About Huish Boarding

About Our College

For 16-19 year olds we offer a wide range of Level 3 A Level and Vocational Courses and a Level 2 Pathway into Further Education. But it’s not just about studying at Huish, be sure to check out our Student Life section to see how through personal support and our EnRICH offering, you can really develop yourself during your time with us.

Our mission is to provide a transformative and enriching education through a culture that empowers independence, inspires curiosity, and nurtures critical thinkers to thrive and engage confidently with the world.

Emma Fielding – Principal

What makes Huish special?

• Wide subject choice – With over 50 courses to choose from, we can help you design the right Study Programme for you. 
• Results – Our consistently excellent results are some of the best in the Southwest. Huish students make significant progress whilst studying with us and many achieve beyond what they expected.
• Fees – We can offer you an outstanding education with competitive boarding rates and without the cost of high tuition fees.
• EnRICH -We offer a wide variety of EnRICH activities ranging from Sport, Medical, Music, Performing Arts and Duke of Edinburgh, to Debating, Creative Writing, Film and the Eco action group, to name just a few.
• Your peers – As a dedicated Sixth Form College with no school attached you will be surrounded by students of a similar age. This means everything we do is tailored to meet the needs of young adults and you will be treated with respect.
• Facilities – We are constantly developing our campus to provide state-of-the-art modern facilities that reflect those you will find in industry.
• Sports Academies – We are passionate about sports performance and through our sports partnerships we can help you to develop your professional sporting career alongside top-quality academic study.
• Support -Your wellbeing is really important to us. Your Tutor will get to know you as an individual, offering support and guidance as they prepare you to navigate the new issues you’ll face as you approach adulthood. Specialist support is also available from our Learning Support and Health and Wellbeing teams.
• If you are a boarder, you will be further supported by our dedicated House Parents in Oak House.
• Boarding Accommodation –Boarding at Oak House is a great opportunity to become part of a vibrant community and prepare for independent living at university and beyond. All student rooms have an en-suite bathroom and regular activities and trips make Oak House an exciting place to be.
• Location – We are located in Taunton, the county town of Somerset and an important centre for leisure and tourism for the region. Somerset is one of the most beautiful parts of England surrounded by countryside and beaches and has good access routes to several university cities like Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Bath.
• Life after Huish – Our Careers and Progression team will guide and support you as you pursue your next steps in Higher Education, Apprenticeships or the workplace. Higher Education Statistics Agency data shows that Huish students achieve exceptional outcomes at university.

Study Programme Options

There are two types of Study Programme you can choose from.

Option 1) On the Level 2 Pathway you have the opportunity to study GCSE Maths, English Language, Science, and other Level 2 qualifications. This is a one year Study Programme that will prepare you for our Level 3 Study Programmes.

Option 2) On a Level 3 Study Programme you select a combination of three A Level/Single Vocational qualifications  or a Single Vocational qualification. This two year Study Programme will provide you with the qualifications needed to apply to university.

Important Information For International students

The standard entry requirement for all students (UK and International) for our Level 3 Study Programmes is five GCSEs at grade 9-4 (A*-C),  including Maths and English Language/Literature. Some courses will list additional requirements.

If you have not taken GCSE/IGCSEs, we will use the ECCITS website (formerly UK NARIC) to establish education comparison if you are applying with other qualifications.

If English is your second language, you may also be required to take an English Language exam to support your application e.g. IELTS.

Further guidance will be provided following your application during your Advice and Guidance session (interview).

Please note that ESFA guidance states that you need to demonstrate GCSE Level Maths and English at a pass (grade 4 or above) to secure funding.

If you have not completed GCSEs in your home country, you will be required to take GCSE Maths and English alongside any Study Programme.

Board at Oak House

Choosing to board full-time, perhaps for the first time, may seem daunting but you’ll get the chance to mix with a diverse new range of people, surrounded by plenty of support as you prepare for a future of independent living.

We aim to equip you with the skills to confidently navigate adulthood when you progress on from College and those who stay with us often find the move to university less of a leap.

Weekly/Flexi-Board at Oak House

Flexi-boarding means you stay at Oak House for 3 or more nights per week. You may want to consider weekly or flexi-boarding if;

• you have sporting commitments, such as evening matches or training
• you have after-college enrichment
• you have a long commute
• you want a taste of living away from home and making new friends.

Occasional Boarding at Oak House

Students who apply for temporary accommodation, or 1 or 2 nights per week, will be considered as occasional boarders and will be allocated places, if available, on a week-by-week basis.

Eligibility Criteria

We welcome UK and international students. 

We can only accept international students who can be Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) funded.

This includes students with settled/ordinarily resident status in the UK for three years prior to their application, for example:

• students who are UK and Irish citizens
• those with passports endorsed with the right of abode (ROA) in the UK
• British National (Overseas) – BN(O) from Hong Kong
• British Dependent Territorial Nationals
• those who have a certificate of naturalisation or registration as a British citizen
• EEA Nationals moving to the UK before 1st January 2021
• children of Turkish workers who moved to the UK before the 1st January 2021.

Examples of those eligible for ESFA funding without three years prior residency include:

• refugees
• those with humanitarian protection (HP)
• those granted discretionary leave (DL)
• those granted exceptional leave to enter or remain (ELE/ELR)
• those with recently settled status obtained within the last three years (those with indefinite leave to enter (ILE) or remain (ILR), right of abode or a British citizen).

Also eligible for ESFA funding are students on a parent visa at the start of their Study Programme, such as:

• those accompanying/joining parents who have the right of abode/leave to enter, or children of diplomats
• dependents of adults residing legally in the UK as workers
• unaccompanied British (or Irish) citizens, or those whose passports have been endorsed to show they have the right of abode.

Disclaimer

The above lists are only a small example of some the applications that could be ESFA funded.

Please note that Huish adheres to the ESFA funding criteria, which is released/updated each year. If you would like to discuss your eligibility, please email boarding@richuish.ac.uk.

A full copy of the ESFA funding criteria can be found on the UK government website.

Term Dates and Guardianship

Oak House is closed during Christmas and the summer holidays. If you are not returning home for these holidays then you will need to make alternative arrangements.

Aegis is an independent body offering Guardianship accreditation in the UK. Please refer to their website for a list of accredited Guardianship companies in the UK.

Before you apply

Further details about all our boarding packages and fees are contained in our boarding brochure available above.

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a tour of the facilities please contact us.

Applying

When you apply to study at Huish you have the option to complete a boarding registration form as part of your application.

We have limited boarding places available so recommend applying early.

Your room will be secured once you have paid your deposit.

Please also read our Statement of Boarding Aims and Values (Oak House) or Statement of Homestay Accommodation Aims and Values.