedicated to creating a happy and harmonious boarding community.
