What makes a good boarding house

Therefore, it is important to consider whether the school you are choosing will have methods in place to make for a smooth transition from one school to another for your child. In deciding to send your child to boarding school, you must be prepared to be away from them for over 30 weeks of the year.

Furthermore, the boarding house staff will largely become the second tier of role models in the life of your child. You must be prepared to trust them in providing your child with valuable guidance and support in this crucial period of their upbringing. It is often the capacity of boarding house staff to facilitate a caring and nurturing environment that makes the difference between a mediocre boarding house and a great one.

You should strive to send your child to a boarding school with a diverse staffing group as only then can you be sure that your child will find someone they confide in on their tough days. When touring schools and meeting staff, you need to observe how they carry themselves and what sort of messages they present.

You must be prepared to ask yourself the following questions:. For example, the following additions can be incredibly valuable for keeping your child occupied:. As such, the inclusion of recreational and co-curricular activities have become incredibly important for any boarding house program.

These activities provide students with the chance to have fun and extend themselves. After-school activities cover more than just sport! When considering the best boarding school for your child, it is likely that you will make direct comparisons between your preferred options. In weighing up the pros and cons, you will need to consider the factor of price.

In looking at the cost of boarding in WA, it is advised that you gain access to the latest fees schedule and look closely into every detail of the costings. With this in mind, it is often possible for students to gain access to scholarships and bursaries. These can relieve significant financial pressures for parents and can be gained through special consideration or through outstanding potential in academics, the arts or sport.

These dynamics include:. An electronic system allows boarders to check themselves in and out of the Boarding House. You — as parents and those paying the school fees — have the final say, but it is important to consider what your child thinks. To involve your child in the decision-making process, make sure to ask them plenty of questions. Did they like the facilities? Because discipline is rarely a problem in boarding schools, these talented teachers get to teach without having to be traffic cops or paper pushers like their public school counterparts.

Most boarding schools have amazing sports facilities. The range of sports and teams is mind-boggling. You will find everything from squash to crew, hockey to basketball.

Natatoria are common. So are equestrian facilities. Many boarding school fitness facilities make commercial fitness establishments look tame. The varsity teams travel regionally and globally to compete. Think Henley and Head of the Charles, for example, in crew.

Look at this hockey rink at Taft School , Watertown, Connecticut. Theater, dance, music, fine arts, in short, anything and everything artistic is part of the opportunity which awaits you at most boarding schools. Several schools have magnificent performing arts centers and museums. Gorgeous chapels with fine pipe organs and choirs are still common. Chamber music, bands, orchestras, and jazz ensembles will give you many opportunities to use your musical talents.

The art galleries and museums many schools have acquired offer another serious enhancement for the artistically inclined. It's never easy to leave the nest. But, doesn't it make more sense to make the move a few years before college?

Of course, it does. You will learn how to cope with life and all its many high and low points within a community of your peers who are going through the same things you are. All of this is happening under the watchful eye of your teachers who are mentors, not baby-sitters. As students mature, smaller groups tend to work better. Rooms of 1 or 2 give students company but also allow for needed quiet working or relaxation time.

For sixth formers, individual study bedrooms work best as they allow for necessary privacy as well as focussed study space. Communal spaces within the boarding houses where students can prepare food and relax together will still foster a good community spirit. Boarders should have a range of different safe recreation spaces.

Both indoor and outdoor spaces and places where students can mix with peers or spend time alone are necessary. Indoor spaces may need to house a wide range of activities, anything from quiet space for puzzles to a communal table tennis space. Opening up the main school facilities for activities like DT or sport will help provide your students with an enriched boarding experience outside of school hours. Washing and laundry facilities Suitable toilet and washing facilities need to be provided for your students.

Toilet facilities should be separate for boys and girls unless the toilet or washing facility is self-contained and intended for use by only one pupil at a time. Washing facilities should also provide adequate privacy for your boarders. A shared bathroom arrangement works well as it encourages students to mix and interact informally, thereby building relationships.

Laundry and cleaning staff also need to be accommodated in your boarding house design. When redesigning a boarding house, you can create spaces for specific purposes that help make life easier for auxiliary staff members. School Search.

School Profiles. School Map. School Discovery. School Overview. Tea with the Head. From the Horse's Mouth. Close Menu. Open Menu. Sedbergh School's Design and Technology Department.

English boarding schools — amazing diversity that caters to the individual needs, aptitudes and passions of every child. We use any excuse to visit these schools as often as we can. Finding that one school that can do this is what we are good at. Royal Hospital School's canteen. So, what makes British boarding schools special? They educate the whole person.