Central to the ethos of life at Mowden Hall is the boarding tradition, and Mowden has a vibrant boarding community. Over three-quarters of the children in the Prep School board in some capacity. However, there is no compulsion to board at Mowden.

Children can be Day Pupils, Flexi Boarders, Weekly Boarders or Full Boarders. Boarding options start in Year 3, and by the end of Year 6, lots of children choose to board many nights of the week. Children may wish to transfer from being day pupils to boarders, and can do so at any stage. There is provision for Flexi Boarding on a nightly basis, which can prove to be a useful introduction to boarding for some children.