House Ethos
Carpenter is a happy caring family house where everyone feels valued and respected. It's a place where you can work quietly in a supportive learning environment, but one where you will have fun and laughter too. You are assured of a warm welcome so you will soon feel that Carpenter is a real home from home.
Currently we have over 60 girls in Carpenter house, predominantly boarders, though the day girls are well-integrated and most take advantage of the occasional boarding and weekend activities.
Located near the theatre, music school, sports hall and swimming pool, Carpenter house is close by the action but sufficiently removed from the classroom to make it feel like home away from the daily routine of lessons.
House History
Carpenter House, fondly known as 'Carpie', began its life in Gatcombe (now part of Bishop's Fox House) in 1952. It later moved to Stoneleigh which was bought in 1961 and a special dormitory block was added in 1965. The house was named after Rev Spencer Cecil Carpenter (1877-1959), Provost from 1935 to 53, who had previously served as Chaplain to the King between 1929 and 1935.
An impressive oak desk, presented by his widow Phyllis, takes pride of place in the houseparents study. Even though girls were gradually integrated into the boys' house from the early seventies, it was in 1994 that Carpenter officially became the second girls' boarding house at King's College.
The history of Carpenter house is very important to us, as shown by the timeline of annual house photographs we display along the corridors. We are always pleased to hear from old boys and girls who would like to visit or tell us their stories of life in Carpenter.
Carpenter Today
In the Third, Fourth and Fifth Form, each bedroom has two to four girls sharing, and these groups change each term to establish and maintain good friendships within each year group. The junior studies are located on the ground floor close to the Duty Office so that help is readily available from the duty tutor or prefect, so don’t be afraid to ask. In the Lower Sixth, boarding girls usually share double study bedrooms, and in the Upper Sixth each boarder has a single study bedroom. Everyone is encouraged to decorate their studies and bedrooms to make them feel homely.
Day girls each have a study desk and share studies with boarders in the lower years; you are welcome to stay over if space is available. In the sixth form, day girls share a study room and are equally invited to spend the occasional boarding night when space allows.
Carpenter's large main common room is for girls only, so it's a place where you can relax, chatter or watch a film snuggled up with your duvet if you like. It has a large kitchen area with oven, fridge/freezer etc, where you can occasionally cook and share a pizza or indulge in your favourite recipes. You can invite friends (both girls and boys) to your own year group common room. Third and Fourth Form girls share one common room, the Fifth Form have their own, as do the Sixth Form who also have a good-sized kitchen for entertaining. A small kitchenette area with a fridge, microwave and kettle is available so that you can make your guests welcome.
Our house tuck shop, located in the duty office, is open daily at morning break, after prep, and as advertised on weekends when it is particularly popular for pizza sales! You can use cash or money deposited in house bank.
Houseparent
Laura Jones joined us as Carpenter Houseparent in 2017. She was a Senior Mistress at Llandovery College and was responsible for the pastoral well-being of the pupils throughout the school. She also comes to us as a qualified SENCo and Dyslexia/SpLD specialist.
When not teaching or leading a house, Laura enjoys netball and is a qualified netball and hockey coach, as well as a netball umpire. She also loves to paint (acrylics) and enjoys running half marathons.
Laura joined King's with her husband Dafydd, who was also a Housemaster at Llandovery, and their children Martha and Mabel. Dafydd joined our chemistry department and is also the Head of Boarding.