There Future Service Parents Guide Autumn by Boarding Schools' Association

theirfuture Service Parents’ Guide to Boarding Schools

#ILOVEBOARDING

Find out why pupils love their ‘second home’ from page 4.

BEING A DUKIE IS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE

Alex Foreman, Principal of The Duke of York’s Royal Military School, tells how the ‘Dukie experience’ includes excellent results and experienced pastoral care on pages 28 and 29.

NAVIGATING THE FUTURE

Irfan Latif, Headmaster at the Royal Hospital School, reports on how pupils embrace loyalty, commitment, service, courage and integrity on pages 30 and 31.

SUPPORTING MILITARY FAMILIES

Anne Megdiche, of Sherborne School, explains how boarding schools can help military families decide on the right school on pages 58 and 59.

Foreword

Jo Cameron, BSA Chair 2024 and Principal, Queenswood School

Boarding schools come in all shapes and all sizes. Some focus more academically, whilst others consider education is a broad undertaking. Some are dedicated to the arts, music or drama, others see themselves as excelling in sport. Some are single sex, others co-educational. Many are independent but some are run by the state.

Schools will also offer several different boarding arrangements including full boarding, weekly boarding, flexi and occasional boarding. No two schools are the same and the choice can feel bewildering, particularly if you are just beginning your search

That’s where TheirFuture comes in. The pages within this Guide are designed to support families in narrowing down the right school which best matches your child’s individual, educational and personal needs.

As diverse as the boarding sector is, there is certainly one thing that all schools have in common, and that is a supportive and nurturing environment where young people thrive.

Alongside this Guide, BSA offer other resources to those looking for the right boarding school, including a dedicated boarding school search functionality via www.serviceschools.co.uk which some readers might find a helpful tool if you have a specific location in mind.

Following the success of the Spring supplement focusing on Girls in Boarding, we’re pleased to circulate our latest Junior Boarding supplement, full to the brim with well thought out articles from BSA schools offering boarding at prep level. I certainly hope you will find the pages of this latest Guide useful and informative to your boarding school search.

□ Jo became Principal of Queenswood School in 2016, having previously worked as Deputy Head at Ipswich High School for Girls. She began her teaching career as a Science teacher specialising in Biology at St Mary’s, Wantage, before becoming Head of the Science Department. She has extensive experience in all girls’ schools and champions the unique opportunities that single sex education offers.

Dear parent

David Walker Director, BSA

Welcome to TheirFuture, The BSA Guide to Boarding Schools. I am writing my ‘Dear parent’ introduction having recently returned from our annual conference for Heads of boarding schools. Throughout this two-day event, a prevailing theme was how we can best prepare young people for an uncertain future.

We heard from experts from industry, such as Siemens Digital and Lloyds of London, both describing a landscape (familiar to many parents, I am sure) where self-starters who can work with a diverse range of people with agility, empathy and resilience are highly prized.

The echo back from the room of experienced Heads was: “We do this!” They represent Boarding houses that celebrate internationalism and days filled to bursting with a range of quality activities. This means that they all stretch beyond the excellent academic provision to result in superb preparation for the future workplace.

Add to this the wonderful partnership work so many boarding schools do with their local communities and you have wellprepared students entering the world with a sense of moral purpose alongside their many skills.

If these are virtues shared by all boarding schools, how can one choose between them? This is where this guide comes in: while each school will be unique and different, they all share the ambition to offer an education that transcends academic study and adds breadth and depth to knowledge acquisition.

I would encourage you to look around to get a feel for the nuances they all offer. And enjoy the ride – it’s great fun!

□ David joined BSA Group in August 2023. He has over 20 years of experience in boarding schools and has worked in a range of schools in the UK and Africa, alongside being a prep school governor and a trustee of a multi academy trust. Before taking up his BSA post, David was Deputy Head Pastoral at a large co-ed independent school in the south-east.

NAVIGATING SUCCESS

Ambitious and supportive boarding education, alongside an outstanding activity programme, set in 200 acres on the stunning Suffolk coast.

‘Excellent’ Inspection rating

BOOK ONLINE TO JOIN US FOR AN OPEN MORNING, TASTER OR EXPERIENCE DAY

Scholarships and Bursaries available

ROYALHOSPITALSCHOOL.ORG

Independent / Co-educational / Boarding & Day / Ages 11-18

Published by: BSA Group

167-169 Great Portland Street 5th Floor

London W1W 5PF

+44 (0)207 798 1580 bsa@boarding.org.uk www.ukbsa.com

Chief Executive: Robin Fletcher

Editor: Steve Dyson editor@boarding.org.uk

Head of Commercial: Neil Rust neil.rust@bsagroup.org.uk

Senior Commercial Consultant: Laura Brain laura.brain@bsagroup.org.uk

‘It’s like a second home’

In every edition of TheirFuture, we’re going to highlight pupils who love their boarding education … and some of the reasons why.

GORDON’S SCHOOL, SURREY

Freya E

“I really like the extra activities and opportunities at Gordon’s – netball, football, hockey, rugby, cadets, Duke of Edinburgh scheme, art, theatre and so many others. For me, it’s the musical opportunities I really like. We have a variety of bands, orchestras and even pipes and drums for the musically minded. We even played a concert tour in Paris with our orchestra last year!

“You are around people all the time and get to know everyone really well, becoming very close. There are always lots of things to do during the school day and then after school everyone hangs out together.”

TAUNTON SCHOOL, SOMERSET

Verity, Year 9

“My boarding experience has been great. Everyone is very inclusive and the family aspect is great. Even when I first joined it didn’t feel like I was new, I was just included straight away. I love all the different opportunities on offer at Taunton School, the different events that I can take part in, especially sport.”

Nathanial T

“I’d been to seven or eight different schools before coming here so it’s really nice to be in a boarding environment where I could just say: ‘Yes, I’m not going to move from here now’.

“Obviously you live with so many people when you board. You have to see other people’s viewpoints, how they live. It is a massive learning experience in living with other people – the messy ones, the tidy ones. You cannot really make enemies, you have to be friends with everyone.

“It’s weird because you stay in the same environment, which during the school week is really busy, but at weekends it is so much more relaxed.”

Oscar, Year 12

“One of the best things about boarding is making friends and being part of a community. I really enjoy our house outings, especially the big ones we do at the start and end of each year.”

Rohje R

“Boarding is that never ending sleepover. I have had some of the best experiences of my life boarding. You get to spend time with some of your favourite people, amazing friends and staff and people that make living here at Gordon’s like a second home.

“Once you get tired of them you are able to go home – it’s perfect! Staff here really don’t make you feel like it is a foreign place at all, it is all very friendly and open with all sorts of activities to keep us entertained and support if you feel that little bit homesick.”

Isabelle, Year 10

“I really enjoy boarding because it encourages lots of independence and helps you grow as a person. Everyone in my house pushes me to be the best person I can be. I am a completely different person to who I was when I joined three years ago and I think that’s down to the boarding staff at Taunton School and my housemates.”

SHERBORNE SCHOOL,

DORSET

Wilf H, Third Form

“So far, my boarding experience has been great fun and enjoyable. As my Dad is in the Army, I’ve always been a full boarder and sometimes my house could be hours away, but that never really affected me, apart from not seeing my family as often.

“But I soon came to realise that I would be part of a much larger family and it would be one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. With more freedom and more space, I could do whatever activity I wanted to, like play football with my friends. Or if I needed some ‘time out’, I could go inside to read a book or I could have a chat with one of my matrons.”

Max W, Upper Sixth Form

“My favourite aspect of boarding at Sherborne is the wealth of opportunities available. A few highlights have been joining the Combined Cadet Force, the fishing society and the sailing team. I have also had the chance to complete all three Duke of Edinburgh awards and compete against other schools in clay shooting competitions.

“Another much appreciated opportunity offered by the school is the chance to develop leadership skills, be that as a school or house prefect, chapel warden or a non-commissioned officer, all of which are positions which I have been privileged to hold.”

Harry S G, Lower Sixth Form

“Boarding has provided me with the opportunity to make such great friends at both Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls. The longer days that boarding allows has given me the time to take part in House plays and develop my sports skills during evening sessions, without impacting my academic lessons.

“Tuesday night extra hockey sessions have been a real highlight for me. Boarding at Sherborne School is also great for me as I have two sisters at the Girls’ School, so it feels as if we are all part of the same community.”

Caspar B

“With both parents having been in the Army, ‘home’ has changed frequently. While my family has moved across Europe, Sherborne has been a constant.

Full boarding has meant that my educational experience has been uninterrupted by moves that might otherwise have severely disrupted my progress.

“As an overseas boarder, full boarding at Sherborne is perfect as everyone is ‘in’ on the weekends thus there is a fantastic communal atmosphere.

This means that despite living a great distance away, I feel that I don’t miss out on not having my family nearby. It is great also not to be in an Army environment all the time.

“As an all-boys school, the link with the nearby Sherborne School for Girls gives balance and allows me to see my sister, while simultaneously giving us distance (so that I do not always need to see my sister!).

The proximity to the train line is also great as it allows me to commute to London and gives access to airports, allowing me to travel to and from Heathrow and Gatwick with ease when travelling home.”

ST LAWRENCE COLLEGE KENT

David, head boy, describes being a boarder as “a gift given” and emphasises the “daily camaraderie, shared challenges, and the wealth of learning experiences among peers from diverse nationalities and cultures”. David sees his boarding house as “a second home, a big family”. He added: “As a boarder you gain an experience, which prepares you for the wider world.”

WELLS CATHEDRAL SCHOOL SOMERSET

Elspeth

“I enjoy every moment of boarding in Claver Morris House because it means that I always have a friend. I get to play games with my dorm mates, and we can work together on school projects and prep. At weekends we go rambling in the countryside, swimming or to the park with our houseparent, and I enjoyed joining in with the ‘Claver’s Got Talent’ show!

“The houseparents help me to remember things like brushing my teeth and taking my vitamins. The best thing about boarding is that I don’t have to say goodbye to my friends at the end of the day!”

Arcelia, prefect and Upper Sixth Form student, describes boarding as “feeling like a second home” and highlights “the numerous opportunities” available. She added: “Being a boarder here for many years, it has been a joy to grow up in this environment.”

Harry

“Boarding at Wells offers so much and I enjoy having so many facilities on hand. I use the gym, swimming pool, music school recording studio and photography studio regularly, and at the weekends I’ve tried sports that I would never have otherwise had a go at.

“In my boarding House, support is always there if you need it, and I like having a routine provided for me. Our garden is a great place to socialise and play football with people from other Houses. There is a good sense of community and family, and I enjoy my time as a boarder. The time spent with my mates has helped me to build strong relationships.”

THE DUKE OF YORK’S ROYAL MILITARY SCHOOL, KENT

Saffron B, Sixth Form

“Growing up in a force’s family, I was in and out of different primary schools and moved frequently and as a freshfaced Year 7 student, with no clue what to expect from boarding. However, whether military or not, The Duke of York’s Royal Military School provides an open opportunity for all to develop their independence, learn, gain connections and, most importantly, to grow.

“On my first journey to the school as a student back in 2017, I was repeatedly told of the ground-breaking friendships that you’d make throughout your ‘Dukie journey’. This remains true to me today, as well as for many others who have been here. A combination of friendship, education, opportunity, and experience provides the definition of this boarding school.”

Joanna B, Sixth Form

“As everyone here is a boarder, the boarding houses becomes your second home, and staff are incredibly supportive, going the extra mile to take care of every single one of us. You get to make friends for life, and the people I’ve boarded with have become like my sisters, which means that I love every single one of them.

“Opportunities are vast. In the last two years, I’ve had the honour of captaining Girls’ Hockey and with the school’s support I pushed myself to becoming the Senior Under Officer (SUO) of the school. My parents believe, and I agree, that I would not have achieved the results I did or be anywhere near where I am now if I had been anywhere else.”

New head for Dauntsey’s

JOHN Davies has taken up the position of Head at Dauntsey’s School in Devizes, Wiltshire, from this September.

Davies was previously the Senior Deputy Head and Vice Principal of Kingswood School in Bath, where he joined as Deputy Head Academic in 2017.

This role saw him lead Kingswood’s academic response to Covid 19, after which he was promoted. Davies is also an experienced ISI School Inspector.

Before Kingswood, Davies’ experience included spells as Director of Teaching and Learning at Abingdon School, and Assistant Director of Studies at Shiplake.

He attended Oxford University as an undergraduate studying English Language and Literature, and completed a Masters in Educational Leadership at Buckingham University. Davies enjoys refereeing rugby, football and netball, playing the guitar and percussion instruments, and amateur drama – with a number of cameo-stage roles in recent school productions.

Davies said: “It is my joy and privilege to have been chosen by the governors to be the next Head of Dauntsey’s, a school community I have long admired.

“I am excited to build upon the impressive legacy of Mark Lascelles and

I look forward to working together with the talented Governors, senior leaders, teachers, and support staff, as we lead the school into the next phase of its development.

“Most of all, I am eager to get to know our pupils and their families, and for them to get to know me.”

Veryan Nield, Chair of Governors at Dauntsey’s, added: “John emerged as the standout candidate in a highly competitive selection process. He will bring a fresh perspective, new ideas and a passion for education.

“He recognised the unique and special family atmosphere that is ever-present at Dauntsey’s and we felt confident that he will maintain this ethos.”

Gordonstoun’s pipes play worldwide TV

GORDONSTOUN’S award-winning Pipe Band took centre stage before a TV audience of millions at the iconic Hong Kong Sevens tournament earlier this year.

The band was invited to take part in the renowned event for the first time alongside some of the world’s best rugby players.

Almost 40 students from the school, set in 200 acres of countryside by the Moray Firth, were on the main bill for the final of the international rugby tournament at the Hong Kong Stadium, watched by up to 40,000 fans.

The band appeared on the steps of the main entrance to the stadium and then on stage as part of the match entertainment on Sunday 7 April. The students then took part in several events, including a performance with local pipes and drums at the tournament’s fanzone and one at Ocean Park, one of Hong Kong’s largest theme parks.

The Far East trip came in the same month that Gordonstoun unveiled ambitious £15m plans for the next phase of its Campus Masterplan back in the UK.

The first project will be a new Coastguard Centre, due to open by the end of 2024 as home to one of Gordonstoun’s nine rescue and community services, through which every student is involved in active service to the local area.

The second project is a new Solar Farm to provide low carbon energy for the school and, it is hoped in due course, some of its neighbours.

Thirdly, planning permission has been secured for the next building in the new Classroom Village, sited to the west of the iconic Round Square building. This will house a Sixth Form Centre and a Business and Enterprise Centre for learning and social use at the school and for the wider community.

Sherborne united!

THE two trusts that own Sherborne Girls, Sherborne School and their associated schools have been formally merged into one charity called the Sherborne Schools Group.

The schools will continue as discrete entities with their own names, identities and ethos, but the merger has created a single, overarching governance structure to support their cooperation and partnerships.

This will allow us the trust to more effectively explore how pupils and staff might work together in the future, sharing facilities and resources and leverage economies of scale. Through the creation of a strong, resilient and well-resourced group of schools, the Sherborne Schools Group will remain synonymous with the country’s best schooling, representing a unique and exciting educational offering in the UK for girls and boys aged 3 to 19.

The merged group will include Sherborne School, Sherborne Prep School, Sherborne International, Sherborne Girls, Hanford School and Sherborne Schools Worldwide. Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls will remain committed to singlesex education in the classroom and boarding houses, but will enjoy various activities together, such joint higher education and careers activity, trips, sports, clubs, societies and social programmes.

David Leakey, Chair of Governors at Sherborne School, said: “Joining forces

with the Sherborne Girls will allow for greater educational and financial agility and resilience, as well as create exciting opportunities for growth and development.”

Louise Hall, Chair of Governors at Sherborne Girls, agreed: “We are incredibly lucky to be able to offer a much-valued single-sex education alongside our brother school, Sherborne School, thereby delivering the ‘best of both worlds’ experience appreciated by parents and pupils alike. “We look forward to building on this partnership further, along with Hanford and Sherborne Prep, to enrich our offering, pool knowledge and expertise, share resources and facilities and deliver efficiencies.”

Dr Ruth Sullivan, Head of Sherborne Girls, and Dr Dominic Luckett, Headmaster of Sherborne School, added: “A combined strategic direction and economies of scale will also ensure we remain a compelling option in an increasingly competitive market.”

Scotland’s biggest junior cross-country

BELHAVEN Hill School in East Lothian welcomed runners back for the 38th annual Scottish Independent Schools’ Invitational Cross-Country Championships earlier this year.

