While all of our staff play a pastoral role in our students’ development, in light of Father’s Day yesterday, our Spotlight On for this week highlights those in pastoral leadership roles in our Senior School boarding community.
At the Senior School, we have four senior boarding houses, Baker Hake, Bishop Barker Harris, Broughton Forrest and Macarthur Waddy along with our Year 7 Gowan Brae boarding house.
Our Boarding Housemasters play a key role in mentoring, nurturing and leading our boarding students as they develop into young men away from the classroom.
The five Boarding Housemasters are Patrick Hilgendorf – Baker Hake, Tom Ruddock – Bishop Barker Harris, Will van Asperen – Broughton Forrest, James Peters – Macarthur Waddy and Jay Tregonning – Gowan Brae.
The most recent appointment to a Boarding Housemaster role, Mr Hilgendorf stepped into the role of Bake Hake Boarding Housemaster at the beginning of Term 3 2024 after being a part of the King’s boarding community since 2018.
In 2019, he joined as part of the Baker Hake boarding community and has been a mentor in Baker Hake as he has guided the current Year 12 Baker Hake boys since they were new to the house in Year 8 and is also an Old Boy.
Bishop Barker Harris Housemaster, Mr Ruddock has worked in boarding for eight years, firstly at Newington College before joining Bishop Barker Harris five years ago. An Old Boy, Mr Ruddock’s father was a housemaster at King’s, now working in the house that he spent time in as a child.
Speaking of the role of Housemaster, Mr Ruddock says it is “a varied one but mirrors that of a parental figure.”
“We are tasked with ensuring our houses can function operationally, but importantly, we also have the privilege of providing mentorship and pastoral care for those boys in our charge.
This means that we have to set standards and ensure rules are followed but must also work hard to ensure this is dovetailed with the creation of a positive culture that supports a genuine, caring, engaged and interconnected community of boys, staff and parents,” says Mr Ruddock.
Having worked in boarding since 2012 and served as Housemaster of Broughton Forrest for three years, Mr van Asperen says boarding provides the boys a space to live and learn with and from those across different backgrounds.
“Learning how to live in a community and uncovering the value of hospitality – the value of opening a door or ear to others from very different backgrounds, in order to defeat prejudice, ignorance, cowardice and self-centeredness. Learning how to resist labels and stereotypes and to make mistakes without being defined by them,” says Mr van Asperen.
Having served as Housemaster of Macarthur Waddy for four years, Mr Peters believes that the best thing about boarding is the community, developing a connection with the boys, families and staff, and always having someone to share life’s trials and blessings.
“A Housemaster can hold many roles in the lives of boarders at King’s, a mentor, a father figure, an academic coach, a counsellor, a pastor, chief encourager, critical friend and disciplinarian to name a few,” says Mr Peters.
Current acting Boarding Housemaster of Gowan Brae, Mr Tregonning says leading the junior boarding house requires helping the boys understand what it is to be a Kingsman, along with supporting those boys new to boarding and adjusting to the School and life balance.
Speaking of the best thing about boarding Mr Tregonning says, “The opportunity to explore a wide range of extracurricular activities while being part of a diverse community.”
“The close-knit environment fosters strong connections with peers from different backgrounds forming lifelong relationships,” added Mr Tregonning.
To find out more about our boarding community at The King’s School and the boarding adventure, register for an upcoming boarding-specific webinar here – https://enrol.kings.edu.au/webinars