The value add of boarding

According to the Independent Schools Council, there were 66,325 pupils boarding on the day of its last census in January 2023, an increase of 1,093 boarders compared with 2022. But with fees increasing year-on-year, not to mention the government’s plan to add VAT to private school fees, why is the trend for more, not less, families to choose boarding school?

For Londoners, the chance to spend the week on a countryside campus is very appealing. Woldingham, a girls’ secondary school just half an hour on the train from Clapham Junction, has 700 acres for pupils to enjoy. “All our facilities are on-site,” explains Mrs Sue Baillie, Woldingham’s Head. “Our sports pitches are all within our 700 acres – the only time we have to travel for sport is for away fixtures.”

Similarly, Ardingly talks of its 240-acre campus and facilities. “In the summer term, when the evenings are much lighter, it’s fantastic to see so many boarders outside making full use of our lovely grounds by choosing to play football or tennis with their friends in their free time after school,” explains Jo Hayter, Deputy Head (Pastoral). “Others make use of our music and drama facilities and there are a range of clubs and activities that both boarders and day pupils can take part in until 7pm each evening.”

It’s fantastic to see so many boarders outside making full use of our lovely grounds

One of the advantages of staying in school beyond classroom hours is the opportunity to enjoy a full range of clubs and societies, from hobbies and interests to sport and personal development. At Whitgift, a boys’ secondary day and boarding school in south London, boarders have a significant number of clubs and societies on offer ranging from sport to music and drama.

“In addition, boarders have a number of social activities available to them which range from cooking, music appreciation, photography and theatre visits, as well as a weekly trip which may be to museums and galleries but also to Canterbury, Oxford, Brighton or Thorpe Park!” explains Adrian Norris, Assistant Head (Pastoral and Boarding), Whitgift.

Personal development is another element that many schools we spoke to cited as a big advantage when considering the added value of boarding.

Alex Finch of Walhampton in the New Forest points to the benefit of helping prepare children to be more independent: “The camaraderie between the year groups is wonderful as friendships are forged and new routines learnt. Boarding gives pupils the inner confidence and level-headed resilience they need to succeed in their next stage of life.”

Jo Hayter at Ardingly, adds: “I would say that boarding can offer significant academic, social and wellbeing benefits. Boarders develop independence and maturity, while also benefitting hugely from living alongside, and often building lifelong friendships with, students from different year groups and often different countries too.”

Boarding still has an important role to play in modern society

Vertical pastoral systems within houses are common across most boarding schools – the days of hierarchy have thankfully disappeared for the most part – and these give students the chance to learn from and teach each other skills and interests they may not have previously considered. After all, what’s more fun – hanging out with your parents or a group of other teens?

Your child’s academic performance may also benefit from more time at school, whether that’s through an extended programme of talks or lectures, or more access to teachers out of hours. At Whitgift, there are several programmes by which academic enrichment continues beyond the school day – this can include lectures, debates, clubs and societies.

“Equally the school operates many platforms whereby students can message and stay in contact with members of staff. There is a significant number of staff associated with boarding who are on duty any given evening,” says Whigift’s Norris. Having that access to your teacher if they’re on duty that night is a perk, but don’t underestimate the peer power either. “Not only are their peers always on hand to discuss what they’ve just learnt in class or their homework, but they will also have older students in the boarding house that they can easily turn to for academic help too,” says Jo Hayter from Ardingly.

With friends on tap and plenty to keep them occupied, a welcome side effect seems to be reduced time on phones, screens and social media among boarders compared to their day school counterparts. Hayter says: “I do think that boarders probably use their phones in the evening less than many day pupils do – mainly because they’re hanging out with their friends in the evenings and often are too busy playing football or socialising in their free time to use their phones, whereas day pupils tend to be more isolated from friends in the evenings, so are more likely to turn to their phones.”

While this is all very persuasive, what if you are a day pupil at a boarding school – do you become a kind of second-class citizen with a less enriching school experience? “A question I am often asked is what is the difference between a day school and a school like Woldingham which is both day and boarding?” says Woldingham’s Sue Baillie. “The simple answer is that we offer a lot more.

“Unlike a day school that closes after lessons at 4pm or clubs at 5pm, Woldingham is open 24 hours in term time. Day girls can come in early or stay late. In fact, we want all our students to take advantage of the fantastic range of extra-curricular sport, clubs and societies or stay for supervised study.”

DLD College London, a day and boarding co-ed secondary school in central London agrees: “We work hard to ensure there is no difference between our day and boarding students’ experience at DLD,” says Principal, James Kidd. “Regular weekend trips are organised by our boarding team and day students are always welcome to join their friends on these fun-filled days.”

It’s a persuasive argument – more access to teachers, round-the-clock sports activities, enrichment programmes, less phone time, zero commuting and friends on tap. As Jo Hayter concludes: “Boarding still has an important role to play in modern society. It builds character, forges bonds and friendships between children of different nationalities and cultures, while providing valuable structure for teenagers to help them develop their independence and take agency over their lives.”

With friends on tap and plenty to keep them occupied, a welcome side effect seems to be reduced time on phones, screens and social media among boarders

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN RELOCATING

The rise of flexible working has led to families pushing the commuter belt further as the need to be in London everyday diminishes. Areas such as the New Forest are seeing an increase in families relocating from London as stations like Brockenhurst, Sway and Southampton Airport become more popular with part-time commuters. Schools are seeing families seeking expansive grounds, horse riding, on-site Forest School and flexi-boarding, in addition to removing the pressure of the 11+.

Be inquisitive. Find out if other families have followed a similar path – where they live, what they do at weekends (plenty of sailing and watersports!) and how they find the train journey.
Think about whether you still want to be able to walk to a shop and the train station. Walhampton provides a buddy family to help both parents and children settle in. Typically, they never look back.

Source: Walhampton School