The event is the biggest cross-country competition in the annual prep and junior schools’ calendar.

Competitors ran a course from beautiful Belhaven Bay, overlooked by the school itself, out to the stunning John Muir Country Park and back. Belhaven Hill hosted 15 participating schools from Scotland and the north of England, with 384 pupils competing.

Schools entered four to six runners into each race for boys and girls, divided into age groups: Under 9s, Under 11s and Under 13s. The routes, which run near the beach and through the woods, covered 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 km respectively. Noel Curry from Belhaven Hill School, a boarding and day school for five to 13-year-olds, has organised the competition for the past seven years. He said: “This course is the most challenging on the Scottish junior and prep schools’ calendar and is the highlight of the cross-country season.”

Schools taking part included East Lothian schools, The Compass, Loretto and Belhaven Hill, as well as Longridge, Lathallan, Merchiston Castle, Fettes, Cargilfield, St George’s, Strathallan, St Leonard’s, St Mary’s, Craigclowan, Ardvreck, and Edinburgh Academy. The local East Lothian primary and senior schools were also invited to take part.

Medals were awarded to the top three runners in each race and trophies were given to the winning team in each category.

In the 2024 run, the U-9 and U-13 boys ran simultaneously, Cargilfield and Strathallan taking the team awards. The U-9 run was dominated by Belhaven’s Monty S., who won the 2.5 km run in just 9m 55s. >>>

<<< The U-9 and U-13 girls’ races were up next, Cargilfield and St Leonard’s winning these, with Belhaven’s Annie F. coming third, despite being a year younger than fellow competitors. Belhaven finished in silver position in the team competition.

The final pair of races was the U-11s, Emily B. picking up a silver medal in the girls’ race as Belhaven again finished second overall.

Powerchair football star

TEENAGER Dan M became the youngest player to don the England jersey to represent his country in the Powerchair Football Home Nations Cup.

The Kimbolton School pupil played for his nation at the tournament place in Largs, Scotland with the eight-strong team winning all their games against Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland to retain the Home Nations trophy. Dan, aged 15, then headed to Paris to compete in the Powerchair Champions League with his club team, Aspire PSC, based in St Albans.

In powerchair football, players use specially designed powered wheelchairs, equipped with bumpers, in order to manoeuvre and kick an oversized football. Dan was diagnosed with Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy at just two years of age, a condition which causes muscle weakness, joint contractures and joint laxity and led to Dan being in a wheelchair since the age of eight.

Will Chuter, Headmaster at Kimbolton School, said: “Dan’s dedication, passion and talent serve as a beacon of inspiration, not only to his peers at Kimbolton, but also to the wider community of Powerchair Football enthusiasts. “He epitomises the spirit of perseverance and achievement, and we look forward to witnessing his continued success on both the national and international platforms.”

Queen Anne’s 130th birthday

QUEEN Anne’s School in Caversham is celebrating its 130th birthday this year.

The school hosted a week of celebratory events, including ‘Get Outdoors for Summer Solstice’ by enjoying the sunshine on the longest day of the year. The school’s boarders also engaged in a variety of fun-filled activities, including a game of Capture the Flag, a house step challenge, and a lively quiz.

Junior boarders in Michell House particularly enjoyed their end-of-year house party, featuring outdoor games, a photo wall and delicious snacks.

A spokeperson for Queen Anne’s said: “We take immense pride in our vibrant boarding community, where full boarders, flexi boarders and day girls come together to form lasting friendships and create cherished memories.

“These events and trips enrich the lives of our students, fostering a sense

of belonging and camaraderie. As we reflect on our remarkable 130 years, we are filled with gratitude for every chapter, every triumph, and every cherished memory. Happy 130th Birthday, Queen Anne’s School!”

Theatre critic opens studio

A FORMER pupil of Felsted School who went on to have a glittering career as a theatre critic came back to open a new studio dedicated to the performing arts.

Alastair Macaulay has been chief dance critic for the New York Times, chief theatre critic for the Financial Times and has published a biography of legendary ballerina Margot Fonteyn. He described the new creative space at the independent boarding and day school’s campus in north Essex as “superb”.

Mr Macaulay said: “It is thrilling to see Felsted School investing so significantly in the performing arts. This studio is a superb addition to the campus – truly a professional environment that will inspire young talents to explore and develop their artistic abilities.

“How marvellous to find such real dedication to arts education here.

There’s every reason to hope and believe that this will prove a nurturing ground for many future performers and creators.”

The new performing arts studio is fitted with the latest technology, including an integrated sound system and 75-inch flat screen connected to wi-fi. >>>

I have that I may give

‘habeo ut dem’, if you’d like the Latin. It’s a phrase each Tudor Hall girl will interpret di erently. ‘Having’ can mean your daughter’s talents to our Old Tudorian network. ‘Giving’ can be friendship or leadership, aiming to better the world.

Come and explore the school (and the question) with us. To arrange a visit, email admissions@tudorhallschool.com or phone 01295 756259

@tudorhallschool

<<< As well as the large space for dance and drama rehearsals, the building has changing rooms and offices.

The studio is for the use of the 1,000 pupils at Felsted, where drama is on the curriculum up to Year 9 and GCSE Drama and A Level Drama and Theatre Studies are popular options. Many pupils from the age of 9 study for LAMDA speech and drama qualifications and technical backstage skills are also taught. The school stages productions all year round.

Thornton’s top marks

THORNTON College has been rated as ‘Outstanding’ in all areas by the Catholic Schools Inspectorate (CSI), the highest possible rating.

This comes in the wake of their Independent School Inspectorate’s report in October 2022 which rated the school ‘Excellent’ in all areas, again the highest possible rating.

Louise Shaw, Head Teacher at the independent day and boarding school for girls aged three to 18, said: “The school is incredibly proud of this achievement. We are thrilled not only with the judgements, but with the content of the report, which you will see captures all that is so special about Thornton.

“The report recognises the outstanding pastoral care and nurturing environment cultivated at Thornton but also the academic rigour of our teaching

and learning and the super initiatives of our student body.”

Some statements from the latest report include: “Relationships throughout the school, based on mutual respect and inclusivity, are evident in the pupils’ outstanding attitudes to learning.” And: “Pupils are challenged in lessons and are confident to join in discussions.”

Another says: “Teachers have very high expectations of the pupils and enable them to feel successful in their learning.” And one adds: “Leaders and teachers are relentless in their expectations for pupils in all year groups and this results in the development of pupils who are articulate and motivated to learn.”

Cobham’s early years award

THE early years foundation stage (EYFS) team at ACS International School Cobham has scooped the Pearson Bronze award for Early Years Team of the Year 2024.

The award was made in recognition of the team’s high levels of enthusiasm, expertise and commitment to the education of children it works with.

Cobham’s EYFS team, which includes Sarah Bleazard, Lyndsey Stuttard and Gwendoline Sandow, have implemented the school’s own Early Childhood curriculum.

This allows staff to be more inquiryfocused, play-based and hands-on in

their teaching, while maintaining the rigour of learning. With a cross-curricular approach, the EYFS team joins patterns between different academic subjects, such as English and Maths, and helps children develop the lifelong skills needed to engage with the world.

Alongside its mixed approaches to teaching, ACS Cobham stresses the importance of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, mental health and wellbeing, to help children become model global citizens.

Barnaby Sandow, ACS International School Cobham’s Head of School, said: “The work our EYFS team does is inspiring, and it makes me proud that we’re able to offer our teachers the freedom and flexibility to give our children the best education possible.”

New Year start for Sturt

PHIL Sturt has been appointed as the next Head of Mowden Hall, starting on 1 January 2025 to succeed Kate Martin, who departs at the end of the year.

Mr Sturt first joined in 2022 from Durham School, where he served for eleven years as senior housemaster, science teacher, and leader of both the Combined Cadets Force and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Before teaching, Mr. Sturt served in the army, including an operational tour to Afghanistan with 39th Regiment, Royal Artillery. >>>

<<< Mr. Sturt and his wife, Jill, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Gateshead, are already part of the Mowden Hall family with their two children, Isabelle and William, thriving in Years 3 and 1 respectively.

Since joining Mowden Hall as Assistant Head (Pastoral), Mr Sturt has led changes to the pastoral care system, making sure that student wellbeing is prioritised.

A spokesperson for the Trustees said: “We were particularly impressed with his insightful vision for the school’s future, combined with his energetic leadership and genuine enthusiasm for Mowden Hall. We are confident that Mr. Sturt’s leadership will propel Mowden Hall to even greater heights and we are looking forward to this next chapter.

“In the meantime, Kate Martin will continue her outstanding leadership throughout the term, ensuring a smooth and seamless transition at the end of the year.”

Queen Ethelburga’s military offer

QUEEN Ethelburga’s Collegiate (QE) has been welcoming military children for more than 100 years and currently has 300-plus students from service families living on its campus.

Set within 220 acres of North Yorkshire countryside between Harrogate and York, QE has a total of 1,300 students aged from three months to 19 years, and boarders from Year 3. The school

is accredited to the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA). Military families are entitled to discounts for CEA, non-CEA, and ex-forces applications.

Dan Machin, Principal at QE, said: “As military children represent a quarter of the student population, it is incredibly important that our school offers enriching experiences and supportive services that help our campus to feel like a home away from home, one that truly benefits our forces students as a whole.”

All boarders are cared for by specialist staff outside of school hours.

QE has won or been a finalist in several prestigious boarding awards including the BSA Best Extension or Refurbishment (won, 2024), BSA Belonging and Inclusion (finalist, 2024), BSA Innovation in Boarding (won, 2022), TES Boarding School of the Year (finalist, 2022) and Muddy Stilettos’ Outstanding Pastoral Care (finalist, 2022).

The hustle around campus makes the school feel like a town. Students have access to an activity centre with a home cinema, climbing wall, weekend fast-food café and a selection of board games and consoles. The campus also has a medical centre, gym, swimming pool, uniform and essentials shop, tuck shop, coffee shop, 312seat theatre, and plenty of outdoor space for recreational activities.

Students can seek academic support during homework sessions and can participate in over 100 extra-curricular activities onsite including the Forces

Club, Combined Cadet Force and the Duke of Edinburgh Award. There is plenty on offer at weekends too, including performing arts and creative arts academies, timetabled activities, and exciting trips offsite.

QE prides itself on its accommodation. Years 6 to 13 have ensuite bedrooms with TVs, phones, desks and storage and benefit from a modern, wellequipped common room. Younger students have a boarding house designed for little people, with chill-out spaces, a wellness room, study pods, baths and an open plan kitchen dining space.

To learn more, visit qe.org/forcesfamilies, email admissions@qe.org, or attend an open morning.

St Catherine’s new community lab

GOVERNORS at St Catherine’s School in Bramley, near Guildford in Surrey, have given the go-ahead for a new philanthropic project called The CATalyst Phase 1.

This will prioritise work in the existing school block with the creation of a Community Lab, a ‘super-lab’ designed specifically to accommodate both Prep and Senior outreach activity as well as timetabled lessons, and a new Physics Lab.

A spokesperson for St Catherine’s said: “This exciting space, with floor to ceiling windows along one aspect and a transparent preparation room, will allow girls to be inspired by >>>

<<< seeing both students and technicians at work in the lab.

“On the first floor, a new drama studio will be created, with a complete refit of an existing classroom. Girls of all ages will be able to explore technical theatre production, improvisation, devising and performance in a modern drama studio environment. Two additional classrooms for Maths and English will also be created, doubling as tutor group spaces to support pastoral care.

“Our ambition is to open the Community Lab and new Drama Studio in autumn 2024 and the new Physics Lab in autumn 2025.” The CATalyst Phase 1 project is part of a wider vision called Create the Future. This has already seen new Anniversary Halls opened in 2011, at WonderLab opened in 2017 and The 6 boarding house and The Art & Makerspace opened in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

The CATalyst is the final stage of Create the Future, and the school is now forging ahead with Phase 1.

The spokesperson added: “The generosity of our philanthropic community is evident throughout the school. Having realised our vision for the first three elements of our campaign to Create the Future at St Catherine’s, we are delighted to be planning the final stage of this exciting project – The CATalyst.

“Whilst the full £16m capital investment in the new building is not possible at present, the Governors have approved a start on the project with The CATalyst Phase 1. We are delighted and excited to be able to share our vision for STEM education with parents, alumnae and the wider community and to see this first phase already taking place.”

£27k raised for bursaries

A SCHEME which helps children secure an independent school education that may otherwise be out of reach has been boosted by more than £27,000.

The funds for the Highfield School Centenary Bursaries Fund was raised

by a whole-school effort involving every year group at Highfield and Brookham in Liphook.

The school’s Giving Day was a twoday fundraising extravaganza which saw nursery, pre-prep and prep school children work together to raise money through a series of challenges including a car wash, rowing marathon, bake sale, swimathon and colour run.

The total amount of £27,017 was raised through sponsorship of each year-group activity, and raffle tickets for prizes donated by Highfield and Brookham teachers. Other funds came from a family golf day and the sale of wristbands which gave children access to fun stalls and activities throughout Giving Day.

The donation was added to by corporate sponsorship from estate agent Knight Frank and care provider Ranger Home Care, while the Hawkley Inn and Gilco ice cream donated a percentage of their takings from their food stalls at the Giving Day.To add extra spice to proceedings, Highfield and Brookham Head Suzannah Cryer faced daring forfeits for every £5,000 raised, including being doused in iced water, custard and baked beans.

Highfield and Brookham has awarded 22 bursaries since the fund’s inception in 2007. The bursaries cover all school fees plus support for music lessons, sports equipment, school trips and uniform. Mrs Cryer said: “The way the

children selflessly set about their yeargroup challenges with such energy and enthusiasm in order to reach their goals and raise as much money as they possibly could fills me with an enormous sense of pride.”

Jackson strikes oil

TONY Jackson, the Headmaster of Barnard Castle School for the last seven years, has left to forge a new career in oil.

His fresh challenge will be as Chief Commercial Officer for Penny Petroleum, which operates 100 petrol stations and convenience stores around the north of England.

Mr Jackson joined the school in 2016 as second master, securing the top job the following year. The school paid an emotional farewell to him at a special event at the end of last term.

Catherine Sunley, Chair of Governors at the school, said: “Tony’s journey with us has been one of inspiration, transformation and growth. He should be rightly proud of what he has achieved.”

Mr Jackson decided to move on as the first of his three children are moving from preparatory to senior school this term.

He said: “It’s because of my love of this place that I am stepping away as head. I desperately want my children to be Barnardians and with Annabel joining Senior School and with Georgina >>>

<<< and William following shortly after, I want to be their dad as opposed to their headmaster. I also don’t want to be expelling boyfriends, which I would absolutely do!”

In his time at Barnard Castle, Mr Jackson built a senior leadership team which secured an ‘excellent’ rating from the Independent Schools Inspectorate last year. His wife Dawn will remain at the school as a geography teacher and Mr Jackson said he would continue to be an advocate and an ambassador for Barney.

The new Headmaster at Barnard Castle is David Cresswell, who joins from Whitgift School in Croydon, London, where he was Senior Deputy Head, responsible for day-to-day operations. The 38-year-old had previously served as Barnard Castle School’s deputy head in charge of sixth form from 2017-2020. Commenting on Mr Cresswell’s appointment, Mr Jackson said: “As a parent, I am hugely reassured that he is going to be the one leading us, along with an outstanding governing body, senior team, and wider staff body.”

Ashville pair’s Royal visit TWO pupils from one of Yorkshire’s leading independent schools have celebrated their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Awards as guests of royalty at Buckingham Palace.

Daisy Austin and Niamh Armstrong from Harrogate’s Ashville College attended a garden party hosted by His Royal Highness and awards patron The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward.

Guests were addressed by famous speakers including BBC news anchor Clive Myrie – a DofE Award holder himself – plus British astronaut Tim Peake.

To cover the volunteering, physical and residential aspects of her award, Daisy, aged 18, spent a year as a volunteer netball coach, while also completing a Level 1 coaching qualification. Daisy also joined a challenging expedition in the Lake District and added learning to drive to her Gold Award accomplishments. She said: “I think the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is to always look for the positives and how communicating with one another – particularly in team environments – is so valuable in so many different challenges.”

Niamh also chose netball as well as developing her piano skills as part of her award, and she also joined the four-day Lake District expedition, trekking in all weathers. She also joined a week-long outward bound leadership course, which she described as the highlight of her programme.

Niamh said: “I’ve had so many amazing experiences whilst completing this award, with the most memorable being building a zipline over a river on my 17th birthday. DofE has made me so much more confident and willing to try new things. The celebrations at Buckingham Palace were a perfect reward.”

