A Day in the Life of a Kinross Wolaroi Girl Boarder

Girls’ Boarding at Kinross Wolaroi School

Boarding at Kinross Wolaroi School is more than just a place to live – it’s a community where girls form lifelong friendships, grow in independence, and make the most of every opportunity that comes their way. We sat down with some of our boarders from the PLC campus – Ava, Harriet and Lily– to hear about their day-to-day experiences and what makes boarding specialfor them.

Mornings in the Boarding House

The girls are up early, with wake-up time around 6.30 or 7. Beds are made, uniforms on, and then it’s down to the common room for breakfast. Depending on their year group, boarders also take on small responsibilities, like helping to tidy the kitchen.

By 8.00am, it’s time to catch the town bus to the main Wolaroi campus. Once they arrive, there’s a chance to catch up with friends in the quad and get organised before the school day begins.

A Typical School Day

The school day is a balance of academic classes, wellbeing sessions, and co-curricular activities. Netball is especially popular among the PLC boarders – with many girls playing, coaching and umpiring on weekends –alongside touch football, basketball, and a wide range of other opportunity.

After returning to PLC, the girls enjoy afternoon tea and often go for a walk around the spacious grounds. Dinner is followed by study time.

Years 7 and 8 complete prep together in the dining hall, Years 9 and 10 study in the Dorothy Knox building; all are supervised by teaching staff, gap students, or visiting university tutors. Years 11 and 12 have the independence to study in their own rooms.

This structure helps boarders build strong study habits. As Ava and Harriet explained, “Having that set time every night means you actually get your work done – it helps you learn how to study properly and not get distracted. Plus, you see how others work and can pick up tips from them.”

Before bed, the girls wind down by calling home, reading, or relaxing with friends.

Support and Care

Boarders have access to excellent health and wellbeing support. Nurses visit PLC each morning, while the health centre at Wolaroi Campus is open throughout the day. A duty driver ensures students can get to appointments, tutoring, the train station or even the airport.

What Boarding Means to Them

When asked to sum up their experience, the girls didn’t hesitate:‍

“Boarding at Kinross Wolaroi is a great way to meet new people from all around New South Wales. You get so close with the girls in your house, and those friendships are really important.” – Ava‍

“Being a boarder teaches you independence. You learn to look after yourself while also being part of a community that’s like a second family.” – Harriet

For Lily, who comes from a farm near Cootamundra, boarding means access to opportunities and friendships she might not otherwise have: “It’s like having a home away from home – there’s always someone to talk to, and somuch to be part of.”