The College prides itself on its boarding facilities and its pastoral care. Boarding is an exciting part of the college, considerable effort is made to create an extended family atmosphere in which the pupils feel that they are "at home" whilst accepting the social benefits of living in a boarding community.

The College recognises the importance of providing a varied programme of activities and outings for both boarders and day pupils to participate in . It is important to provide our boarders with weekend experiences that they would come to expect if they were at home. Browsing through the range of activities, outings and facilities offered to the boarders at weekends, one can see that Mount St Mary's College is a place to board, and not be bored.

Loyola House was purpose built in 1986 in a block adjacent to the school's main building and overlooking the school playing fields.   The house is named after St Ignatius Loyola who founded the Society of Jesus in the fifteenth century.

Mr Darryl Toerien is the housemaster of  Loyola and is resident in the house with his wife Jennifer.  The assistant housemaster is Mr Stephen Haslehurst who also lives in the house.   Mr Toerien is the Learning Resources Manager at the College and Mr Haslehurst is also the Head of Sixth Form and Head of Boarding.

Loyola House consists of 42 single rooms on three floors, each with bed, desk, sink, and wardrobe.   There are shower and toilet rooms on each floor.   Loyola House is the Poetry-Rhetoric (Years 16-18) boys' boarding house, accommodating students aged 16-19.   On the ground floor there is a comfortable boarders' common room with a television and video and students also have access to kitchen facilities in the attached conservatory as well as drying and ironing facilities.   However, boarders eat main meals in the College refectory and clothes are laundered weekly in the school's purpose-built facility.

The Houseparents for Pole House are Mrs Ruth Powell and her husband Matthew.  Mrs Powell is the Head of Girls Games.  As the houseparents, Mr & Mrs Powell have overall responsibility for the care and welfare of the boys in Pole House.  They are assisted by three house tutors who share the daily duties and pastoral care.

Pole House consists of a dormitory separated into 10 rooms each with en-suite shower and washing facilities.   Each room contains 4 study/bed units.   At the end of the dormitory is the toilet area and a drying room for wet clothes/games kit.   There is also a common room containing a TV, DVD and video player, a selection of books and a kitchen area for making hot drinks and snacks.

Hopkins House, which accommodates girls aged 11-18, is situated in the oldest part of the school and has been completely refurbished in the last four years to provide accommodation for forty girls in shared and single rooms with en-suite facilities.   The House is named after Gerald Manley Hopkins, the Jesuit priest, who stayed at Mount St Mary's for some years and is well known for his poetry published at the end of the 19th century.

The housemistress in Hopkins House is Mrs Julie Gabbitas .   She lives in a flat in the heart of the house along with her husband and two sons.   The assistant housemistress is Mrs Isabel Garbett who also has a flat in the House.   There is also additional support from the resident female language assistant.

Hopkins House is located on three floors, and all year groups have their own areas of the house but share lots of common space.   Rooms are double glazed and appropriately furnished with beds, bedside tables and wardrobes as well as shelving and a notice board.   Senior girls often have their own single room whilst younger girls share in threes or twos.  The House common room provides comfortable seating, a television, video and DVD player as well as kitchenette facilities, a microwave oven, refrigerator and kettle.

Boarders have access to the following communal facilities at various times and some are available in games and activities sessions on Saturday afternoons

• ICT suite
• Learning Resources Centre
• Swimming pool
• Indoor gym for team games
• Gyms for fitness training
• A floodlit outdoor all weather playing surface
• School grounds and pitches
• School common rooms
• Tuck shop
• Shool bank
• Music practice rooms

On weekday and Sunday evenings there are supervised study sessions.   During studies pupils will complete the homework set by their teachers and recorded in each pupil's student planner.   Sixth form students use studies for private study and research.  

Pupils either study in their rooms, or in one of the main communal study areas under the supervision of housestaff.  Some pupils study in the Learning Resources Centre or ICT suite in the evening.

Wake up and breakfast are slightly later on Saturdays (breakfast 8.00-8.30 am).   Registration is at 9.00 am and during the morning boarders follow our activities programme.   Activities include ICT, Music, Art & Craft, Drama and English as an Additional Language lessons.   Sixth form students may use some of the time on Saturday morning for private study.   Many day pupils come into school on Saturday mornings to join in the activities programme.

Lunch is at 12.00 noon.

On Saturday afternoons all pupils take a games option.   Many play for one of the school teams, sometimes travelling for a match at another school.   Some pupils follow a fitness programme in the school's purpose-built Sports centre, support school matches or use the swimming pool.

Supper is at 6.00 pm after a short prayer.

On Saturday evenings films are shown in the boarding areas   and are appropriate to the different age groups - boarders choose the films themselves.  

Sixth form boarders may go out on a Saturday evening, with permission of the housestaff, but never on their own.   Boarders are sometimes invited to stay with the family of a day pupil in the area.

Breakfast is between 9.00 am and 9.30 am followed by Mass in the school chapel at 10.30 am.   All boarders attend Mass and may wear smart casual clothes in chapel.   Visiting parents are always welcome to join us for Mass.

Lunch is at 12.00 noon.

On most Sundays, outings are arranged to places of local interest for boarders and all are encouraged to take part in these outings.  Each term, there is also at least one outing for all boarders.  Older pupils may choose to stay in school or visit the local shopping mall, Meadowhall.  These pupils must have permission from the housestaff and may not go out alone.  

On Sunday, some boarders may choose to relax with friends in their rooms or spend the afternoon in the extensive grounds, especially in the summer months.

Supper is at 6.00 pm and between 6.45 and 7.30 pm there is a studies session for pupils. After studies a film is often shown in the boarding houses.

Once per half term Mass takes place in the evening and pupils may then get up later and have "brunch" between 11.00 am - noon.

Exeats (permission to go home for a day or weekend) are allowed at any time after the first weekend back at school following a holiday.   Written permission is required for this at least three days in advance.

Where pupils are required for a school team, this should take priority over a weekend exeat.

Parents are welcome to visit their children for a day or weekend and may wish to take them out for a meal or overnight.   We ask that parents give housestaff reasonable notice in advance.

Boarders may be given permission to spend a weekend with the family of a local day pupil providing written permission from both sets of parents has been received in advance.   They must observe the requirements of their host family regarding behaviour.

Much of the boarders' day is taken up with lessons, activities or studies, but there is some 'free' time during which boarders can relax and socialise.

On weekdays after school, between 4.45 and 5.45 pm, boarders must take part in activities three times per week.   On the remaining two days they may choose to do more activities or may have some free time.   There are televisions, videos and DVDs in all common rooms and some sports facilities are available at these times.

Casual boarding is a strong feature of all Houses where day pupils can stay as many nights as they wish, subject to availability of space.   Casual boarders are under the care of the housestaff from 9.00 am on the day on which they are boarding until the same time of the day on which they return home.