Rhiannon Wilkinson, Head at Ashville College, said: “Daisy and Naimh thoroughly deserved their opportunity to celebrate the school’s sense of

pride in what they have achieved and the satisfaction which comes with completing a job well done.”

□ Turn to page 50 in this magazine to read an article about the DofE written by Ruth Marvel, the organisation’s Chief Executive.

Pupil becomes Head

ENTHUSIASTIC prep school student

Lyla took over as Head for the Day at St Swithun’s Prep School, with her friend Lilly acting as Deputy Head.

Lyla was chosen via a school raffle where students could ‘buy the chance’ of becoming Head for the Day. Lyla’s day began with her leading the morning assembly, and she decided to have a non-school uniform day. She also chose white chocolate cookies as the snack of the day. She and her deputy met with Martyn Gamble, the Bursar, and Jane Gandee, the Senior School Head, discussing aspects of school life and sharing their thoughts. After the meeting with Mr Gamble, the pair decided that two large outdoor blackboards should be bought using the money raised.

Liz Norris, Head of St Swithun’s Prep School, said: “Lyla showed remarkable leadership and creativity throughout the day. She put a lot of thought into her decisions and brought a wonderful energy to our school community.” Lyla herself said: “Being Head for the Day was an amazing experience. I loved leading the assembly and making decisions that made everyone happy. It was so much fun!”

L ancaster Royal G rammar School

State Day and Boarding School for Boys Aged 11 to 18

Coeducational Sixth Form

Founded in 1472 we are one of the UK’s top grammar schools for boys with a coeducational Sixth Form.

Exceptional value for money with free tuition. Fees for boarding are only one third of the fees of independent schools.

Our commitment to achieving excellence at an educational and extracurricular level makes LRGS an exceptional place to learn and grow as an individual.

Rated ‘Outstanding for Boarding’ by Ofsted.

Boarding for boys aged 11-18, girls and boys for Sixth Form.

2023 results: Over 70% of all A-level results were graded A*, A or B.

61% of all pupils gained at least seven GCSE grades at 7, 8 & 9.

10 Oxbridge offers in 2024. Please visit our website to find out more.

Form

CHOOSING SCHOOLS

What about boarding schools?

Adaptability, resilience, and global competence are paramount in today’s world. DAVID WALKER, Director of BSA, explains how boarding school education prepares pupils for the future world of work.

MANY of the best schools in the UK offer boarding. There are many parents who see the school and the boarding aspects as two separate, coexisting aspects of the same institution. You yourself might love a school and accept the boarding as something of an afterthought. But in today’s rapidly evolving world, parents are increasingly considering the boarding aspect itself as the best pathway to prepare their children for the future.

Beyond academic considerations, boarding schools offer unique opportunities to cultivate skills and characteristics crucial for success in the dynamic world of work. What is unique to a boarding education which equips students with the tools they need to thrive in the future?

INTERNATIONALISM

Boarding schools provide a global environment that fosters cultural understanding and adaptability—qualities essential in the modern workforce. By

living and learning alongside peers from diverse backgrounds, students develop intercultural competence and empathy, preparing them to collaborate effectively in multicultural settings. Exposure to different perspectives nurtures creativity and innovation, qualities highly valued in today’s global economy.

According to the Independent Schools Council Annual Census 2024, there are some 26,000 overseas students with parents living overseas in UK independent schools, with about half of those pupils coming in the 6th form. These groups of students show cultural diversity at its most authentic.

RESILIENCE

Living away from home challenges students to navigate unfamiliar situations and overcome obstacles independently. Boarding school life instils resilience, teaching students to adapt to change, manage stress, and bounce back from setbacks. These experiences build resilience muscles that are invaluable in

navigating the uncertainties and challenges of the professional world, where our ability to overcome obstacles often determines success in the face of adversity.

INDEPENDENCE

Boarding schools empower students to take ownership of their learning and personal development. Away from the immediate support of family, students learn self-reliance, time management, and decision-making skills. This independence nurtures a strong sense of accountability and initiative—traits essential for thriving in the workplace, where self-motivation and autonomy are highly prized.

MORE FREE TIME

Boarding school environments offer abundant opportunities for students to engage in longitudinal learning beyond the classroom. They offer the gift of time –evenings and weekends are opportunities to dig deep into problems and challenges. Workshops, sports and extracurricular activities provide platforms for students to explore their passions, develop new skills

Photo with kind permission of Felsted School

and tackle real-world challenges together. Participation in hackathons, for example, encourages new ideas, problem-solving, and teamwork – skills highly sought after by employers in the digital age.

CONNECTIONS AND COMMUNITY

Schools cultivate tight-knit communities where students form lasting friendships and professional networks. These connections extend beyond graduation, providing students with a lifelong support system and access to a diverse array of resources and opportunities. Alumni networks often serve as valuable career resources, offering mentorship, job referrals, and networking opportunities – a testament to the enduring bonds forged in the boarding school experience.

CHOOSING A BETTER FIT

A boarding school also opens doors to a wider range of educational opportunities, enabling parents to choose a school that best aligns with their child’s interests, talents, and aspirations. Whether it’s a specialized STEM academy, an arts-focused institution, or a leadership-oriented programme, boarding schools offer tailored educational experiences that cater to diverse learning styles and career paths. By selecting the right boarding school, parents can provide their children with a

customised educational journey that equips them for success in their chosen field.

In a world where adaptability, resilience, and global competence are paramount, boarding school education stands out as a transformative pathway to preparing students for the future world of work. Through internationalism, resilience, independence, longitudinal learning and community connections, boarding schools equip students with the skills, mindset, and networks they need to thrive in the everevolving landscape of the professional world. As parents consider the best educational path for their children, boarding school emerges as a compelling choice. It not only prepares students academically but also empowers them to excel in the dynamic world beyond the classroom.

Photo with kind permission of Thomas Adams School

What makes a good boarding school?

Integrity and humility, independence and ambition are just some of the qualities excellent boarding will bestow on its pupils. JAMES

JOHNSON, Headmaster of Taunton School,

explains more.

MANY key ingredients need to come together to create an excellent boarding experience. A school where students also live is at once a place of inspirational learning and a child’s second home. It is where daily classroom demands and deadlines have to be balanced with space to unwind and time to explore extracurricular interests.

That’s why boarding provides a unique educational experience. At its best, boarding gives pupils an exceptional opportunity to discover their true potential in a nurturing, supportive environment. But how can a parent assess whether a school is not only doing a great job, but is also the right one for their child? At Taunton School

we have worked hard as senior leadership team to define what it is we do well and to ensure we continue delivering the highquality education our parents expect. We believe there are four key ‘pillars’ underpinning everything we do and which prospective parents might find useful to ask as they search for the right school. They are as follows:

Does a school foster a culture of ambition?

• Does it cultivate a mindset for life?

• Do pupils feel a sense of belonging to a school community?

Does the school embrace a global outlook?

Every boarding school is different, but essentially students will thrive academically,

socially and emotionally if a school is delivering across these key categories. At Taunton School, with its nursery, pre-prep, prep, senior and international schools on the same site, we have a large boarding community of 450 pupils with very different needs. For many of our pupils it is often the whole family’s first experience of boarding. Parents need as much regular contact and reassurance from committed house staff as their children.

Adapting to life in the UK for our international students is not just about mastering English, but getting to grips with a new culture, its quirks and traditions. Staff go the extra mile to make sure pupils do not become homesick and instead settle in to a welcoming and inclusive family, rooted in kindness and compassion.

Given that a boarding school is a pupil’s home-from-home, access to a wide choice of extra-curricular activities is imperative to fill the hours outside the classroom and allow students the freedom to find their true selves. Whether it is on the sports pitches, on the stage, or in the music room, extracurricular activities after school and at the weekend help build a sense of belonging and develop resilience in the long term.

We have 150 extra-curricular clubs at Taunton. This wealth of opportunities unearths passions and hidden potential, weaving strong connections across our community – connections which last long

after leaving school. Whatever a child’s story and their background, boarding schools should be special places where diverse communities come together to make a greater and more powerful collective.

At their heart should be an outstanding pastoral care system. Students should feel supported by housemasters and mistresses, their teachers and counsellors in a wraparound approach. This enables them to thrive fully in the knowledge that there is always someone to turn to.

Of course, the best way to find out if a school is measuring up to the promises of its prospectus is to visit. For some parents, just walking through the front door is enough to convince them they have found the right school for their child – or not, as the case may be.

There is no doubt that an inspiring learning environment which celebrates each individual child is a compelling offer. Talking to students and observing how they interact with one another and with all staff – from the catering team to the headteacher – will tell you a lot about a school. Do the children show respect for all members of their community? Are the boarding houses warm and welcoming, the teachers calm and engaged?

While schools might not be able to itemise the exact ingredients of a great boarding experience, the proof that their approach is working is in the students

themselves. Integrity and humility, independence and ambition are just some of the qualities excellent boarding will bestow on its pupils, creating wellrounded individuals who make a positive impact on the world.

□ James became Headmaster of Taunton School in September 2022, having previously been Head of Senior School at Ardingly College, Sussex. He has spent more than 20 years working in boarding schools, firstly as an English teacher and boarding tutor at Cheltenham College, then as a Housemaster at Tonbridge School in Kent, before joining Ardingly in 2016.

How boarding schools are inspected

ENGLAND

All UK boarding schools, state and independent, have boarding facilities inspected, prioritising outcomes for children and young people, and focusing on other key areas like premises, facilities, policies and procedures. DALE WILKINS, Executive Director at BSA and BSA Group, explains the details.

THE Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) now inspects all boarding schools that are members of one of the five independent school associations (GSA, HMC, IAPS, ISA, Society of Heads) every three years, under the new Framework 23.

Boarding inspections are carried out by a specialist team of ISI boarding inspectors, and this takes place alongside the inspection of education provision. The new framework is published on the ISI website, along with all current and future school inspection reports for each provider.

State boarding providers and all independent providers who are not members of one of the associations listed above have their boarding inspected by Ofsted, using Ofsted’s Social Care Common Inspection Framework (SCCIF). Boarding is inspected by a team of specialist social care inspectors. This may be standalone, or it may be aligned with the inspection of education provision by the relevant Ofsted team. Provision is judged to be outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate. A small number of independent boarding schools are classified as special schools, and these have an annual social care inspection. Ofsted reports are publicly available, although most schools have separate reports for their boarding and education provision, and these can sometimes be difficult to navigate.

Common to both inspctorates are the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools, published by Department for Education (DfE) and last updated in 2022. Part A of the 2022 standards focuses on governance, leadership and management. The aim is that “the leadership, management and governance of the school enables a culture to thrive which is child-centred, safeguards children’s wellbeing and is ambitious for the progress of every child. Monitoring and accountability is strong and adds value.” Further sections of the standards highlight:

• boarding provision health and wellbeing

• safeguarding

• health and safety

• boarders’ rights, advocacy and complaints promoting positive behaviour and relationships

• activities and free time

• staff recruitment and checks on other adults, and lodgings and host families.

The other key document is Keeping Children Safe in Education, also published by DfE. This is updated every September and applies to all schools.

If a school is found to be non-compliant, DfE may direct the inspectorates to

conduct additional or progress monitoring inspections. The school may also be required to produce an action plan showing how the shortfalls identified will be rectified.

SCOTLAND

Education Scotland inspects all education provision in Scotland. The Care Inspectorate inspects boarding, using both the Health and Social Care Standards and its own quality framework. Schools are assessed against a six-point scale for: quality of care and support

• quality of environment

• quality of staffing, and

• quality of management and leadership.

Schools are also required to follow other guidance, such as the National Guidance on Child Protection.

WALES

Estyn, the education and training inspectorate, inspects the education provision of independent and state schools in Wales. Boarding schools in Wales have additional residential inspections from Care Inspectorate Wales, using the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools (Wales) as a baseline. At the time of writing, these standards are being reviewed and may change. Reports comment on wellbeing, care and support, leadership and management and the school environment.

NORTHERN IRELAND

There are very few boarding schools in Northern Ireland, and these receive visits from the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). RQIA evaluates the degree to which care at the school is safe, effective, compassionate and well led.

ISLE OF MAN

The Isle of Man also has a separate set of boarding standards.

OUTSIDE THE UK

Boarding schools outside the UK can use BSA’s own set of voluntary accreditation standards.

SUPPORTING BOARDING SCHOOLS

BSA liaises closely with the relevant government department and with the

inspectorates to support boarding schools. BSA Group also provides targeted training and bespoke consultancy across the whole range of quality and compliance issues which boarding schools face.

This includes an extensive range of webinars, day seminars and conferences, both face-to face and virtual, with the majority now online. We have extended our reach to over 1,600 settings in more than 40 countries.

At the programme’s core is the groundbreaking series of certificate and diploma courses, which have been at the heart of best practice in the sector for 25 years. These are central to BSA Group’s mission to support excellence in boarding, safeguarding, inclusion and health education.

& Accredited/ Compliance). He has worked in boarding for 31 years, with roles in junior, senior, boys’ and girls’ houses, and in senior leadership in both state and independent schools. He has been a boarding inspector and a local authority safeguarding trainer. He joined BSA in 2017 with responsibility for safeguarding and standards, having been a course tutor since 1998. He leads on all BSA safeguarding and inspection matters, including the Commitment to Care Charter. Dale has also developed BSA Accreditation for international members. He liaises with ISI, Ofsted and DfE on compliance and inspection standards, and oversees BSA Group’s work in Wales and Scotland. He has compiled the BSA Self-Assessment toolkit since 2002.

Photo with kind permission of Clayesmore School

□ Dale is the BSA’s Executive Director (Scotland/Wales

Reddam’s outdoors approach to the metaverse

By RICK CROSS, Principal at Reddam House in Berkshire.

AT REDDAM House, we have been thinking about what it means to be living through the fourth industrial revolution.

This term attempts to understand the changes in our global society and economy that are emerging in an age of cyber-physical systems.

This includes big data, artificial intelligence and other breakthrough materials which all involve new capabilities for people and machines.

So why have we launched a new outdoor pursuits department to complement our highly academic and technology driven educational approach?

Learning is diverse and complex and cannot be truly effective if we simply rely on subject silos. The Future of Jobs Report suggest the most important core skills future workers will need are analytical thinking, creative thinking, curiosity, technological literacy, resilience and flexibility.

These skills must be acquired in a variety of ways and an outstanding education

creates opportunities for students to develop as rounded people. This is why we are embracing the outdoors more than ever. We now enhance learning through our own bespoke Virtual Metaverse School and use Inspired AI in all core subjects, tailoring to individuals’ needs, accelerating students learning.

We are fortunate to live on a 125-acre estate with woods, wildlife and a lake. With these facilities, children will have timetabled lessons of Reddam Adventure Department, offering opportunities to collaborate, create, build, plan, cook, succeed, and fail, just as they do in the

classroom and the metaverse. By being outside in nature, they will enhance their wellbeing and deepen their appreciation of the environment, which in turn completes the loop back to employability.

We will continue to learn on our devices, continue to roll out our AI learning tools and VR headsets and teach children computing and technological literacy. But we will also develop their creativity, curiosity and flexibility in other ways too, by putting them outside their comfort zone among the trees, the colours, the bats and the deer.

Questions for school visits

School visits are vital for parents who want to choose the best school for their child. Education consultant ADRIAN

UNDERWOOD suggests the best questions to ask.

A SCHOOL’S website and prospectus will give you a flavour of the educational institution and its defining characteristics. However, school visits are vital. This is where you and your child can assess whether they will fit the environment and, more importantly, whether it will fit them.

Once you have a shortlist, arrange a personal visit, not just on an Open Day. Having decided on at least two schools, arrange for your child to have an overnight stay at each. During these visits, there are many areas to ask questions about.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Most places will be available at the ages of seven, eight and 11 for a prep school and 11, 13 and 16 for a senior school. You need to know whether to have alternative schools lined up, and at what age the school recommends entry and has places available.

16-18 CURRICULUM

Larger schools may offer a range of options such as A levels and the International Baccalaureate. Most schools will aim to broaden their sixth-form curriculum, introducing more skills-based courses.

EXAM RESULTS

These are usually available on the website. However, treat league tables with caution, as they do not give a rounded picture of the school’s real success or failure in enabling pupils to reach their full potential. The list of university entrants will give you an

indication of pupils’ attainment. Note that during the Covid-19 pandemic, schools marked public examinations and these results were moderated by examination boards. This means there is no national data for public examinations in 2020 and 2021.

SCHOOL LIFE

What are the key rules for boarders? What is the weekend programme for boarders?

• If there are no lessons or games on Saturdays, what is the boarding programme from Friday evening to Sunday evening?

