Mr Whiteley Celebrates Master’s Degree
Auxiliary Boarding Houseparent achieves a Merit for his dissertation on understanding and evaluating happiness within boarding houses.
Congratulations to Geography teacher and Auxiliary Boarding Houseparent Mr Nick Whiteley, who has achieved a Merit in his Master’s degree in Residential Education (MA) from Buckingham University. This is a new and unique qualification accredited by both the UK-based Boarding School Association and the Australian Boarding School Association. His 16,000-word dissertation focused on understanding and evaluating happiness within boarding houses, with the data collection part of his studies based in Kimbolton House, our boys’ boarding accommodation.
Mr Whiteley said: “We have a fantastic boarding community at Kimbolton and it continues to be a privilege to have such an active role working with our boarders on a day-to-day basis. The term ‘family boarding’ is perhaps an overused one in boarding school circles but it really does ring true here. The significance we place on our boarding houses being happy places and a genuine ‘home from home’ is rightly highly valued by our families. The time invested in this research not just by me but by colleagues and boarding pupils alike will go a long way to develop our high-quality boarding provision.”
He added: “I’m delighted to have completed this challenging and highly rewarding qualification and look forward to continuing to have a positive role within our boarding community. In the short term, I am looking forward to my graduation ceremony next month which will be all the more special as I’ll have my eight-week-old baby son, Jacob, in tow with me!”
Boarding at Kimbolton, from age 11, is a rich and rewarding experience within our close-knit school and village communities. Our two boarding houses are located on Kimbolton's historic High Street and back onto the School grounds. Boys live in Kimbolton House, while girls are a few doors further along in White House.
Both houses have a rich history and are full of character yet have modern facilities that meet the needs of today's teenagers. Many of our day pupils elect to move into boarding to take full advantage of our extra-curricular opportunities and the daily structure that living in the Houses affords.
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