Boarding’s a recipe for school success
A BOARDING school set in a country park, and with its own riding stables, sounds like an expensive education.
But the Royal Alexandra & Albert is one of just 38 state boarding schools in the UK, where parents just pay the cost of accommodation; the education is free.
Fees are £15,000 a year — a fraction of the cost of private schooling.
Ozo Mbanefo, 12, is pursuing her dream of becoming a chef while studying at the school for seven to 18-yearolds in Reigate, Surrey.
The boarder, who joined last September, says: ‘My all-time dream is to be a chef, so I love that there are so many school cooking clubs.’
The biggest new experience has been adapting to life as a boarder — there are more than 450 at the school. Ozo says: ‘There is always someone to talk with.’
But there are times when homesickness creeps in. ‘I struggled with it at first, but that’s normal’, Ozo says. ‘Everyone was nice and helped me when I was upset. I’m fine now as I’m part of a family in our boarding house.’
The school has eight senior boarding houses and one for juniors.
After Saturday lessons, full boarders have the option to go home for the weekend.
The school also has ‘flexi-boarding’, where pupils sleep over for up to ten nights each year. Headmaster Mark Dixon says: ‘We find that as soon as children join in the programme of weekend activities, they start to form strong friendships and enjoy boarding.
‘They then benefit by developing confidence, independence and lifelong relationships.’
raa-school.co.uk