• On a normal weekend, how many boarders remain at the school?

INTERNET USAGE

Mobile phones and the internet are a means of keeping in touch with family and friends, as long as rules on their use are put into practice.

• Does the school have realistic and sensible policies in place to monitor internet usage?

• Do boarders hand in devices overnight to ensure good sleep routines? What are the school’s policies on alcohol, drugs and smoking?

• Is the school facing any particular problems in any of these areas? How can we be confident our child’s interests are promoted at all times?

CHILD PROTECTION

The right member of staff can deal with many problems immediately. Knowing who

that is and developing confidence in them is crucial. Most boarding schools have very good pastoral care and counselling systems. Knowing how these operate is important. Ask to see the most recent ISI safeguarding report. And these questions will also allow you to find out how well the school communicates with parents:

• Who is the first staff member we should contact if there is a problem?

Is it the school’s culture that a boarder can approach any member of staff for support?

What about bathrooms and privacy for showering?

AFTER VISITING

Discuss with your child:

• What did they think of the staff they met?

Was there a good rapport between boarders and staff?

• Were the boarders well-mannered and enthusiastic about their house and school?

• Were the boarding facilities of a good standard?

Was there a generally positive atmosphere about the community?

• Does your child sense they would be happy there?

MOST IMPORTANT

Over the years I have advised many families on choosing a boarding school. The key message is to listen to your child’s views. Despite what the media still write, very few children are ‘sent to boarding school’. It is a child’s choice to be a boarder and they should have a big input into the choice of school.

Just because your great friends have agreed on a boarding school for their child, that does not mean it is necessarily right for your child. The greatest mistake I have seen in choosing boarding schools is when a parent is fixated on a particular school and does not consider their child’s needs.

Q&A

□ Adrian Underwood’s career has been in boarding education for over 50 years since 1971 when he was appointed a housemaster and head of department. From 1975 to 1997 he was headmaster of a boarding and day school. In 1998 Adrian was appointed National Director of the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA), and he watched over its development into the world’s foremost boarding association, pioneering a professional development programme for boarding staff. He was appointed OBE in 2007 for services to education. For 15 years he was a lead inspector for national and international schools.

SCHOOLS FOUNDED BY THE MILITARY

Being a Dukie is an amazing experience

What’s known as the ‘Dukie experience’ includes excellent results and experienced pastoral care. ALEX FOREMAN, Principal of The Duke of York’s Royal Military School, reports.

THE Duke of York’s Royal Military School is a full-boarding school offering high-quality, all-round education and excellent pastoral care for pupils aged 11 to 18. Located in Dover, Kent the school is an ideal choice for those living in the UK and Europe due to its proximity to the ferry port and Eurotunnel, and an hour’s train journey from London St Pancras. Set in 150 acres of Kent countryside, your son or daughter will thrive in our close-knit Dukie community.

EXCELLENT RESULTS

Founded in 1803, our school provides an all-round education with a strong academic focus, recently recognised with the awarded of two SSAT Educational Outcomes Awards. The school offers a

vast range of GCSE, A level and BTEC options, with pupils moving onto amazing destinations, including Russell Group Universities. The curriculum is constantly under review and staff respond positively to pupil feedback.

PASTORAL CARE

By choosing to live and study here, your child is choosing to become part of a very special community. It’s extremely important to staff that pupils enjoy boarding and are able to forge strong friendships. Experienced housemasters and housemistresses offer excellent pastoral care and support, alongside an in-house team of tutors, pastoral leaders and housekeepers. It’s a busy and vibrant place, especially on weekends, with all 500 students staying taking part in various activities and trips on offer.

VAST OPPORTUNITIES

A good school is about much more than what is learnt in the classroom – sports, outdoor activities, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and the Combined Cadet Force continue to play a leading role in the lives of all pupils. Vast co-curricular opportunities include more than 80 clubs and activities per week, while all the key sports are played here including rugby, netball, hockey, cricket and athletics.

£24.9m INVESTMENT

A recent £24.9 million build and refurbishment project included a new sports centre, accommodation and teaching blocks, plus a performing arts centre. Our facilities include an indoor heated swimming pool, Duke Box fitness suite, flood-lit astro turf hockey pitches and squash courts. There are also hard

and lawn tennis courts, Olympic-standard athletics track, band hall, dance studio with Harlequin flooring, and a drama studio.

FEES & SCHOLARSHIPS

As the country’s only state full-boarding school, parents can enjoy lower fees as the government pays for the education, leaving annual boarding fees of £21,330 (£7,110 per term) for September 2024 to 25. The fee includes full-boarding, catering, laundry, plus clubs and activities. Armed Forces families eligible for CEA pay a parental contribution of just 8 per cent of the fee (£569 per term, there are three terms per year), which is only available at state boarding schools such as ours. The school offers academic scholarships into sixth form for pupils who excel in their GCSEs, and sports scholarships to pupils who excel in the school’s major sports.

DUKIE EXPERIENCE

We believe every pupil should be the best they can be and have a pupil-centred approach, supporting, advising and guiding pupils on their chosen paths. Being a Dukie is an amazing credential to have and pupils meet their friends for life here. This is demonstrated with hundreds of alumni returning to site every year for reunion dinners and important Dukie events such as Remembrance Weekend. Pupils benefit from a staffing team that work across the school, in classrooms

and boarding houses, an on-site medical centre and a fantastic catering provider.

APPLCIATIONS

The school welcomes applications throughout the year in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12, from both serving and non-serving families. The school is nonselective until Sixth Form, when entry is based on a minimum GCSE requirement. All pupils are invited to a ‘suitability for boarding’ interview as part of the application process.

We encourage you to visit our extraordinary school and we look forward to welcoming you as your start your Dukie journey.

For more information, contact admissions@doyrms.com or go to our website www.doyrms.com

□ Alex gained his Theology & Philosophy degree from Surrey University, initially teaching PE and Religious Education at Uppingham School in Rutland. He became Head of Year at an allboys comprehensive in Leicester and then went on to become Assistant Headteacher and later Headteacher, at King’s School, an MoD school based in Germany. Alex joined the Duke of York’s Royal Military School in 2017. He has an indestructible attachment to Leicester Tigers and highlights of the year are playing the pupils’ First XIs at cricket and hockey, where he still thinks ‘he’s got it!’.

Navigating the future

Pupils are encouraged to embrace the values of loyalty, commitment, service, courage and integrity at the Royal Hospital School. Headmaster IRFAN LATIF reports.

STANDING proud on the edge of the Stour estuary in Suffolk, the Royal Hospital School (RHS) is a beacon of educational excellence. With a legacy that dates to 1712, when the school was established by Royal Charter by King William III and Queen Mary II, RHS has evolved from its naval roots to become a modern and outward facing school that meets the needs of the 21st century learner.

Founded on the principles of discovery, exploration and challenge, RHS extends beyond conventional learning paradigms. As a leading 11-18 co-ed boarding and day school, of 670 pupils, the school offers a creative and inclusive curriculum that is globally oriented, diverse and modern in

its approach. It prepares pupils from all walks of life to navigate the complex waters of the future with confidence and readiness.

RHS’s maritime heritage is more than a historical footnote; it is a living tradition that continues to inspire its approach to education and is continually evolving to reflect society’s needs. The school’s unique naval ethos promotes respect and a spirit of adventure. Pupils are encouraged to embrace the school’s values of loyalty, commitment, service, courage and integrity – qualities as relevant today as they were over three centuries ago. RHS cultivates a learning environment where tradition inspires originality.

SMALL CLASS SIZES

A commitment to small class sizes allows for personalised learning which ensures that your son or daughter receives the necessary guidance and tailored support they need to flourish. Sector-leading work in wellbeing and pastoral care sets RHS apart from other schools –understanding that academic success is intrinsically linked to a pupil’s overall wellbeing. This holistic approach ensures that every pupil receives personalised support to foster their mental, physical and emotional health.

A dedicated team of pastoral staff works tirelessly to ensure that every pupil feels heard, valued and supported. Initiatives such as mindfulness sessions, wellbeing workshops, and one-to-one counselling are integral parts of the RHS philosophy, and this is also reflected in their boarding provision.

The boarding experience is central to the school’s educational philosophy – a moral compass for personal development. RHS offers boarding options to suit different needs, from full boarding to flexible arrangements to meet the challenges of modern family life. Boarding houses are designed to be welcoming and homely, providing pupils with a safe space where they can grow, flourish and be themselves. The sense of camaraderie and lifelong friendships forged in these houses is a testament to the school’s commitment to creating a supportive and loving community.

I firmly believe that education extends far beyond the confines of the classroom. The vast co-curricular programme that RHS is renowned for provides unique learning opportunities. Sports, arts, music, drama, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Combined Cadet Force, Model United Nations, world-class sailing and community service are just some of the activities that ensure all pupils can explore their passions and discover new talents.

The co-curricular experience also reflects the World Economic Forum’s ‘Top 10 job skills of tomorrow’ by offering activities such as coding, leadership and enterprise. Having a ‘future ready’ focus will give our pupils that competitive edge which will enable them to thrive and compete in this rapidly evolving world long after they leave RHS.

POSITIVE IMPACT

Leadership development is another cornerstone of RHS’s educational approach and philosophy. The school offers numerous leadership opportunities, from prefect roles to positions on student committees. These not only provide practical experience but also help pupils develop a sense of responsibility towards their peers and the wider community. Service is equally important at RHS. The school has a strong tradition of community engagement and social responsibility. Pupils are involved in various charitable

initiatives, learning the importance of giving back and making a positive impact on society.

As RHS sails into an ever-changing and challenging world, it remains steadfast in its mission to provide an education that prepares pupils not just for exams but for life. The creates an environment where pupils can thrive academically, socially and emotionally. With its commitment to boarding excellence, pioneering work in wellbeing and pastoral care, and enviable co-curricular activities, RHS stands out as an institution that not only educates but also inspires the next generation to become leaders who will embrace the future with confidence and compassion.

□ Irfan joined the Royal Hospital School as Headmaster in 2024. He was previously Principal of DLD College London, Headmaster of Sexey’s School and Deputy Head (Academic) at Bedford School. Irfan studied Chemistry at King’s College, University of London and gained a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Buckingham. The son of a bus conductor, Irfan was awarded a scholarship at Emanuel School, London where he was an officer in the Combined Cadet Force, played representative rugby, cricket and enjoyed rowing. Married with two children, he now enjoys marathon running, cooking, ballroom dancing, travelling and supporting Arsenal.

Improving the lives of others

A valuable mixture of modern ideas and traditional values is embraced at Gordon’s School, as Headmaster ANDREW MOSS explains.

GORDON’S School is the national memorial to General Charles Gordon, a British war hero, philanthropist and martyr. It was built by public subscription more than 100 years ago at the insistence of Queen Victoria, who become the first in an unbroken line of sovereign patrons.

Originally opened as a home for ‘necessitous boys’, today Gordon’s is a successful non-selective, co-educational, day and residential state boarding school, set in 50 acres of Surrey countryside. It is listed as one of the UK’s outstanding schools by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector and was recognised as Boarding School of the Year by the Times Educational Supplement in 2022.

While the school embraces modern ideas, General Gordon’s legacy of traditional values remain – improving the lives of others and championing those less advantaged. As a school we strive to be one of the finest in the world, not just for our achievements, but for the calibre of young people we develop –the progress they make, the lives they lead and the difference they make to the lives of others.

Our sixth-form pupils achieve three or more A levels, with 86 per cent of entries graded A* to C. This puts the school in the top five per cent nationally for academic achievement at A levels. But we also have successes in drama, the arts, debating, public speaking, dance, sport and for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) and Combined Cadet Force (CCF).

The original Gordon Boys’ Home was run along military lines. This is continued today with marching, parades and Pipes and Drums. Dressed in their ceremonial Blues uniform, pupils parade around eight times a year. We are the only school permitted to march along Whitehall and pupils carry out this annual tradition in remembrance of General Gordon with pride.

THOROUGH PREPARATION

General Gordon’s life as a philanthropist, leader, scholar, adventurer and soldier is at the heart of our traditional character values of courtesy, integrity, diligence, enthusiasm and resilience. We strive for more than the best possible examination results – we also want to give our pupils a thorough preparation for life. The emphasis is on working as a team and

putting back. Each pupil is assigned a house and the interhouse competitions in sport, the arts, cooking, debating –even marching – are enthusiastically contested with everyone encouraged to ‘have a go’.

Underpinning any participation is that high performance without good character is not true success. These inter-house competitions, together with competitive sport against other schools and participation in DofE or CCF, take pupils out of their comfort zone. Taking part builds pupils’ confidence and allows them to develop new skills as well as leadership, perseverance, endurance, teamwork and problem-solving ability –all necessary qualities for adult life.

Around half the school’s residential boarders are from Service families, attracted by the location and the school’s understanding of military life. Military families are given priority for places and counsellors and tutors work to plug any gaps in their education. Residential boarders coming into the school aged 11 are housed together in a bespoke boarding house for a year before joining their senior boarding houses. Houseparents have

considerable experience of caring for children from military families and pupils from similar backgrounds.

All pupils benefit from an extended school day, with day pupils staying for supper and prep with boarders. Charges are kept to a minimum, with boarding fees from £7,865 a term, around £800 a term with the Continuity of Education Allowance. Bursaries and scholarships in sport and the arts are also available.

A Gordon’s education is not an ordinary education; it does not aspire to be. Gordon’s is a school at the leading edge of holistic education, combining legacy with leadership and service, high expectations and standards in an inspiring environment. We are not the standard education model and we do not want Gordonians to be standard citizens. We want them to earn their success through hard work. We champion success based not on privilege or advantage, but on how hard people work for themselves and others. Such people are more likely to make the world a better place and lead happier lives.

□ Andrew Moss has been Headmaster of Gordon’s School since 2010. He started teaching in 1992 and has worked in a variety of boarding and day schools, including most recently a headship in a Cognita independent school. Before that he was a Deputy Head in Hampshire and Director of Studies and Housemaster at Wymondham College, also a state boarding school.

Life at a state boarding school

The best state boarding schools offer world-class teaching and keen pastoral care. They are also more affordable, as students only pay for boarding. DR CHRIS PYLE, Head of Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Chair of the BSA State Boarding Forum, explains more.

ENGLAND’S state boarding schools have a very special place in our education system. They often have an ‘independent’ ethos and education is free. Boarding fees are typically around a third of the cost of independent boarding schools.

State boarding schools come in all shapes and sizes, from non-selective schools in rural settings to grammar schools in towns and small cities. A few are single sex while others are co-educational. Several are very ancient – Lancaster Royal Grammar School (LRGS) traces its roots back to the 13th century – while others have been established recently to meet demand in this vibrant sector.

All state boarding schools are united by a shared belief in the opportunities

of boarding. There is a consistent concern for the wellbeing and personal development of young people in our schools. Wraparound pastoral care creates a very special environment where friendships and shared activities become for many the defining privilege of their teenage years.

Co-curricular opportunities are a particular strength. After-school activities flourish in a residential community with no commuting required. Many pupils play competitive sport against independent schools, and some schools offer outstanding debating and music. Others, including LRGS, place a high value on thriving Combined Cadet Force Army, Naval and RAF sections as a mainstay of outdoor and leadership programmes.

Academic results are a major factor for parents in choosing a school, and the state boarding sector punches above its weight. ‘Value-added’ analysis shows our boarders tend to do better than day pupils at GCSE, because of the support and encouragement from boarding staff who engage with academic challenges during and outside prep times.

At LRGS, around half of our 140 boarders live within an hour of the school, but growing numbers are from London and elsewhere. We have about 50 overseas students, who must have UK passports or right of UK residence. Bilingual or expat families from Europe to the Middle East, and from Hong Kong to West Africa are all well represented.

MODERN LIFE

Most of our families are ‘first generation’ boarders. They may not initially have considered boarding or even been aware that exceptional state schools offer this opportunity. Boarding fits modern life for many families living with the realities of commuting, travel commitments, divided families or older siblings away at university. A mother bringing up her son on her own told me how boarding allows her to manage her growing business, while her son benefits from positive role models. “We have the best weekends ever!” said the mother of another weekly boarder.

The boarding experience changes with age. Younger boarders are in light and airy shared dorms of four to six. The emphasis is on establishing excellent habits in boarding and the classroom. The housemaster and the matrons lead pastoral care. Their days include reuniting pupils with lost property and supplying toast! Evening tutors supervise prep, with young sports grads and sixth-form mentors often on hand. Plenty of summer evenings are spent chasing either a ball or each other round the fields. Junior boarding has the excitement of a secret society: boarders and day pupils are indistinguishable in school, but boarders have the key to an extra world – while many day pupils face long journeys home.

