Housemother retires after 20 years of caring for boys

A HOUSEMOTHER at the Oratory School has retired after 20 years.

Joy Blount was one of the original housemothers at the Catholic independent school in Woodcote when they were introduced more than 20 years ago.

She spent all her time in Norris House, one of five houses.

Mrs Blount, who lives in Caversham with her husband, Colin, saw three of her four sons go through the school, which was for boys only until September 2020.

She said: “I worked for 17 years at NatWest before starting at the Oratory. I wanted to get out of the corporate scene as I didn’t enjoy the pressure of selling but I really enjoyed the customer-facing side of things.

“I met a customer who was a housemother and I thought, ‘Hmm, maybe I could do that’. I had a child at boarding school and I could really see how being a housemother could make a difference.

“Being a housemother is such a varied role, whether it’s sewing a button or ironing a shirt.

“There’s a big pastoral aspect with lots of one-to-ones, taking them to appointments and being a familiar face, someone they can trust and come to.

“I did their pocket money and called it the Blount account. Housemothers were introduced at the Oratory in 2002 and I joined in January 2003 and by then all five houses had one.

“I’m actually the last of the original housemothers to leave.

“I’ve only ever been in Norris house with boys and I wasn’t overly involved with the transition to
co-education.

“I made the job role mine really. All the other houses have had several housemistresses over the years.

“I don’t know where the time went, I’ve been a housemother to so many pupils over the years. I even saw one set of five brothers all the way through school.

“I loved it all. It’s all about the boys as it’s hard for them to spend time away from mum. I used to say to my boys that it was Norris boys first during term time.

“The school was literally my life and they really do become your own children.

“The first housemaster I worked with told me he thought of the Norris boys as an extended family, which is exactly how I felt.

“I felt so privileged to have been the mum away from home to so many lovely boys.

“Norris has between 90 and 100 students as well as some day pupils. They’re from such a range of backgrounds, military, farmers’ children and aristocracy.

“Some of them don’t get to see their parents much as they’re overseas so it’s so important to have someone there supporting them, whether that’s on the sidelines at rugby or at their music and drama performances.

“There’s such a range of things you teach them, whether that’s tying a tie or doing their own laundry.

“We have students from all over the world, Nigeria, Spain, China, and their English isn’t always great at the start, which can be daunting.

“Boarders change rooms every term to embrace all different cultures. We have different nationalities in each room and it is lovely to see everyone gel.

“Some of the boys speak very little English and won’t see their family all year but go to guardians in the holidays so they miss that special bond.

“There’s a lot of laughter and lots of tears and it’s important to be there for them for both.”

Mrs Blount was also part of the school choir.

She said: “I joined as an activity to do with the boys outside of boarding. We had an amazing trip to Brecon and in 2010 we sang at [school founder] John Henry Newman’s beatification in Birmingham in 2010.

“We also had a choir trip to Hong Kong where we got to sing in some amazing places, such as the Macau Theatre.”

To mark her retirement, headmaster Joe Smith hosted a drinks reception and Norris housemaster Tom Gibbon held a farewell tea party with all the house’s students.

Mrs Blount said: “I was given a lovely Airbnb voucher by parents and some beautiful flowers.

“At the end of term, we went out for a meal at the Coppa Club in Streatley with other house members, office and bursary staff.

“I wish the new housemother well. I think it will be good to have some new energy — I was 43 when I started — and she will make it her own, I am sure.

“You just need to be a mother to the boys, treat them as your own and make them use their common sense.”

Mrs Blount and her husband, an IT consultant, who will retire next month, are planning to do a road trip in America and to go on a safari.

She said: “We want to live our lives now. You never know what is around the corner so we want to do these things while we’re still young. This will be a new chapter for us.

“It was not an easy decision to retire. At the moment it is the summer holiday so obviously that feels very normal and the fact I’m not returning hasn’t really sunk in yet.

“I am so lucky to have loads of wonderful memories.”