Scots College – Learning. For Life.

Welcome to the Scots College Gibb House boarding community. We know that your time with us will be positive and memorable. Gibb House, like Scots College, is a small, friendly, family orientated unit. It is staffed by a superb team who make every effort to ensure our boarders feel safe, happy, healthy and motivated. Gibb House is a very important part of the fabric of Scots College – it has a proud history and many famous Old Boys.

I am confident that you will enjoy your time with us.

‘Opportunity’ is a catch cry in Gibb House. The opportunity to:

• Succeed academically. The outstanding academic results achieved by boarders clearly show the benefits of a disciplined prep system, the availability of extra tutoring, the easy access to educational facilities within the school, a silent reading programme in the junior house and the commitment from hostel / teaching staff to ensure all boarders are given the opportunity to succeed academically.

• Be involved in a wide range of sports. Boarders excel in a wide range of individual and team sports. They make up a significant percentage of the school’s top teams and are always well represented in the individual sports. Those who do not have the ability to make these teams are still given the opportunity to participate in a wide range of sports. This allows all boys to take full advantage of the opportunities that sports provide.

• Be exposed to a number of cultural events. Through the inter-House competition, boarders are given the opportunity to experience different cultural opportunities such as haka, debating, music and drama. These types of opportunities give the boarders a more rounded outlook on life.

• Develop a sense of spirituality. All boarders are exposed to a spiritual dimension while in Gibb House. This is a values based dimension that too many young New Zealanders miss out on.

• Develop social skills. Living in a communal environment means that all boarders need to develop social skills – skills that enable them to interact with those younger and older; skills that mean they respect others’ rights and differences; and skills that are based on the good old fashioned standards of honesty, decency and trust.

• To lead others. Year 13 boarders are given the opportunity to lead Gibb House through our prefect system. This system has enormous benefits later in life, and all those involved take full and positive advantage of the opportunity. To help identify boarders with leadership potential and help develop the necessary leadership skills, opportunities to be involved on the Hostel Council are made available.

• To belong and be part of something very special. Being a boarder is all about belonging to a place you can be proud of. It is all about forming life-long friendships. Gibb House provides the opportunity for this to happen. The spirit that is generated in Gibb House is clearly evident during the course of the year but it can also be seen when boarders become Old Boys.

Finally, a boarding house is a home away from home. An ideal home should be safe, supportive, encouraging, guiding, motivating and an enjoyable place to be. Gibb House is exactly that.

Geoff Hall
Director of Boarding