In GCSE years, boarders normally share a dorm with another pupil, and sixth form boarders all have single rooms. Revision season sees pupils working together – with occasional encouragement to head out for an impromptu barbecue or game of dodgeball to relieve pressure.

STEPPING STONES

Parents increasingly see sixth-form boarding as an excellent stepping stone to university. We encourage all our senior boarders to take on leadership positions and to engage with the local community – from planting trees to hosting our local residents’ Christmas party.

State boarding is very much a shared enterprise between parents and school, with open communication evolving quickly in recent years. “I Facetime my dad twice a day,” one overseas boarder told me recently – although most teenagers struggle to communicate quite so frequently!

A school’s website and reputation tells you a certain amount, but it is important to visit and meet staff and students if you can – at open days, a tour on a normal school day, and perhaps an evening taster session. Come and see what makes us special.

A recent Ofsted visit resulted in boarding at LRGS being awarded ‘Outstanding’. Inspectors said: “The boarding experience at this school has a profound positive impact on the lives of children. Boarders make exceptional progress because of the commitment of the staff team and their experiences of staying at the school.”

□ Dr Chris Pyle has been Head of Lancaster Royal Grammar School since 2012. He was state-educated in Oxfordshire and went on to complete a degree and PhD in Geography at Cambridge University, before working in the water industry. He was previously Deputy Head at the Perse School, Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and regularly writes resources for schools on natural hazards and environmental change.

Choosing state boarding

There are very high satisfaction rates from parents and pupils across the state boarding sector. JONATHAN TAYLOR, Chief Executive Officer at the Sapientia Education Trust, reports.

STATE boarding schools are often described as “education’s best kept secret”. Certainly, I meet many prospective parents who have found the sector almost by chance and who are impressed by the range of facilities, types of school and examination results across our schools.

State boarding is only available to UK passport holders, those with the right of abode in the UK and those with ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status (this only applies to existing pupils, not new ones). Education is provided free of charge, so parents only pay for boarding. State boarding schools vary by size and location and share a strong commitment to the value of boarding, providing excellent facilities and systems of care. In total, around 5,000 pupils enjoy boarding in a diverse and successful range of schools. This

includes large, mixed and non-selective schools, free schools, grammar schools, and schools that offer mixed or single-sex education.

Although most state boarding schools offer secondary places, primary boarding is available too. The Sapientia Education Trust was founded by Wymondham College and incorporates 17 schools in Norfolk and Suffolk. Wymondham College Prep School is located on the same site as Wymondham College, enabling the Prep School children to access teaching expertise from both the Prep School and the College. The Prep School was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in its first inspection in Summer 2023. See more information at www.se-trust.org

Wymondham College has around 600 boarders and offers a strong academic curriculum combined with excellent

pastoral care. Both boarding and education were rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in October 2023. Typically, it offers more than 65 weekly extra-curricular activities, a wide range of international trips and has a strong commitment to sport, music, drama, the Combined Cadet Force and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. It offers 27 different A level courses, but other state boarding schools provide different pathways. For example, the international baccalaureate is available in some schools, and others offer an excellent range of vocational courses.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

I believe boarding adds significant value to pupils, developing independence, resilience and self-esteem. State boarding schools regularly top the Department of Education leagues tables for examination outcomes and progress. University entrance rates are very high, with

Russell Group and Oxbridge entry well above national averages. And it’s not just academic success – several England rugby players attended state boarding schools. State boarding schools may offer single-sex boarding or mixed boarding. Some have boarding houses covering the entire school age, others divide into key stages, or run a separate sixth-form boarding house. They all offer strong systems of pastoral support and care, ensuring pupils are well known by staff and their individual needs are catered for. Pupils are given opportunities to lead and contribute to their schools. Boarding houses are homely with soft furnishings often the norm, and I have yet to have a poor meal in nearly 20 years of working in the sector! Day-to-day life follows a typical boarding school pattern. At Wymondham College breakfast starts from 7.15am, lessons from 8.30am, the school day ends at 3.45pm and our extracurricular programme starts at 4pm. Prep is completed in the evenings (with boarding staff, often teachers, on hand to support).

We also offer Saturday morning school, with a full range of sporting fixtures on Saturday afternoons.

Parents and students choose state boarding for many reasons, and our communities are grounded and diverse. Some prefer the state boarding offer,

others are attracted by high standards and value for money, others are attracted to the distinctiveness of individual schools. Across the sector there are very high satisfaction rates from parents and pupils. State boarding schools are subject to regular Ofsted inspections, including an Ofsted boarding inspection every three years. I would recommend a personal visit because it can be difficult to convey the ethos of a school through an inspection report. Ideally, visit several schools before choosing, ensuring the best match for your child. State boarding schools are

BOARDING SCHOOL

proud of what we deliver. As one journalist commented on a visit to the College: “This feels like any leading independent school”, and we all share a strong commitment to boarding.

□ Jonathan boarded as a child, studied as an undergraduate at Brasenose College, Oxford and has worked for more than 15 years in the state boarding sector. He is a committee member of the BSA State Boarding Forum, has sat on the Norfolk Safeguarding Board and is an accredited National Leader of Education.

The benefits of sixth-form boarding

Excellent state-funded education in a boarding community makes the most of pupils’ talents and abilities. EMMA FIELDING, Principal at Richard Huish College, reports.

SIXTH-FORM colleges provide high-quality academic education pupils aged 16 to 18, enabling them to progress to university, the workplace or higher-level vocational education. There are 270 colleges in the UK and 77 are designated as sixth-form colleges, offering an extensive range of academic, vocational and professional courses, as well as apprenticeships.

Sixth-form colleges have a reputation for academic excellence, where students achieve exceptional progress and top national results. However, they do not have a history

of offering boarding accommodation – something we have changed at Richard Huish College in Taunton. While state boarding schools are well established, boarding at a sixth-form college is a relatively rare concept.

Each year, state boarding schools regularly outperform other state schools with a good number topping academic league tables around the country. The combination of an excellent state-funded education and a boarding community enables pupils to make the most of their talents and abilities. However, these schools offer Level 2 (GCSE) and Level 3 (A level)

qualifications and are for pupils aged 11 to 18, while a sixth-form college only has pupils who are aged between 16 and 19 years.

Whilst many sixth-form colleges offer homestay accommodation, few offer full boarding facilities operated by the college in the way that Richard Huish College does.

ALL WELCOME

At Richard Huish College, based in Taunton, the boarding house opened its doors to pupils in September 2017. The house has 53 study bedrooms, all with ensuite bathrooms. The college

has been welcoming pupils from the UK and around the world for many years. But it knew that while homestay parents do an amazing job of nurturing pupils to settle, there were also some pupils who would prefer the boarding experience.

The boarding house means the college can offer choice and flexibility to pupils and their parents – essentially offering an independent school sixth-form experience at a fraction of the cost. Sixth-form boarding at a state college is also an option for UK pupils who travel long distances daily. Flexi-boarding or weekly boarding is a great option when a late sports fixture or exam preparation needs to take priority. Many of our pupils live rurally – parents see the advantages of flexi-boarding while pupils are excited by the opportunity of becoming more independent.

Boarding at a sixth-form college, FE college or state boarding school, your young person can expect plenty of home comforts and a warm welcome from the houseparents. Their confidence and independence will be nurtured and the experience will give them essential preparation for university life. Boarding students make a great circle of friends in the boarding house, often friends for life. A rigorous set of boarding standards is adhered to, ensuring the pastoral welfare and academic development of all pupils.

IT’S AFFORDABLE

Boarding at sixth form can be affordable if you expand your search criteria to include the state sector. Many state boarding colleges have specific areas of expertise you may wish to access, such as the links with Huish Tigers Basketball Club, Bristol Bears Rugby and Somerset Country Cricket Club at Richard Huish College.

Your child will have the best of both worlds. A dynamic college environment brings together talented and aspirational young people to explore their independence, while still providing a controlled and safe setting.

Admission to Richard Huish College is for pupils who hold a full UK passport, pupils

from UK military families based in the UK or abroad, or pupils who can meet the eligibility funding criteria of the ESFA, for example British Nationals Overseas, Dependents. For further information, go to www.huish.ac.uk/boarding.

and Sociology

□ Emma Fielding became Principal at Richard Huish College in August 2020, taking over from John Abbott who moved to become Chief Executive Officer of the Richard Huish Trust. Emma began her career in education as an Educational Researcher at the University of Cambridge before going on to train as

History

Teacher. She has since worked in the Post-16 educational sector for 18 years.

State

boarding schools

If you are considering boarding, a state boarding school may be an option. As always, it is important to do your research and above all, see the school in action before you make any choice. State boarding schools provide free education but charge fees for boarding. Some state boarding schools are run by local councils and others are run as

State boarding schools

School

Beechen Cliff School

Brymore Academy

Burford School

Colchester Royal Grammar School

Cranbrook School

Dallam School

Exeter College

Gordon’s School

Haberdashers’ Adams

Hockerill Anglo-European College

Holyport College

Keswick School

Lancaster Royal Grammar School

Liverpool College

Old Swinford Hospital

Peter Symonds College

Reading School

Richard Huish College

Ripon Grammar School

Royal Alexandra & Albert School

Sexey’s School

St George’s School, Harpenden Academy Trust

Steyning Grammar School

The Duke of York’s Royal Military School

The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe

The Royal School, Wolverhampton

The Thomas Adams School Shropshire

The Wellington Academy

Wymondham College

Wymondham College Prep School

academies or free schools. These schools give priority to children who have a particular need to board and will assess children’s suitability for boarding. At state boarding schools and academies, including sixth-form colleges, parents pay between £10,000 and £22,000 per year for their children to board, with an average of £14,000 per year.

County

Somerset

Oxfordshire

Essex

Kent

Cumbria

Devon

Surrey

Shropshire

Hertfordshire

Berkshire

Cumbria

Lancashire

City of Liverpool Borough

Metropolitan Borough of Dudley

Hampshire

Berkshire

Somerset

North Yorkshire

Surrey

Somerset

Hertfordshire

Sussex

Kent

Buckinghamshire

Metropolitan Borough of Wolverhampton

Shropshire

Wiltshire

Norfolk

In England there are 31 mainstream members of the BSA State Boarding Forum (SBF), including academies and free schools. For more information on state boarding schools go to

www.boarding.org.uk/for-parentspupils/types-of-boarding-school/

Region

South West

South Central

East England

South East

North West

South West

South East

West Midlands

East England

South East

North West

West Midlands

South Central

South West

North East Yorkshire and Humber

South East

South West

East England

South East

South Central

West Midlands

South West

East England

Schools together in partnership

INDEPENDENT schools have been connecting with their local communities and working with state schools for many years. But only recently have we collected data that clearly demonstrates this. Thousands of mutually beneficial partnerships now exist between independent and state schools, unlocking new educational experiences for all involved.

This work was reinforced in a ‘Joint Understanding’ with the Department for Education announced in 2018, outlining the commitment of independent schools to voluntarily develop mutually supportive ‘collaborations’ with maintained schools.

CHARITABLE STATUS

There has been an amount of political interest in charitable status over the years, with the media often berating fee-charging schools for ‘tax breaks’ that come with charitable status. In fact, the allocation of bursary awards far exceeds business rates relief granted to schools which are charities. Even schools that are not charities have taken steps to improve accessibility, with increased bursary assistance for those who might not otherwise have been able to afford independent school fees. In the 2023 to 24 academic year, £539 million was provided in means-tested fee assistance for pupils at ISC schools.

A 2011 judicial review ruled that education is of itself a charitable activity. The trustees of schools that are charities have a duty to report their school’s work for the public benefit to the Charity Commission. This work can include awarding bursaries on a means-tested basis for disadvantaged children, children on the edge of care and looked-after children. It can also involve support for academies and partnership work to provide learning and development opportunities to children who would otherwise miss out.

Successful partnerships between independent and state schools help to give communities a deeper understanding of each other, supporting social cohesion. JULIE ROBINSON, Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Schools Council, reports.

Photo with kind permission of Sherborne School

Photo

“Vulnerable subjects, such as modern foreign languages, Latin, music and physics are supported by partnership work.”

It is important that trustees retain flexibility to fulfil any school’s public benefit activity according to local needs, and in appropriate ways for schools according to individual capacities. Many schools do not have extensive facilities to share with state schools, plus there are geographic and other barriers to consider.

PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES

The Schools Together website, schoolstogether.org, details many excellent projects between independent and state schools, encouraging, showcasing and inspiring partnership working.

The website was launched in 2016 and, although involvement is voluntary, more than 5,000 projects have been featured. The projects span academia, drama, governance, music, sponsorship, sport and design technology. Many different types of partnerships are underway, involving large and smaller schools that provide impressive and exciting educational opportunities for all pupils and staff involved. These range from full academy sponsorship, such as Harris Westminster and the London Academy of Excellence, to arts projects with local primary and special schools; and from careers guidance and university preparation, to inclusion in dramatic productions and sports tournaments.

WORKING TOGETHER

Schools can benefit from economies of scale and working together to procure services, including sharing specialist teachers and training. A visiting author or speaker can be enjoyed by pupils beyond the host school, and schools can share specific expertise and policies.

Partnership work can also support vulnerable subjects, such as modern foreign languages, Latin, music and physics. Pupils meeting each other can develop a new way of seeing the world. Inter-school visits can allow new subject areas, sports, musical instruments and experiences to be shared, broadening the horizons of all taking part.

Successful partnerships help to give communities a deeper understanding of each other and support social cohesion. The pooling of resources enhances the overall educational offer for all schools involved, and sharing experiences can provide teachers with effective professional development. Some schools work in pairs or small clusters, while others enjoy large partnership groups across areas such as York or Birmingham. These mutually supportive groupings develop initiatives over time and forge strong links for communities involved, with projects growing according to schools’ needs and strengths.

The School Partnerships Alliance (SPA) was launched in 2022 to promote best partnership practice across state and independent schools. The SPA brings schools and other stakeholders together to create a national network, drawing on key examples of sustainable and meaningful partnership work.

THE FUTURE

The 2024 ISC Census shows that in 2023 there were 9,248 partnerships at 1,068 ISC schools, demonstrating the sector’s ongoing commitment to widening access to educational opportunities.

Labour’s pledge to add VAT to school fees puts this valuable work under pressure, particularly in smaller schools with fewer resources. However, collaboration is an essential part of independent schooling and a valued aspect of the educational offer, so they will do all they can to preserve - and grow - their partnership programmes.

□ Before joining the ISC, Julie was a teacher, housemistress and Head of Ardingly College Junior School and then Vinehall Prep School in Sussex. After these headships, she was Education and Training Director for the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools. She is governor of a state school and an independent school.

Photo with kind permission of Canford School and Paul West Photography

Building character and future success

YOUNG people today need firstclass tuition and the finest academic qualifications to succeed. But they also need strength of character and skills such as communication, teamwork and resilience to build happy, fulfilling and worthwhile lives. A boarding education can provide the building blocks for character and success.

As the school curriculum narrows, the boarding school’s emphasis on educating the whole child provides plenty of opportunities to develop a wider set of skills and qualities. At Bloxham, our activities programme offers pupils 100 options, ranging from mainstream sports to minor ones, and from music, drama and art, to astronomy. We even offer a Mini Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, which is very popular with our Sixth Form. Balancing breadth with specialism, our tutors work with pupils to help them select options which will both stimulate and challenge. They encourage pupils to give everything a go – in our view, it’s good to try new things, to persevere at acquiring new skills and to learn to laugh when you fail.

Where talent and interests emerge, a boarding school can allow pupils time and resource for passions and expertise to flourish. With a flexible boarding model, it is possible to take an open approach to pursuits which naturally develop outside of school.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

Like many boarding schools, outdoor education runs through the lifeblood of Bloxham School. First introduced in our Lower School, outdoor education increases in challenge as pupils move through their years with us. Our Year 7 and 8 pupils enjoy annual camps and the not-to-be-missed Alps trip, when they get to test their nerve white-water rafting and canyoning, building life-lasting memories on the way down.

Boarding schools teach pupils the importance of tolerance and respect, how to work together to achieve goals, and how to live harmoniously with others. PAUL SANDERSON, Headmaster at Bloxham School, reports.

Over many years, boarding schools have learnt that trying new activities in a fun environment can generate excitement for learning outdoors. This in turn lays the foundations of communication, teamwork and resilience upon which young people will rely so often in the future.

These skills can be further developed in more demanding environments, for example, through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the Combined Cadet Force. Schemes like these help pupils broaden their horizons, develop their leadership skills, learn to work with others, and prove to themselves they can succeed at a serious challenge.

