Mowden Hall

Each boarding school is unique – and yet all aim to provide the same service: superb education, pastoral support and experiences for the pupils and boarders. There is every reason to be extremely optimistic for Prep boarding as it has shown itself to have resilience in abundance. It has an offer which is as attractive as it has ever been as a route to enabling young people to discover who they are, where they want to go, as well as guiding them on how to get there. Choosing boarding will often give children the extra time and space to develop the softer skills that are so important to their development. Boarding increases a child’s self-assurance, teaches them to relax, helps them make new friends and allows them to feel a valued member of the community. Central to this is outstanding pastoral care. A stable and secure sense of well-being develops robust mental health in a young person and this is the absolute foundation upon which to develop aspiration and confidence. Children with greater emotional attachment to their school achieve greater fulfilment. Therefore, this tells us that a focus on wellbeing and mental health in schools is key to effective learning and teaching. Mowden demonstrates the importance of a broad range of skills. It believes that everyone can, and will, improve. Without exploration and freedom of expression, children are not developing resilience and a sense of self. The school focuses on kindness to others, something it believes should permeate every member of a school’s community. As an independent day and boarding school, the school has to be adaptable to all the invasive threats and, constraints and demands. Being adaptable provides great opportunities for innovation and development. It is a chance to reflect upon what the school does, and how it does it. It has to be open to change so it can rise to the challenges, grasp the opportunities and stride forward with confidence. Quality will always rise to the top.