Debunking the myths about boarding school
With the role of elite schools again under scrutiny, Jennifer Taylor tries to separate the fact from the fiction about Britain’s top boarding schools
THE MYTH: BOARDING SCHOOLS ARE GRIM VICTORIAN PLACES
Hogwarts gives dusty, candlelit buildings a sense of grand adventure, but it is not surprising that many parents fear their child will be boarded in an austere stone shell that is rumoured to be haunted.
Former boarder Jessica Pearce insists that for some pupils it is all part of the appeal. “Those halls had a rich heritage that made you feel part of something big,” she says.
A warm welcome often helps soften students’ first impressions, and at ACS International Schools, a student welcome committee contacts each boarder individually before their first term.
“We talk to our new students about their hobbies and interests before they start term so they can be paired with roommates who share these,” explains Anastasia Cotton, assistant dean of admissions.
If you are seeking a fully 21stcentury experience, Wellington Academy offers a stylish £32 million state-of-the-art boarding campus, the centrepiece of which is a vast, high-ceilinged atrium where generous skylights illuminate quirky design installations. It is a modern educational utopia that puts images of cold, period, boarding-school classrooms to shame.
THE MYTH: ONLY CHILDREN FROM WEALTHY HOMES GO TO BOARDING SCHOOLS
The resplendent grounds of top boarding schools may seem exclusive playgrounds for offspring of the uber-wealthy, but that impression is only surface deep. Bursaries offer many families access to a boarding experience, with some schools boasting 75 per cent bursary-funded intake. Local authorities and charities help to sponsor children who find themselves in unfortunate circumstances, as boarding can offer them an immediate support network and a sense of normality.
“What really surprises and pleases me is the equality of children paying full fees and those with assistance,” says Boarding Schools Association assistant director Aileen Kane. “Once they’re in uniform, every child becomes just a normal kid, no matter what their background.”
State boarding is also an attractive option for parents without six-figure salaries, with fees generally more than 50 per cent lower than the private alternatives. There are 40 state boarding schools in the UK hosting around 5,000 children, with fees generally cheapest in the north of England.
THE MYTH: TROUBLED STUDENTS ARE SENT THERE AGAINST THEIR WILL
It was like one long sleepover with friends who became family, and some of the happiest years of my life
Boarders may well find their roomie’s life story is quite different from their own, which boarding schools consider a major strength.
“One girl from an incredibly wealthy family came here needing support when her father became very ill,” says Marlene Fleming, deputy head of Christ’s Hospital. “She ended up becoming close friends with a girl from a completely different economic background. Their paths may never have otherwise crossed.” “This diversity enriches boarding schools, and for some, they are often seen as top specialists in pastoral care. But will that be enough to stop your child hating you for ever? It’s just not an issue, says Millfield School graduate Anna Romero. “I had a romantic idea that it’d be like The Worst Witch books, minus the wizardry,” she says, “In reality, yes, it was daunting at first but I knew I’d be OK – I never resented my mum. It was like a permanent sleepover with friends who became family, and those were some of the happiest years of my life.”
THE MYTH: PUPILS DON’T HAVE ANY FUN IN BOARDING SCHOOLS
Ask a former boarder what they did with their downtime and they often seem puzzled. The distinction between school, the place of academic rigour, and home, the place of relaxation, is less stark. Opportunities for sport, music, and drama are just beyond the bedroom door, so boarders tend to be highly engaged in extra-curricular life and they don’t see it as a chore.
“They develop into people who see these things as fun, not a necessity of school life,” says former boarding school teacher Alastair Vettese. Neither is racing out of the school gates at 4pm a feature of the day.
“At a day school, teachers and students are anxious to get home,” says Ed Benton, who was a boarding school librarian. “The boarding school is home, so that stress evaporates and the pace slows. I’d often see kids inventing games and directing their own plays.”
THE MYTH: BOARDING SCHOOLS TRY TO MINIMISE A PUPIL’ S CONTACT WITH PARENTS AT ALL TIMES
Teachers have a lot of empathy for parents dropping off kids for the first time. “Those early days are exciting