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Oakham School Lower School campus photo
Unique House Structure

11+ Lower School Houses

All pupils at Oakham aged 11-12 (Years 7 & 8) join Ancaster or Sargants House, situated on the dedicated Lower School area of the campus. Both Houses contain a mix of day and boarding pupils, helping them all to integrate quickly into the School and socialise with one another.

Filled with lots of indoor and outdoor spaces for pupils to live, work and play, our Lower School area of the campus provides a safe home base from which pupils can explore the rest of the School.

Full and flexible boarders spend their evenings and weekends in the comfortable and homely surroundings of Peterborough House, our Lower School Boarding House right in the heart of the campus.

There is great integration between boarding and day pupils, with our day pupils often taking full advantage of the option to extend their day to take part in before or after-school activities, joining our boarders for breakfast, supper and prep.

Our Lower School Houses

Ancaster House

Housemistress Kelly Gibbons

Ancaster House

Housemistress Kelly Gibbons

With a mixture of day and boarding girls aged 11–13 years, Ancaster is a home from home in which the girls can relax in a comfortable and cosy environment throughout the day.

Supported by a Senior Tutor and tutor team, our aim is for each pupils to be a well-rounded individual who is kind and who enjoys exploring different opportunities to find their own individual talents and interests, whilst also working together as a family within the House to support each other and the wider community. Ancaster is a safe haven and stimulating environment, providing a base from which pupils can develop academically. A strong working ethic and intellectual curiosity mark the House approach to academic work. Having a go and taking part is celebrated as well as achievement and awards, whether it is in the arts or competing in sports or any of the wide range of activities available.

Named after the Earl of Ancaster, who was a Trustee of the School from 1937–51 and also due to the village of Ancaster’s position within the neighbouring diocese of Lincoln, Ancaster was opened in 1974 as part of the then new Lower School campus.

Meet the Housemistress

I joined the Design and Technology Department at Oakham in 2016, having previously taught in Greater London for 16 years, where I experienced a range of pastoral roles, including tutoring across the whole range of year groups and Deputy Head of Middle School. At Oakham, I have been a Middle School Tutor working with both boarding and day pupils, starting in Rushebrookes before moving to Gunthorpe as Senior Tutor two years later. What I love about being a Housemistress is spending time in House with the girls – they are my second family.

As well as encouraging pupils to explore the wider world of design, I love giving back to the community and have been involved in developing the Oakham School Phab Team to work with local young people with disabilities to bring our communities together. I have three children who have all studied at Oakham, with my eldest who left in 2020, and I enjoy a busy life with them and my husband.

Kelly Gibbons
Housemistress Ancaster House
klg@oakham.rutland.sch.uk

Sargants House

Housemaster Matthew Sutterby

Sargants House

Housemaster Matthew Sutterby

Sargants offers a busy and cheerful home base for boys aged 11–13 years.

There are three things that we seek to encourage in all Sargants pupils: be courteous, considerate, and communicate with one another.

Our experienced team of Tutors are sensitive to the needs of the pupils in their care and we create a structure which encourages independence and equips them to make good decisions. We encourage full participation in all aspects of Oakham School life – sport, drama or music, as well as academic pursuits. We’re on a journey to help them to become outstanding young adults.

Named after a former Headmaster and great benefactor to the School, Sargants House was opened in 1974 as part of the then new Lower School campus.

Meet the Housemaster

Matthew Sutterby joined Oakham School in 2018 as Teacher and after working as Senior Tutor in Sargants for several years, Matthew took on the role of Housemaster in September 2024.

Prior to this, Matthew worked at Oundle Primary School and Stamford Junior School. He is a keen sportsman enjoying a range of sports including hockey, long distance running and skiing. Matthew’s family also have a close connection with Oakham School with his two children being Oakhamians.

Matthew Sutterby
Housemaster Sargants House
mrs@oakham.rutland.sch.uk

Peterborough House

Lower School Boarding

Peterborough House

Lower School Boarding

Boarding in Peterborough House, at the heart of our dedicated Lower School area of the campus offers a home from home environment for our youngest boarders.

Pupils are cared for by the Matron for Lower School Boarding, Rosie Wakefield, and a strong and supportive resident staff team of Assistant Houseparents and Resident Tutors.

In addition to the separate boarding areas for the boys and the girls, there is a wide variety of communal areas where the children can relax together: the kitchen for toast and hot chocolate and other snacks; the Snug for curling up in front of the TV and generally chilling out; the Studio for dancing and karaoke singing; and the Joint Common Room with its pool table and other games. There’s also Out Back for letting off steam outside.Weekends are great fun and boarders look forward to an exciting programme of activities, ranging from trips to Drayton Manor theme park, the cinema, or ice skating.

Oakham’s flexible approach to boarding means that pupils are able to move seamlessly between boarding and home life with different options to suit all our families.

Lower School flexible and weekly boarding

The first step into boarding can feel a big one for parents as well as children, so our Lower School pupils can choose to stay from just 2 to 5 nights a week as flexible boarders, or up to 6 nights a week as weekly boarders, with fees graded accordingly. On those nights, pupils enjoy all the benefits of boarding and they also have the option to join fellow boarders in their weekend activities. They can also stay on non-boarding nights for prep, supper and activities until school bedtime. For busy parents flexible boarding offers the ideal combination of flexibility and peace of mind.

When pupils move into the Middle School at age 13 , they can then choose between full boarding, weekly boarding (up to 6 nights a week) or being a day pupil.

Rosie Wakefield
Matron Peterborough House
rjw@oakham.rutland.sch.uk

At a glance

The best of both worlds

Our dedicated Lower School area of the campus provides a safe home base from which pupils can explore the rest of the School

Home from home environment

Each House contains lots of places where pupils can work and play – both inside and outside

Support is always available

Each House has a supportive team of adults to care for your child

Our small tutor groups

Tutors meet regularly with their tutees to help them organise their work and deal with any day-to-day issues

House pride

House families and interhouse competitions help bond pupils across all year groups

Our House mascot is a cuddly fox called Foxy.
Ancaster House

Did You Know?

You get a fabulous view of Burley-on-the-Hill and can even see Rutland Water from Mr Sutterby’s office!
Sargants House

Did You Know?

The Studio has its own karaoke machine and disco lights for singing and dancing and major music making.
Peterborough Boarding House

Where next?

About Oakham School
Entry at 11+
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