KINDNESS AND COMPASSION

Bloxham is a Christian foundation school. As such we value kindness and compassion, and we teach pupils the value of contributing to their community. Through our well-supported service programme, pupils volunteer at food banks, care homes and local primary schools each week, giving them a lasting experience of making a difference. One such relationship led to a beautiful collaboration, which saw a design technology A level pupil dedicate his examined project to a local hospice. Working to the hospice director’s brief, the pupil designed and made symbols, features and artefacts to help the hospice chapel become a multi-faith place for worship and reflection. Now installed, they are having a moving effect on the hospice’s community. They have also shown our pupil, and indeed the

whole school community, the impact they can have when they give something back.

Each year we fundraise for a variety of charities – from local causes such as Katharine House Hospice, to charities close to the heart of our community. Fundraising challenges have included sporting feats such as triathlons and marathon distances, leg waxing, car washing, cake baking and clothing sales. Experiences like these show children the importance of teamwork and determination and teach them to look beyond themselves, appreciate their good fortune and help those with less.

Perhaps most importantly, boarding environments teach pupils the importance of tolerance and respect, how to work together to achieve their goals and how to live harmoniously with others. Boarders learn to invest

in their community, realise their actions have consequences and learn to take responsibility. This blend of education helps them grow into happy, well-adjusted young people, with the values and strength of character to do something good with their lives.

□ Paul has been Headmaster at Bloxham School since 2013. Before this he was Deputy Head at Gordonstoun, where he also spent three years as a Housemaster. He was an Assistant Housemaster at both Oundle and Lancaster Royal Grammar. Educated at Banbridge Academy, he studied Evolutionary Biology and Genetics at the University of St Andrews and he has a Masters in Educational Research from Cambridge University. At Bloxham, he continues to teach biology and enjoys joining outdoor excursions including climbing.

Philanthropy, kindness and compassion

Because boarding pupils and staff live on site, they have extra time together to share and highlight issues that are important locally and globally, but also personally. MATTHEW GODFREY, Senior Deputy Head at Downe House School, reports.

ONE of the joys of boarding is being a part of an eclectic school community, offering pupils, families and staff the opportunity to create a ‘local community’ that unites and stretches across the globe. Through their house teams, pupils are supported to be creative and bring others with them as they share and rally behind causes close to their hearts.

A boarding school culture of helping others encourages everyone to get involved. Pupils can be compassionate and creative, working together to be outwardlooking. At Downe House this is all part of the DNA that evolved from the ethos of kindness established by the school’s founder, Olive Willis.

Downe House marked its centenary in 2022 on its campus in Cold Ash, where the school stood throughout World War Two, and where it welcomed refugees with open arms. Here is the testimony of Rosemarie C (Downe House Alumnae, 1943): “I arrived in December 1938 at the age of 14, a refugee from Austria, with hardly a word of English, to be greeted by

dogs.

“Thanks to her hospitality and caring concern I was able to continue my education, and in three years I gained admittance to the University of Reading, and subsequently to the London School of Economics. The friendships, the learning and the concern for others, were among the invaluable riches I enjoyed at Downe House and they have been an inspiration to me throughout my life. There were three or four other refugee children during the war years who were also given the opportunity of a new life.”

Pupils have led numerous charitable activities in recent years, supporting a broad range of activities and causes. They also reflect the many cultures and beliefs represented in a diverse boarding school. Pupils are taught to understand that ‘education has the power to change lives’, and such activities therefore always include an element of education for the wider school community. This could be through assemblies, displays and talks by pupils, themed evening and

weekend events, or visits by organisations. Nominations come from the heart and often reflect personal causes, as well as important issues impacting young people across the world.

Different parts of the school are also involved in longer-term support. Upper School boarding houses each have an international charity supported by fundraising events and visits from pupils volunteering their time. Charities include HOPE Asia, Open Arms Malawi, Sparkes Homes Sri Lanka, Reality Gives India and Stepping Stones, Malawi. Lower School boarding houses collectively support the OSCAR Foundation. The common theme with these associations is the empowerment of children and young people, and generations of boarders have spent time together forging and maintaining these links.

DONATING TIME

Supporting charities local to boarding schools enables pupils to donate the gift of time, giving back to communities where they spend a large part of their young lives. Pupils at Downe House collectively

Miss Willis in evening dress, surrounded by her Samoyed

volunteer more than 1,000 hours a year supporting local organisations. Schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award actively encourage this. For Downe House pupils, volunteering has ranged from helping local woodlands management to busking for the charity Swings & Smiles. The Cottismore Gardens ‘Growing2gether’ project has also been supported, promoting interest and awareness in local food, and building a garden facility for people with learning difficulties.

In 2022, the swell of support for people affected by the Ukraine invasion was felt across the globe. A school concert raised over £2,000 for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) fund via Christian Aid. The school’s choir, Prima Voce, performed A Prayer for Ukraine, learnt over two nights in its original Ukrainian language, and later released on social media to support further donations (https://fb.watch/ cC7Z8n9nQY/). Pupils and boarding house staff also led the whole school community to support local charity Racing to Help Ukraine, collecting emergency aid supplies to be driven to refugees at the Ukrainian/Polish border in a convoy of horseboxes.

The Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference has also reported examples of support from its members, many of which are boarding schools, for those directly impacted in Ukraine. Examples have included raising funds to support the DEC appeal, and providing clothing, food and shelter to Ukrainian refugees. For more information, go to https://www.hmc. org.uk/hmcmember-school-support-forukrainianrefugees/

□ Matthew is a graduate of Durham University and also holds a Master’s in Education. He started his career with the global consultancy firm Accenture but switched to teaching after seven years in business. He has taught English at secondary schools – both maintained and independent – ever since. Before joining Downe House, he held posts at Brighton College and Caterham School.

Making a difference to young people’s lives

It’s a huge mission: to help young people build belief in themselves, take on challenges, follow their passions and discover unknown talents.

RUTH MARVEL, Chief Executive of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, explains more.

SINCE The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) was founded in 1956, it has helped generations of young people to develop the skills, resilience and self-belief they need to overcome whatever life throws at them. Prince Philip himself described it as a ‘do-ityourself growing up kit’.

More than six decades later, our mission remains the same: to help all young people build lifelong belief in themselves, supporting them to take on their own challenges, follow their passions and discover talents they never knew they had. In 2023 to 24, more than 330,000 young people, the highest in our history, started their DofE journey – having fun, gaining skills to enhance their employability, and growing in independence and resilience. To date, more than seven million young people in the UK have completed their DofE, an Award recognised as a significant accomplishment.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is open to any young person aged 14 to 24. Participants build their own programmes

– choosing activities and a cause to volunteer for in order to achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold DofE Award. In 2023 to 24, DofE participants gave 4.7 million hours of volunteering to their local communities a third higher than the previous year.

The DofE has evolved and expanded to reflect young people’s changing lives. In 1958, the Award – originally only open to young men – was extended to girls. In 1988, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, now in its 26th year, was established to bring the DofE to more young people globally, and this is now offered in 130 countries.

We know that the disruption of the past few years has had a huge impact on young people’s mental health, education and job opportunities. But time and again, young people have shown that – with the right tools – there are no limits to what they can achieve. Indeed, at times like this, the unique benefits of enrichment opportunities like the DofE come to the fore.

The DofE pushes young people to the next level, giving them skills and experiences they cannot learn in classrooms or from textbooks, and readying them to move from adolescence to adulthood. DofE programmes provide an opportunity to excel and achieve regardless of a young person’s interests or abilities. They choose their own challenges, follow their passions and discover new skills. It provides a chance to escape, have fun and make friends for life – while working towards a highly respected award.

There is clear evidence that co-curricular learning boosts academic achievement, improves wellbeing and employment opportunities. Employers see so-called ‘soft skills’ as essential – and participants tell us their DofE gives them transferable skills like teamwork, problem-solving, communication and time management, invaluable as they start their careers. This makes a DofE Award a highly respected and widely recognised mark of achievement that can help young people stand out and thrive during that challenging transition from education to employment.

Even more importantly, activities like the DofE broaden young people’s horizons. Young people step out of their comfort zone, learn through practical experience, give time to causes they care about, and meet people they might never have met otherwise. They prove to themselves they can achieve things they never thought possible.

Since I joined DofE, we have strived to make it more accessible and appealing. We now reach more marginalised young people through partnering with community organisations, prisons, and organisations supporting young people with additional needs.

In 2021, we set ourselves an ambitious target of reaching one million young people across the UK with the Award by 2026. Incredibly, we’ve achieved that target two years ahead of schedule.This is a fitting legacy for our Founder, and an ambition shared by HRH Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh, who became our new Patron in 2023.

Those first Award achievers back in the 1950s could not have dreamt of doing

e-sports or coding for their DofE – or updating their progress on smartphones with the DofE app, as happens today. But they would still recognise the heart of the DofE – a ‘do-it-yourself growing-up kit’ to help young people get the most out of their lives, whoever they are and whatever they choose to do.

For more information, visit DofE.org/ run or email DofE.org/contact-us or call 01752 727400.

□ Ruth joined The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 2019. She was previously Acting CEO at Girlguiding and before that was Director of Strategy and Innovation at the disability charity Scope. Ruth is passionate about social justice and has a particular interest in advancing opportunities for young people, social innovation and the power of design thinking to solve social problems. Ruth is a Trustee of GoodGym, and a Fellow of the Clore Social Leadership Programme.

Photo

Full STEAM ahead

Adding ‘arts’ to the subject mix of science, technology, engineering and maths to create the STEAM acronym is a crucial development, according to VICTORIA ROSE, Director of Art at Dauntsey’s.

THE arts are often considered the poor relation to science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, which make up the vital STEM skills in a modern economy. However, there is growing recognition of a critical need for creative thinking and visual skills within the STEM mix, and adding ‘arts’ to create the new acronym STEAM is now preferred by educationalists.

Once art and design technology is blended in, a more imaginative and exciting picture emerges that has great potential to attract pupils who might otherwise disengage from STEM subjects. STEAM has already gathered significant momentum in the US, spearheaded by academics and students at the Rhode Island School of Design, who developed a

curriculum bringing the five STEAM subjects together. Their goal was to educate the world of academia about the importance of creative thinking and visual learning in the classroom. This is not a new concept – think of the Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, a master not only of art but also of scientific invention. Art, science and engineering were also close and successful companions in the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain.

The UK has a world-class reputation for art and design going back centuries, and the Design Council argues that good design capability can boost competitiveness. But how many people have heard of British designer Sir Jonathan Ive? He was Apple’s chief design officer and designed the iPhone, iPad and MacBook. Without

his genius, Apple would essentially be an engineering company. Creativity is the magic ingredient that turned Apple into the multi-billion dollar business it is today. Other giants like Tesler, Apple and Google frequently recruit individuals with creative rather than technical backgrounds, hired for their design talent and problem-solving skills.

CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION

Creativity and imagination can set you apart in a world where technology and artificial intelligence are taking over many roles. Indeed, few creative industry jobs are at risk of automation. The iterative process involved in studying creative subjects leads pupils to constantly question their work and want to improve or try new approaches. This is a valuable skill in the workplace – and in life.

In its 2019 report, the Durham Commission on Creativity and Education agreed that creativity is the driver of economic growth, stating that our national economy has been boosted by creative industry success in the past ten years. Such success will only increase, it continued, if young people experience and develop skills in art, drama, music, design, craft and digital awareness – the foundation of the creative industries. The report concludes that creativity is one of the most sought-after skills for all employers.

Encouraging young people from as early an age as possible to engage in art and design, and to value these subjects as much as STEM subjects, is a critical first step in establishing a STEAM culture. This will develop pupils’ skills of problem-solving, independent thinking, planning, development, organisation, communication and presentation.

Many schools understand the opportunity, but there needs to be a greater investment in creativity in all schools, across the UK. In one of the most

watched TED talks of all time, the late educationalist Sir Ken Robinson argued that creativity is as important as literacy and should be given equal status. He defined creativity as ‘the process of having original ideas that have value’.

No longer should art A-level be seen as an easy option. Creative subjects encourage students to take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem solving and work closley with others to produce results. These are skills for the world of work beyond the classroom. These are skills for life.

□ Victoria Rose began her career as an art director in an advertising agency, winning awards for advertising effectiveness and creativity. She then began her own business as a freelance artist, illustrator and designer. She has exhibited at numerous venues and as a member of the Association of Illustrators she was also selected for the Best of British Illustration awards three years in a row.

Victoria has also lectured on an Art and Design Foundation course. She uses this experience at Dauntsey’s to help pupils discover their artistic talents and understand how they are relevant to creative industry carers.stability in education. Barney aims to provide that at St Lawrence College, where all three of his children attend.

WILL MY CHILDREN BE HAPPY ?

The best pastoral care is fundamental to academic achievement and success in life. BARNEY DURRANT, Head of St Lawrence College, explains why.

AS A head teacher with three children, a key reason in deciding where I want to teach is whether my children will thrive in that school. There are a whole host of factors that I look at when deciding which school to choose, but fundamentally it comes down to one thing – will my children be happy.

This does not mean that I don’t value academia, nor does it mean that I am not expecting rigour within a school. Ultimately though, while my children will thrive in a school when they are happy, this does not happen by chance. For schools to genuinely develop positive wellbeing amongst children, there needs to be a clearly thought-out programme of social and emotional learning that runs throughout the school.

Why is this so important? The explicit teaching of values, respect and compassion

are vital to developing empathetic learners with the soft skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century marketplace. Schools should not just be places where we learn subjects, but places to learn about our position within global society, to learn about different cultures and customs, and to understand differences. They provide opportunities for our pupils to develop tolerance and to understand how diverse our population is. With an explicit emphasis on wellbeing and positive relationships, our pupils develop emotional intelligence and understand the importance of being part of a community.

I want my children to grow up to become leaders in whatever field they choose, but to do that they will need to be collaborative, thoughtful, able to listen to others and resilient. These skills can be taught and developed if schools have the desire and commitment to teach them.

And with the amount of time we are able to spend with pupils, there is no better place to teach them than in boarding schools.

I obviously want my children to develop into good citizens, but there is also a direct correlation between positive wellbeing and academic achievement. A study by the Department for Education demonstrated that pupils with positive emotional wellbeing in Year 2 gained more than one additional term’s progress by the end of Year 6, when compared to those with neutral or negative wellbeing. Additionally, in the senior school, wellbeing can make a significant difference to GCSE and A-level results, as positive social and emotional wellbeing has been proven to boost attainment by between 11 and 17 per cent.

The opposite is also true. No school condones bullying, but those who do not have a genuine focus on pastoral

development and care are more likely to see bullying type behaviours amongst their pupils. Pupils bullied at the age of 14 score significantly lower GCSE grades when aged 16 than those who have positive school experiences. If a child experiences bullying, the probability of gaining five or more GCSE passes is reduced by 10 per cent, they attain five fewer A-level points on average, and their income is 2.3 per cent lower at 25.

If my children feel a sense of belonging towards the school and feel happy, settled and valued, their confidence, self-esteem and engagement will grow. They will try new things and are more likely to get involved in extra-curricular programmes. These not only develop essential soft skills vital in life, but similarly have a direct correlation with academic achievement – with pupils engaging in self-development activities (including sport and physical activity) achieving 10 to 20 per cent higher GCSEs.

Parents often talk about how they want an ‘academic school’ and that, whilst they are sure the pastoral side is important, they just want their children ‘to achieve results’. The reality is that the two are inextricably linked and schools that actively promote and develop wellbeing amongst their pupils will deliver better results.

A genuinely holistic education, therefore, with a strong emphasis on pastoral care and wellbeing, will develop children with greater emotional balance, fewer activity and attention problems, less troublesome behaviours and more positive friendships. It will give our children the best possible chance of achieving high performance in all that they do.

Everything else flows from developing happy, secure and confident children. That is what I want for my children, and what I aim to develop in my school.

□ Barney Durrant became Head of St Lawrence College in 2020, arriving from the new Harrow Hong Kong school, where he established pastoral structures and systems as Principal Deputy Head. Before that he was a Housemaster and Head of Geography at Stowe School. Both he and his wife started boarding aged seven – as his parents worked in development and his wife’s father was in the Gurkhas. Having both travelled extensively when younger, they appreciate and fully understand the importance of stability in education. Barney aims to provide that at St Lawrence College, where all three of his children attend.

Choosing a football academy

For young footballers with big ambitions, it is crucial to find the right academy. GRANT HOLT, Director of Football at Langley School, reports.

