Discover Hiba Academy Nantong’s Boarding House

Thanks to her experiences at university and seeing the various benefits that a British boarding school can bring to pupils, Ms. Joy Qiao, founder and Chairman of Wellington College China, was determined to make Hiba Academy Nantong as the Wellington College China's flagship boarding school.

The boarding house has been purpose-built to provide the best possible boarding environment. It can accommodate almost 800 pupils over 7 floors in two inter-connected buildings.

Our boarders will live in well-designed, comfortable bedrooms furnished to a very high standard. Each room is equipped with furniture built by a highly respected manufacturer, featuring environmentally friendly materials and products.

The boarders will have access to multiple common areas including quiet reading spaces, study areas and space for a wide range of games and activities. Adjacent to the boarding house is the main school campus, with its many facilities and resources, all of which will be accessible to boarders, under supervision in the evenings.

Activities might include (but are not limited to):

Outdoor structured play and games / board games / educational computer activities / basketball / swimming / badminton / table tennis / indoor sports and games / KTV / football / music / reading activities / creative writing / art / craft / graphic novels / treasure hunts / leadership / photography.

At Hiba Academy Nantong, boarding is a truly bilingual experience. The boarding house will have a team of boarding tutors who are there to support your children both pastorally, and academically, just as you would at home. The team comprises the Head of Boarding, Deputy Head of Boarding, Mentors and matrons. They are a combination of both Chinese speakers and English speakers. English will be encouraged and developed through natural conversation and reading. Native speakers will help to accelerate and develop the children’s everyday English, to understand the nuances and idioms that make them more confident in the use of the language. However, there is still the comfort of knowing that there are also Chinese tutors who will be happy to have a conversation in the children’s native language too. Moreover, at Hiba Nantong, boarding pupils will be encouraged to move between English and Chinese seamlessly.

Boarding at Hiba Academy Nantong allows for additional focused study with teacher support. Boarding mentors will challenge pupils to focus on work and ensure that their needs are met. Many pupils who choose to board at the school will perform better academically as there is a focus on study and a support system in place when they need help.

Boarding at Hiba Academy Nantong is also good preparation for study overseas as it develops the independence and motivation required when pupils move abroad. They will also possess the confidence in language to be able to meet the demands of learning in English.

Boarding creates much closer friendships between peers as there is more time to relax and have fun with friends. Friendships are also likely to be stronger because pupils spend longer socialising together, inventing and playing games and having fun. We eat, sleep, cry, laugh and work together. In essence, we are one big family.

Mr Simon Kenworthy, Master of Hiba Academy Nantong, boarded from the age of 10. He vividly remembers the strong bonds of friendship that were created during his time there, and is an advocate of the boarding system.

Boarders will have use of the on-site state-of-the-art facilities, such as the sports halls and theatre, but will also have calm, mindful places to relax and unwind at the end of a busy day. The Boarding House is separate from the rest of the school and has its own facilities and identity. There will be places for pupils to play and relax as well as to work. We will be able to stimulate pupils through playing and creating mindful relaxation when necessary.

There is a team of professionals who will support your child in the boarding house. Designated mentors will welcome them and help them settle in and find their feet. They will make sure they have friends to play with and know who to turn to if they are feeling homesick.

The boarding team will work in rotation, to make sure someone is on call 24 hours a day to deal with any eventuality such as helping a child who is struggling to settle in, is disturbed by bad dreams or who has a medical need.

The boarding house will operate to the highest regulatory standards. The campus and boarding house within are secure and safe with 24/7 security. The boarding house is fitted with a secure door system with ID integrated into the building. Pupils can only access their own floor using their ID card. The building is fitted with CCTV throughout the corridors and common spaces.

Hiba Academy Nantong is the largest boarding school in the Wellington College China. The unique geographical advantage creates favourable conditions for a rich and varied campus life. Boarding pupils will not only have more opportunities to experience an immersive bilingual environment, gain a sense of wellbeing and belonging in the house, but will also be able to exercise and improve their overall social, leadership and teamwork skills.

Penny Mulholland holds a B.Ed (Hons) degree, having graduated from Westminster College in Oxford in 1987. She began her teaching career in the north of England, teaching in a variety of school settings in both urban and rural areas. It was whilst working as a primary teacher that her interest in children’s wellbeing and additional needs began. Her international teaching career started in Qatar. She was part of a successful pastoral team and was responsible for the creation and implementation of the school’s Safeguarding Policy. Later Ms. Mulholland was Head of Learning Support and Safeguarding Officer at an international school in Shanghai. In 2018, she joined Hiba Academy Shanghai as the Head of Pastoral Care since its founding and has extensive management experience in pastoral care which is vital for a boarding setting.

What’s more, she will bring her extensive pastoral management experience to Hiba Academy Nantong and work with us to build a warm and caring environment where the children will feel safe, valued and be able to flourish.