Boarding life
At Northam Residential College, your child is a part of our boarding family.
Having a smaller group of boarders compared to other colleges allows us to focus on each student and offer the level of attention they need.
Doing well at school is important for our students. To help them reach their potential and meet the requirements of their study, we provide structured study times and we monitor their study loads and emotional well-being.
There is a compulsory 1 hour study period in the evenings, 5 days a week. Beyond these compulsory times, students have ample personal time to study or complete homework. 
We provide a quiet and supportive environment and we encourage students to study regularly and be respectful of their peers.
We communicate regularly with schools about the progress of each student and any issues that need to be resolved. We are happy to organise tutoring for a student who may need extra help.
In addition to academic achievement, students' social and emotional wellbeing is important to us. We provide strong pastoral care so students feel secure, supported and happy.
Students have access to the school psychologist and college supervisors meet regularly to discuss individual student needs and concerns. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and those from diverse cultural backgrounds are supported through recognition of cultural differences.
Students are supported to live healthy lifestyles. They are given opportunities to be active, eat nutritious food, sleep well and enjoy time with their friends.
If your child is feeling ill or has a medical appointment, supervisors can help them access the care they need. We have doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dentists and psychologists available for students. You are notified if your child needs medical attention or time off school.
Students enjoy nutritious meals at the college, with a 5 week meal rotation. Meals are wholesome and tasty with varying mains, desserts, snacks and lunches. Special dietary requirements are supported and our meal plans are in line with the Fresh School Nutrition Advisory Program, FreshSNAP. For an idea of the meals we provide, refer to our our current dinner menu.
We also have themed meals throughout the year including Valentine's Day, St Patrick’s Day, Easter, Christmas and Chinese New Year. Students thoroughly enjoy these celebrations.
There are a variety of recreational activities available for students at the college. Some are organised by supervisors and encourage group participation. Other activities are more informal and organised by the students themselves.
Activities that are organised by supervisors include sporting, recreational and leisure activities which promote fitness, fun and social interaction. These include overnight camps, day outings, social events, shopping trips, Perth city visits and in-house activities such as movie and game nights. Parental consent is required for all excursions and activities. While we make an effort to keep any additional expenses to a minimum, there may be times when we need to ask parents to contribute.
Students are also encouraged to organise activities themselves. They can swim in the pool, play games, watch movies, play sports on the school oval, visit the nearby skate park and go into town, 500 metres from the college. Town leave is at designated times throughout the week. This leave is unsupervised and requires students to sign out and walk to and from the town centre. Some conditions apply and students must conduct themselves in an appropriate manner when in town.
To see what's coming up next you can refer to our Term 2 activity planner.
Some students may feel homesick when they board away from home. This usually happens when they first arrive and are settling in. We encourage students to speak with supervisors about their feelings or phone home for a chat. Supervisors also try to help students make new friends and feel more at home.
If your child has something on their mind and they would like to speak to someone other than a supervisor, parent or carer, they can seek support from the:
- Kids Helpline
- school psychologist (who visits one day per week)
- school chaplain
- school nurse.
If you or your child has any concerns about the residential college, please speak with the college manager. If a student has any concerns they feel they cannot raise with the college manager, they can email residentialstudentcomplaints@education.wa.edu.au.