ASPIRING footballers face many challenges in their school years: from training to time management, and from academic focus to performance and competition. A good school football academy offers a unique community where pupils can balance their sporting passion with their academic life.

When a school offers boarding as part of the football academy, it creates a homefrom-home. A network of staff provides every level of pastoral care and an understanding of the balancing act each pupil faces.

Rigorous studying alongside high-level sport can often result in sacrificing one or the other. This is where introducing training periods into the curriculum, as we have at Langley School, is an advantage. Pupils experience the best of both worlds, without fatigue or burn-out, with afterschool time for extra study, relaxation or other interests.

Families considering a school football academy should consider the facilities, opportunities on and off the pitch, and coaching staff credentials. Coaches should be experienced with young players, have a record of success and an emphasis on personalised training and advice. Football aside, parents should consider the curriculum, as GCSE and A levels can often be combined with BTECs or IB courses.

Training programmes are at the core of all football academies. Some focus on individual coaching, while others target team performance and competitions. Parents should aim to find what best suits their child’s goals.

CLUB LINKS

Many academies have links to professional clubs, allowing progression for the most successful pupils. There are no guarantees, of course, but an academy with pathways to the professional system can make all the difference.

The English Premier League is arguably the most revered in the world. And thanks to the boarding sector, international pupils are given access to this world-class football scene. At Langley Football Academy, we have players from Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa and the USA. International and domestic boarders learn all about cultures they may not have experienced before.

This rich mix helps the boarding community build a family. And for boarders of all nationalities, the English football system is the ultimate goal.

□ Grant Holt played for 13 clubs in his professional career, including multiple seasons in the Premier League. He scored 157 goals, with his four years at Carrow Road between 2009 and 2013 being the most successful of his 19-year career. He scored 78 times in 168 appearances for Norwich City, helping the club gain back-toback promotions, and was awarded Player of the Season in three consecutive seasons. Grant has completed his UEFA A coaching licence and, alongside his role at Langley School, he works as a first team scout for West Ham United.

Supporting military families

Deciding on the right school can be daunting. But for military families, the decision is even more difficult. ANNE MEGDICHE,

Director of Admissions

at Sherborne School, explains how boarding schools can help.

SERVING military families want the same strong academic and cocurricular opportunities as other parents. But they also need to know that a school understands their additional concerns and demands.

When I ask serving military parents what is most important to them when choosing a school, pastoral support is always their number one priority. This is closely followed by a solid, full boarding community with enough to keep their children occupied and that doesn’t ‘empty out’ at weekends. Children of military families have experiences unlike most others. They frequently move home and therefore experience regular disruption

to schooling and friendships. A serving parent may be absent for extended periods. As well as the emotional absence, they can miss key school events, an issue for both parents if the family home is not near the school.

Full boarding is usually high on the agenda for Service families, plus a full programme of weekend activities. However, schools must also appreciate that serving parents cannot always choose when they return from deployment, or when rest and recuperation time falls. Offering them weekend flexibility to spend time together helps the family readjust, strengthening school-parent and parentchild relationships.

PROVIDING SUPPORT

Although the military offer families support, a comforting presence at school is essential for pupils. Postings for military personnel and their families can be anywhere in the world, sometimes at relatively short notice – unsettling for children and parents. Some deployments are to hostile environments, with the media regularly highlighting dangers, and so children have additional worries about their parent’s safety. This sometimes causes emotions to overflow at unusual times, perhaps in class when discussing particular topics. Parents need reassurance that staff will be aware of and sensitive to their child’s individual needs, and always on hand to provide support.

Schools can support Service families in many other ways. For example, they may contact the parent left at home, for updates on their child’s wellbeing and to find out how they themselves are doing, checking their partner is in contact and safe. Parents, particularly with children of prep school age, will need assurance that in loco parentis really means that. Are teeth cleaning and hair brushing checks happening? Will someone notice if their child looks particularly tired? Will they suggest early nights?

Not all schools allow unlimited access to mobile phones, and younger children might not have them at all. But enabling parents to remain involved in their child’s education is key. Examples include virtual bedtime reading, online access to parentteacher meetings, ensuring phone calls across world time zones are possible, livestreaming or recording concerts and plays, and short, regular emails to parents with active photos of their child. All this helps to build strong parent-school relationships.

Some families choose schools with high numbers of military children. But parents I speak to more often do not want their children at a school which is simply an extension of ‘the patch’. They want to break away from the military world and have their children at a school with a strong boarding community, where they can make stable friendships for life. They value pupils being from a wide geography, both the UK and beyond.

As an ex-servicewoman myself, supporting military families is something I am passionate about. Sherborne matches that passion. The husband of a valued member of my team is currently serving and some of our housemasters have experienced military life, either as former serving personnel or as children. We therefore appreciate the additional complexities of these pupils’ lives. We understand that the boys in our charge need to know we are there to support and reassure them when they feel anxious, without being singled out as ‘military kids’. Honest and open communication, plus acknowledging Service children’s additional concerns, are key to building trust and positive relationships with the boys and their parents.

What about the military children themselves? Quite simply, they enhance our school. Their personal experiences mean they tend to be seasoned boarders,

taking a move to senior school in their stride and supporting other pupils who might never been away from home before. They generally have a strong sense of purpose and loyalty, demonstrating great resilience. We feel privileged to have military children and their families at Sherborne and look forward to continuing to welcoming them to our full boarding community.

□ Anne Megdiche joined Sherborne School in 2022 and is responsible for the development and delivery of the pupil admissions strategy. Having worked in the independent education sector for many years, both at prep and senior schools, Anne has extensive experience in supporting prospective pupils and parents during the admissions journey. Anne’s military service was with the Royal Air Force where she served for five years as an Air Traffic Controller, both in the UK and in Germany.

BSA Certified Agent and Guardian schemes

The BSA provides reassurance to schools and families that they are dealing with the best agents and guardians. CAROLINE NIXON, International and Membership Director of the BSA Group, reports.

FINDING a suitable educational agent can be a time-consuming process for parents, but it is vital. Even when parents have a good knowledge of the UK education system, this may not be up to date and it is almost impossible to have an informed overview of all the different schools available.

This is where the BSA Certified Agent and Guardian schemes can help. They only certify agents and guardians who have the highest standards of safeguarding, safer recruitment and training of staff and host families, knowledge of the UK education system and careful liaison with schools.

Being a BSA Certified Agent is sufficient evidence for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), so schools do not need to do their own due diligence on these agents. The scheme also acts as parents’ due diligence, ensuring agents demonstrate a clear and current understanding of:

• the UK education system

• different types of schools getting to know a child’s and family’s needs

• recommending schools that are right for individual children, and

• maintaining the highest standards of integrity in placing and supporting each child.

For international pupils, an educational guardian who provides high quality support and guidance is invaluable.

Pupils are much more likely to reach their full potential if they feel emotionally and physically safe, and there is good communication and relationships between them and the adults looking after them. This is a vital aspect of a successful school experience.

Parents can choose a BSA Certified Guardian with confidence, secure in the knowledge that the guardian has met the high standards required through a rigorous inspection process. Knowing the guardian is committed to providing a high-quality service can really make a difference to their child’s school journey.

For more information about the BSA Certified Agent scheme and a full list of Certified Agents, visit https://www. boarding.org.uk/bsa-initiatives/bsacertified-agent-scheme/.

For more information about the BSA Certified Guardian scheme and a full list of Certified Guardians, visit https://www. boarding.org.uk/bsa-initiatives/bsacertified-guardian-scheme/

Lists of Certified Agents and Guardians are also on the opposite page.

BSA certified guardians BSA certified agents

Abby Plumb Education Guardian Service www.abbyplumbeducationguardian.com

Academic Families www.academicfamilies.com

Access UK Education www.access-edu.co.uk

Alderwood International (provisional) www.alderwood.io

Alina Yegorova (provisional)

Alpha Guardians www.alphaguardians.co.uk

Anglo International Student Centre www.sino-uk.cn

Amber Education www.amberedu.co.uk

Belgravia Guardians www.bg-london.com

Berkeley Guardians www.berkeleyguardians.com

Boarding Schools Ireland (provisional) www.boardingschoolsireland.com

Cambridge Guardian Angels www.cambridge-guardian-angels.com

Churchhill Education Services www.churchilleducationuk.com

Chinese UK Study Company www.chineseukstudy.com

Clarendon International Education www.clarendon.uk.com

College Guardians www.collegeguardians.co.uk

Connexcel www.connexcel.co.uk/guardianship

Cotswold Guardians www.cotswold-guardians.co.uk

Convoy Education www.convoyedu.com/h-col-116.html

Crown Guardians https://crownguardians.co.uk

East Coast Guardians www.eastcoastguardians.co.uk

Eduexcellence Consulting Services (Provisional) www.eduexcellence.uk

Edukatus www.edukatus.co.uk

Edinburgh Guardian Angels www.edinburghguardianangels.co.uk

Education and Exchange in Europe (provisional) www.edex.ie

Educatius UK (Provisional) www.educatius.org/high-school-abroad/uk

Elite Anglo-Chinese Services www.eliteacs.com

English Country Guardians www.english-country-guardians.co.uk

Gabbitas www.gabbitas.com

Genesis Education Planning www.en.genesiseducation.co.uk

Great British Guardians www.gbguardians.com

Guardians International Support www.gis-uk.com

Guardians UK www.guardiansuk.com

High Schools International www.hsinet.org

Host-Link www.hostlinkuk.com

Hyde Global Education www.hydeglobaleducation.com

International Student Guardianship Ireland (ISGI) www.guardianshipireland.ie

IQ Consultancy (provisional) www.iqconsultancy.ru

Japan-London Study and Sport (provisional) www.jlss-ltd.com

JD Consultancy www.jdconsultant.co.uk

Orpington Education Group www.orpingtoneducation.com/en Overseas Personal Development Services www.opds.co.uk

Oxbridge Guardians oxbridgeguardians.co.uk

PJL Global Students (provisional) www.pjlglobal.com

Prestige Guardians (provisional) www.prestige-guardians.co.uk

Redoor Education (provisional) www.redoorguardianship.co.uk

Regent Guardians www.regentguardians.com

Robin Education www.robineduuk.com

Ruyang Guardian Service https://ruyang.co.uk

RV Sport and Education (provisional) https://www.rvgs.golf/education

Scottish Overseas Guardianship Association (SOGA) (provisional) www.scottishoverseasguardianship.co.uk

See World www.seeworldltd.com

St George’s Guardians www.stg-guardians.co.uk

Study Links www.studylinks.com

Test Education Centre testeducationcentre.com

The Guardian Family Network www.guardianfamilynetwork.com

Trusted Guardianship www.trustedguardianship.co.uk

UK Academics and Guardianship www.ukag.co.uk/welcom-to-ukag

UK Guardians www.ukguardians.co.uk

UKGuardianship www.ukguardianship.com

UK Tuition www.uk-tuition.com

UM Education www.umeducation.com

VIP Guardians

Ying Lang Guardian, Glamour Edu Ltd www.glamouredu.com

@school-in-UK www.school-in-uk.com

Abby Plumb Education Guardian Service www.abbyplumbeducationguardian.com

Academic Asia China Ltd www.academic-asia.co.uk

Academic Families www.academicfamilies.com

Akademis www.akademis-internatsberatung.de/internatengland

Anglo International Student Centre www.sino-uk.org/school ApplyEasyPro www.aepcn.cn Aster Tuition www.astertuition.com

Aston Education www.aston.edu.hk

Baltic Council for International Education www.balticcouncil.org/en/sakums

Barbara Glasmacher Internationale Schulberatung www.glasmacher.de Beach Education www.beacheducation.com

Be Education https://en.be.co/ Bespoke Education https://bespoke-education.com/for-students Better School! Internatsberatung www.betterschool.de BOSSS UK www.bosssuk.co.uk

Brighteru brighteru.co.uk Britannia StudyLink www.britannia-study.com

British International Consulting Ltd www.ukbcic.com.cn

British United Education Services www.britishunited.net/en/about-us Carfax Consultants www.carfax-consultants.com

Chamberlain Educational Services www.chamberlain-edu.com/traditional/index.html

Cherry Education Consultancy www.ukcec.com

Connexcel www.connexcel.co.uk Convoy Education www.convoyedu.com/h-col-116.html Crest Education www.cresteducation.co.uk

CSF Educational Consultants www.csfeducation.co.uk Dickinson School Consulting www.dickinsonboardingschools.com EduExcellence Consulting Services www.eduexcellence.uk Edugo Guardian www.edugoguardian.com

EDU S.O.S Consulting www.edusos.it Edukatus www.edukatus.co.uk

Esta Educational Consultancy www.esta.uk.net

Future Perfect futureperfect.at

Genesis Education Planning www.en.genesiseducation.co.uk

Global Education Tumulka (GET) www.sprachreise.com/schulberatung Golden Apple Tree www.ukjpg.com

HKIES Overseas Education Centre www.hkies.com.hk

Intake Education intake.education Intergreat Education Group www.intergreat.com IVYU Education www.ivyuedu.com

IQ ITEC www.itecgroup.ru/partners

IQ Consultancy www.iqconsultancy.ru

J3 Group Ltd www.j3education.com

JD Consultancy www.jdconsultant.co.uk

JMS Global Consultancy www.jmsglobals.com

KEW Learning www.kewlearning.co.uk

Kulturwerke Deutschland Sprachreisen https://www.kulturwerke-deutschland.de Leo Education https://www.leoedu.co.uk/ Mark Brooks Education www.markbrookseducation.com

Meridian Group www.meridian.lv/sakums

One School Group www.oneschool.co

Orpington Education Group http://orpingtoneducation.com/ Overseas Personal Development Services www.opds.co.uk

Oxbridgecrew Education http://orpingtoneducation.com/ Panoba Ltd www.panoba.co.uk

Petra Heinemann Internationale Schulberatung heinemann-schulberatung.de

Prime UK Education www.primeukedu.co.uk

QED Education Group www.qededucationgroup.com

Quest Tokyo www.questtokyo.com/welcome-1 Rise Smart Overseas Education Centre www.risesmart.com.hk

RV Sport and Education https://www.rvgs.golf/education

Sarah Jochums Internatsberatung www.sarah-jochums.de

School Britannia www.schoolbritannia.fr

Sino-UK Arts & Cultural Bridge www.sino-uk.org

Test Education Centre testeducationcentre.com

The Independent Education Consultants www.independenteducationconsultants.co.uk

Toechter and Soehne www.internate.org

UK Academics & Guardianship (UKAG) www.ukag.co.uk/welcom-to-ukag

UK Cloud Primary School www.ukcloudprimary.com

UK Education Guide Ltd www.ukeducationguide.com

UK Epsom Education en.ukepsomeducation.com

UK Schooling Experience

UK Tuition and Services www.uk-tuition.com

UM Education www.umeducation.com

Unibridge International Education http://en.ubedu.com.cn

Watanabe Office www.woffice.jp

Which British School – WBS www.whichbritishschool.com

Wonmillion Education www.wonmillionedu.uk/en

MUSIC IN BOARDING

How boarding helps music practice

Working in groups can be especially valuable in a boarding environment where musicians quickly become comfortable in each other’s company. ALEX LAING, Director of Music at Wells Cathedral School, reports.

MUSIC practice can sometimes feel like a chore, yet another task in a busy day. It can too easily become mundane, and one can slip into routines that lack imagination, thought or care. Practice can become a lonely experience, with pupils trying to remember and work on individualised bespoke plans devised by their teacher. However, the boarding school environment can provide the perfect antidote, creating a healthy, collegial approach to practice where everyone helps.

In a boarding school, music practice can happen first thing in the morning, during breaks or after school. And there are many opportunities for collective

endeavour, pupils working together to achieve common or different goals. Creating this sense of togetherness requires nurturing. The goal is not just to improve pupils’ playing but to develop participants’ critical listening and thinking.

KEEPING POSITIVE

A typical performance class will feature three or four pupils performing to peers, so often more stressful than any other audience. The class needs careful handling as it is crucial to make it a positive experience. I ask pupils to highlight aspects they appreciated – musical, emotional or technical. Everyone must notice something good and express it clearly, making the atmosphere collegial and supportive. Performers tend to focus

on things they could have played better, so it is encouraging to hear what peers felt went well.

Pupils may, of course, voice opinions you disagree with or which are not expressed clearly. It is important not to undermine them. If a pupil has a genuine reaction or well thought out idea, it cannot be dismissed. I do, however, like to be at least as demanding of the audience, making the discussion an open one. I may question an audience opinion, but always positively, keeping the whole room focused. A shared view arrived at via discussion then becomes reinforcing for all.

