Boarding

Parents should be assured that John McGlashan College will look after their sons and we look forward to assisting parents in this important decision.  Remember when you choose us as your son's boarding school you are becoming part of our family and community.  A community in which your boys will make lifelong friends, where their work ethic will be nurtured and their leadership skills promoted.    

Boarding is an integral part of John McGlashan College.  The boarding house is located on site, which means that the boarders have access to an amazing set of facilities like the Edgar learning Centre, library and classrooms, for prep as well as the Davies Sports' Centre and the fields for co-curricular activities.  The boarding house caters for 125 boarders from year 9 through to year 13.  We are creating an environment that enables every student to enjoy an out of school life as close as possible to the one they would have at home.   

McGlashan has a formidable reputation as an excellent boarding school built up over many decades. Boarders add a special dimension to the school, and many old boys have very happy and lasting memories of their years in the boarding house. The College has a well-earned reputation as one of the finest schools in New Zealand. It combines the traditions of over 100  years of outstanding achievement with a modern approach to education and a deep understanding of what parents and their sons expect from a school in today’s society.

John McGlashan College is an integrated school. This means the State provides funding for teachers’ salaries and the school’s operational costs allowing costs for boarders’ accommodation and schooling to be kept to a minimum. A clause in the Integration Agreement protects the ‘special character’ of the College.  This recognizes McGlashan traditions and the school’s commitment to Christian values.

Boarders are accepted from Year 9.  In their first two years, they are accommodated in Ross House, mostly in rooms of two or three beds.  Senior boarders live in the new Balmacewan House in single rooms.  The boarding houses have their own common rooms. The incorporation of two further neighbouring houses has helped us cope with expansion and to integrate International students into our place.

The boarding house has a full-time manager, an assistant manager, a matron and a number of housemasters, each of whom is a fine role model for our boys. You can find more information about our Boarding House in the latest ERO Review.

Applications for 2025 are open.

We welcome your contact at any time if you are considering a boarding house application for your son.  Each year we aim to take 25 year 9 boys. We ask that parents make an appointment to bring their potential Year 9 son for a “Tour and a Talk”, where you will begin by meeting with the Principal and then view the college and boarding facilities with the Director of Boarding.  It is an opportunity for you to assess what we offer, for your son to get a feel for boarding life, as well as for us to start to get to know your lad. This should happen prior to June. 

We are also holding a Boarding Open Day on Friday March 15th 2024 from 1.30-3.00pm. The Open Day is additional to the Tour and Talk.

Once you have met with the Principal and the Director of Boarding, you can complete the enrolment form.  Should you have any questions regarding this process or your application please contact Kirstyn Sandall on 03 467 6620 ext 218 or marketing@mcglashan.school.nz. 

For boys of different levels do not hesitate to make contact with us as sometimes a place may become available.

Applications for boarding in 2025 close on Thursday June 27, 2024, at 12pm.

What happens when there are too many applications and too few places? 

All applications received prior to the closing date are considered.  We select boys whom we feel will fit in easily and who bring special talents. We eliminate some boys if we do not believe boarding will work for them. 

In some years the number of applications for enrolment at the College has exceeded the number of places available. The Integration Agreement states that, in these circumstances, “preference…shall be given to those pupils with parents who have a particular family, religious or philosophic sympathy with the special character of the College...”  This means that Board of Proprietors must identify which students are “preference” students and submit their names to the Board of Trustees, who then must implement a Ministry approved enrolment scheme (apart from brothers and sons of board members, most go into a ballot) to determine final places. 

It is important that we have enough information to make that process as fair as possible.  There are at least 7 categories to take into account and we ask that you complete the accompanying form and submit it along with the enrolment application. Take a look at these on the attachment below.