New friends — and the school run is history
LUKE OASTLER became interested in boarding when some friends said they were planning to go to such a school.
So Luke, 13, mentioned it to his parents and last September he began at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School, a state boarding school in Reigate, Surrey.
At a state boarding school — they are often described as ‘education’s best kept secret’, — parents pay just boarding costs: the education is free.
Luke, a Year Nine pupil, says: ‘I really didn’t like travelling to school and realised there wouldn’t be any travelling if I went to a boarding school.
‘Now I board during the week, and my parents collect me for the weekend.’
He adds: ‘I really enjoy that I get to be with my friends all the time. In a way it’s just one massive sleepover.’
Apart from enjoying the socialising, Luke is taking full advantage of the school’s extensive co- curricular programme of more than 140 clubs and activities, and he especially enjoys playing football and cricket.
His mother, Michelle Oastler, a facilities manager from London, says she is pleased that Luke has integrated well and made good friends.
She says: ‘Once we looked at boarding, we realised the many benefits it offered. Not having to travel was one, but there are also the extra- curricular classes available and the range of opportunities.
‘From the stories I hear and the pictures I see, it is all a mix of great fun and education. Luke is probably having more fun at school than he would have at home.
‘And we have definitely noticed that Luke’s confidence has grown enormously and that he has matured a great deal and is now most certainly very independent.
‘ There were teething problems, but the school and teachers dealt with them in a very caring, professional manner. Luke has excelled in many aspects, and we can only see this continuing while he is at boarding school.’
Ben Maddox, head of Albert House, one of the school’s nine boarding houses, said Luke has been a ‘superb addition’. ‘He has shown himself to be a well-rounded individual with a calming nature,’ he adds.
‘We have made him a house prefect because of his positive contribution to house life.’
Headmaster, Mark Dixon, added: ‘At the Royal Alexandra and Albert School our approach is holistic and focuses on developing the whole child through the boarding experience and involvement in a wide range of co- curricular activities as well as ensuring excellent academic achievement.
‘Overall, we aim to provide all of our pupils with a positive boarding education, and I’m delighted that both Luke and Mrs Oastler speak so well of the School, and I hope that Luke continues to enjoy his time as a boarder.’