Only after the class has explored positives do we turn to aspects the audience felt

needed work, which also needs careful handling. As performers, we tend to be our own worst critics, so any criticism must be constructive. I ban words like ‘bad’, ‘awful’, ‘screeching’ and ‘painful’. The audience must try to make points constructively with phrases like: “I think it may have worked better off the string” or, “What was your idea in the middle section? Is there a way to put it across more convincingly?”

This leads to group discussions and the absence of direct criticism means the performer is more comfortable addressing issues. Technical criticism always leads to interesting discussions as we all have aspects we struggle with, often blocking how we communicate the message of our music. When pupils recognise technical deficiencies in others, it is often because they have had the same weakness themselves. There is empathy with the performer and their advice can often come across better than a teacher’s.

With new ideas flying around, it is important for performers to have the space to try them out. I try to identify suggestions that are the quickest to implement. For example, I suggest the player starts on a simple technical matter, such as changing the part of a string player’s bow being used, releasing the weight in a pianist’s arms or trying out a

new sound or character. The performance then becomes like a public lesson, where everyone acknowledges development. The camaraderie flowing from this type of class is striking, especially valuable in a boarding environment where musicians quickly become comfortable in each other’s company. The best players acknowledge that those with less experience may have unique observations. Indeed, the most pertinent points are often made by less able players, who discover they are superior observers. The pupils are happy to ask each other for advice outside classes during their own time, trying each other’s studies and pieces, talking and laughing. This gives pupils an increased ownership of their improvement. In this way, not only does practice becoming self-teaching but, in group work, practice becomes peerto-peer teaching. If you can explain an aspect of technique or music to someone else, then you truly understand it for yourself.

□

Alex is a violinist, conductor, teacher, adjudicator, presenter and writer. He coaches musicians of all ages and stages, from beginners to professionals and adult learners with the Benedetti Foundation. He is Director of Music at Wells Cathedral School, one of the few specialist music schools in the UK.

admissions@wells.cathedral.school https://wells.cathedral.school/music

Specialist music schools

A shared sense of purpose and passion makes it natural for pupils at specialist music schools to meet and form friendships, be themselves and thrive. NICOLA SMITH and TOM REDMOND, Joint Principals at Chetham’s School of Music, explain more.

THE benefits of boarding have been written about plenty of times: there’s no commute or effort required to go home and do homework, exercise or eat meals. All facilities are on site and available to students, who receive outstanding care from dedicated and highly trained house teams, medical staff and tutors. But what’s distinct about boarding at a specialist music school?

With a shared sense of purpose and passion, it’s easy and natural for pupils at specialist music schools to meet and form friendships, and everyone has a sense of belonging. This helps to create a home away from home where pupils can be themselves and thrive. The wonder of music is that it can have a profound effect on quality of life. Singing, playing or listening to

music is shown to improve wellbeing, and there is an abundance of this in music schools. Walk through Chetham’s grounds at any time of the day and you might hear one of Prokofiev’s piano sonatas coming from a practice room, or choristers rehearsing harmonies together in the garden after classes. It’s a wonderful and unique environment to learn and live in.

At Chetham’s, a typical school day includes around three scheduled hours of music alongside academic learning. There are individual lessons on study instruments, performance classes and ensemble rehearsals as well as aural training, choral work, academic music, community arts programmes, supported practice, composition and music technology.

A series of ‘masterclasses’ provides rare behind-the-scenes insights into the craft of professional musicians and emerging artists, which is inspirational. There are also opportunities to discover and explore new musical avenues, from jazz to composition. The pupils’ journeys develop as their tastes and interests do – one of our pupils joined as a chorister and is leaving as an up-andcoming recorder player. The path is not rigid.

Emphasis is also placed on academic excellence and every year our pupils go on to study a variety of subjects at top universities. It is fantastic to see former pupils thrive in the musical world and beyond, with our alumni community including neuroscientists, journalists and politicians.

Academic learning also gives musicians the practical skills to succeed as performers and influencers, and a deeper understanding of the world in which they play, helping them to interpret and explore society through their art.

Specialist music schools typically host hundreds of performances per school year to make sure every pupil begins playing to audiences early, learning to present music, listen back, review and improve. Performance is an important skill for many different careers and there’s no better place to hone this than at a music school. By the time they leave, pupils are extremely well versed in getting on stage and building a rapport with peers and audiences.

Talent should not be confined to the school, and music schools help pupils to share their gift. For example, there are opportunities to give back to the local community by performing in care homes, other schools and public spaces. At Chetham’s, we invite new audiences in to see student performances and take part in workshops. The mission is to bring people together and ensure as many people as possible have access to music and the wellbeing it brings. It is important that pupils are at the heart of this civic mission as they develop into well-rounded individuals.

Although music unites everyone at Chetham’s, pupils come from diverse backgrounds. Entry to the school is based solely on musical ability and potential, never on background or ability to pay,

thanks to generous bursaries through the government’s Music and Dance Scheme. Minds are constantly being expanded and pupils are encouraged to ask questions and engage in debate.

Music teachers are committed to educating new generations of musicians and thinkers and equipping pupils with the skills they need to make a success of their adult lives, whatever they choose to do. We believe in the power of music to unite people, and this makes specialist music schools truly unique and inspirational places to live, learn and make connections.

□ Nicola worked in the maintained sector for 18 years as a performing arts specialist, and in school leadership roles responsible for safeguarding, curriculum, assessment, pastoral care and wellbeing. Tom was a member of the Hallé for 14 years and has performed across the world with ensembles including the Philharmonia, City of Birmingham and London Symphony Orchestras.

WESTMINSTER SCHOOL

WESTMINSTER.ORG.UK

16+ ENTRY 2025

Online registration is now open.

13+ ENTRY

Registration for 2028, including for girls, will open on 1 October 2024.

TAP5493_BSA_Guide_Ad_125mmW_x_85mmH_V2.indd 1

Boarding in the heart of London

To request a prospectus or find out about Open Days and Tours, please call 020 7963 1003 or email registrar@westminster.org.uk

For information about entry to Westminster Under School at 4+, 7+ or 11+ please call 020 7821 5788.

Westminster School is a charity (No. 312728) established to provide education.

We are welcoming more and more girls in Year 7 at the start of their journey and spaces in our new and award winning Sixth Form boarding house, ‘The 6,’ are in demand.

We firmly believe in the benefits of boarding, amongst them:

• increased independence and resourcefulness

• the ability to organise academic, social and extra-curricular time

• learning to develop positive emotions and relationships

• the care and support of a global community

• access to the School’s facilities before and after the School day

• open-mindedness, empathy and understanding that comes from living with others

• reduced self-consciousness and acceptance of difference

CONSIDERING BOARDING AT 11 AND OR AT 16 READY TO TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY?

Call or email for our free guides: admissions@stcatherines.info 00 44 (0) 1483 899609 www.stcatherines.info/boarding

11:43

GSA Day & Boarding School since 1885 | 3 - 18 years

GIRLS IN BOARDING

As Winchester College prepares to enrol girls as boarders, new Headmaster ELIZABETH STONE explains how boarding can help parents to allow their daughters to reap the benefits of facing and mastering challenge.

THE idea of boarding school has long captured the imagination of children. It is not just Hogwarts, with its enchanting tales of magic and Muggles, which exerts its charms. Even such obvious period pieces as Enid Blyton’s St Clare’s and Malory Towers continue to have a surprising appeal to children today.

Is this romantic fantasy or simply naivety? To the contrary, I would argue that young people are, in fact, correctly intuiting the benefits of a boarding environment which educators and parents have long recognised, and research has now established.

SOCIAL SKILLS

A side-effect of Covid lockdowns, observed worldwide, was a delay in children’s social and emotional development. As Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman noted, many children emerged from years of restricted contact with their peers with limited vocabulary, emotional immaturity, and stunted social skills.

Young people need time together so they can learn how to deal with conflict, how to be patient and considerate of others, and how to foster positive, stable relationships. Yet they are spending less and less time together, in a trend dating back decades.

US data shows that the number of teenagers meeting friends outside school every day has halved in just three decades, and the UK trend is similar. This is a concern especially for girls, who are more likely than boys to experience loneliness and are significantly more susceptible to anxiety.

Boarding can play a vital role by creating a safe environment and ready-made peer group, providing ideal conditions for young people to spend extended periods of time together, thus enhancing maturity and promoting the social skills needed to flourish in adult life.

IDEAL BRIDGE

One of the developmental aims of adolescence is to become increasingly independent. Healthy development in teenagers thus results in a greater need for privacy, for time spent away from family, and for exploration of relationships without the mediation of adults. This poses a challenge for parents, who want to support their child’s development and allow them time and space to explore the world independently, but who rightly have an eye to their child’s safety and the risktaking behaviours typical of adolescents.

Here, again, we see the advantages of boarding. By offering more freedom within a safe and structured environment, boarding represents an ideal bridge between childhood and adulthood, encouraging autonomy and self-regulation within the security of a close community. This can be a challenge, but it is precisely by embracing and overcoming challenge that young people become more confident and resilient.

Given that research shows that parents tend to be more protective towards their daughters than their sons, this extends a particular responsibility to the parents of daughters: to allow their girls to reap the benefits of facing and mastering challenge.

FACE-TO-FACE

Most parents are well aware of the pitfalls of social media and understand that their child’s social media activity cannot easily be disentangled from that of their peers. If you protect your child by limiting time online, are you condemning them to social isolation? This is not something a family can solve on its own, but it points to one of the crucial advantages of boarding: whilst at school, all members of the group have the same expectations and limits placed upon them. Less time on devices therefore does not translate to less social interaction.

Boarding schools put healthy limits around the use of devices and social

time without screens is built into every day. The benefits of this are particularly evident for girls, whose digital lives differ significantly from those of boys. Social media, for instance, is more strongly linked to depression than gaming, but girls not only spend more time on social media, they are also more susceptible to its harms, and experience significantly higher rates of depression – as evidenced by researchers such as Jonathan Haidt.

Long experience and deep knowledge of adolescent development shape the experience of boarding at Winchester College. We are a boarding school for boys in Years 9-13, and our Sixth Form welcomes girls and boys as day pupils. We are hugely looking forward to the next phase of our vision as we embark on the construction of two boarding houses for Sixth Form girls, and we are excited to be widening access to a Winchester education. The school community has been much enriched by the arrival of girls, in extra-curricular as well as academic terms, and I

anticipate a moment – in the not-toodistant future – when we will find it hard to imagine a time without them.

□ Elizabeth became Headmaster at Winchester College in September 2023, after nine years as Principal of Queenwood, a leading independent girls’ school in Sydney. Her experience includes co-educational, single sex (boys and girls), day and boarding schools in Australia and the UK. She was appointed VP of Cheltenham Ladies’ College in 2012 after three years at Winchester as maths teacher and Undermaster. After degrees from the University of New South Wales, Elizabeth was a Rhodes Scholar Oxford and completed a Master’s at University College. Before teaching, she was an academic at the University of New South Wales Faculty of Law.

Boarding at Dulwich College

Dulwich College is one of the UK’s leading independent schools with an international reputation for academic excellence and a boarding community of over 20 nationalities. Find out more at www.dulwich.org.uk

Historic and award-winning buildings in a 70-acre campus, only 12 minutes from central London

Outstanding facilities for science, art, music, drama and sport

A bespoke education responds and reacts to the needs of each girl, nurturing their unique potential, fostering independence, and allowing them to discover their own strengths and passions. JO CAMERON, Principal at Queenswood School and BSA Chair 2024, reports.

ALMOST all independent schools proudly assert that they offer a ‘bespoke education’. As the Principal of a girls’ boarding and day school, I am often asked what this means in practice. Small class sizes are of course a crucial factor. Many parents are justifiably alarmed by the ever-increasing class sizes in state schools. It’s no wonder that the considerably smaller class sizes in independent schools are a real attraction.

Consider just how far-reaching those benefits are. In an average class of around 15, a child will receive twice as much individual attention from the teacher, who will soon develop an understanding of how he or she learns

best. There will be greater support for children with special educational needs, and further opportunities to stretch the gifted and talented.

PUPILS’ PASSIONS

Freedom from the constraints of the National Curriculum in the independent sector means that at Key Stage 3, the range of subjects on offer – and the schemes of work and syllabuses delivered within those subjects – can be tailored to pupils’ own genuine interests and passions.

The range of modern foreign and classical languages taught in independent schools is a case in point. While language learning is in decline in the state sector, Mandarin, Arabic, Latin

and Ancient Greek are all thriving in private schools.

Independent schools generally place considerably greater emphasis on the creative arts. Curriculum time for subjects such as music, drama and dance is being squeezed nationally, and no provision for the arts is made in the Department for Education’s EBacc (the set of eight recommended GCSE subjects). However, pupils at independent schools are very fortunate to enjoy the advantages of an education that values creativity, originality and resourcefulness. Boarding pupils are especially able to enjoy all the activities and opportunities on offer during the school day and in the evenings and weekends.

CREATIVE EDUCATION

Beyond the sheer satisfaction of selfexpression, a creative education offers many benefits to pupils. Research has shown that regular and sustained participation in musical activities stimulates the brain to form new neural networks. This leads to better working memory (vital for mental arithmetic and reading comprehension), improved linguistic ability, and improvements in attention span, emotional resilience, empathy and self-confidence.

Likewise, studying drama and dance helps young people to improvise, think laterally, and become adaptable problem-solvers. Drama students grow into confident and articulate public speakers, and working together on performance projects encourages engagement with others’ viewpoints, helping to develop qualities such as compassion and tolerance. These skills and qualities are highly prized by employers.

As pupils progress, the degree of personalisation increases still further. They are able to take advantage of the extensive resources available –including, crucially, the wide-ranging expertise of the teaching staff – to conduct their own research projects or take up elective courses. For example, in the sixth form at Queenswood, girls are able to augment their A level studies with seminars on topics such as personal finance, forensic psychology, philosophy and politics, and to attend lectures from prominent authors, politicians, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING

At the heart of a bespoke education is a recognition that each pupil develops at their own pace, and in their own learning style. For example, while kinaesthetic learners favour practical and hands-on experience, auditory-musical learners benefit from mnemonics, rhythms and background sounds. Increasingly, independent schools are working to differentiate their teaching methods to suit individual learners.

At Queenswood, we have established a Personalised Learning Centre. Pupils use it as a drop-in centre to seek advice on planning study and revision schedules, play flashcard games to boost working memory, discuss recommendations for non-fiction reading with staff and peers, or for structured tutorials to address specific learning issues. Meanwhile, academic scholars meet with staff for one-to-one and group sessions, to explore options for stretch and challenge and to discuss current affairs.

Ultimately, every pupil deserves to be recognised as an individual. A bespoke education responds and reacts to the needs of each child, nurturing their unique potential, fostering independence, and allowing them to discover their own strengths and passions in a safe and supportive environment.

□ Jo became Principal of Queenswood School in 2016, having previously worked as Deputy Head at Ipswich High School for Girls. She began her teaching career as a science teacher specialising in biology at St Mary’s, Wantage, before becoming Head of the Science Department. She has extensive experience in all girls’ schools and champions the unique opportunities that single sex education offers.

Renowned

Making sure that every girl is confident with digital technology is crucial in the development of a future generation of 21st century women. LOUISE ORTON, Senior Deputy Head (Academic) at Sherborne Girls, explains more.

WE AIM to nurture and inspire a vibrant community of fulfilled, inquisitive and confident young women who are thoroughly prepared to enter higher education and embark on their future lives, with a desire to make a difference

A fundamental part of our vision at Sherborne Girls in aiming to develop a future generation of 21st century women is ensuring every pupil is comfortable and confident with digital technology, appreciating its importance and the opportunities it brings. The development of the use of technology is fully aligned with our five core values of curiosity, courage, compassion, adaptability and spirituality.

Having committed fully in 2019 to developing our digital strategy, all our teachers were provided with a Microsoft pen-enabled device, and a training company spent a week at the school helping every teacher enhance their teaching through the use of Microsoft OneNote, Teams and pen-enabled technology. We appointed two digital

leaders, supported by eight digital champions, to drive the digital strategy forward, and we implemented regular staff training sessions and one-to-one workshops with IT professionals.

The move to pen-enabled devices and software focused on teamwork changed the impact of the education offered. At the same time, it became more adaptable to individual needs and allowed teachers and pupils to interact with each other more effectively. It facilitated improved teacher feedback, quality use of prep time, individual organisation, efficient use of class time, and immediate access to resources to add interest and experiences to classroom teaching.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, the school was, therefore, well placed and prepared for the transition from traditional to remote learning. Teachers and pupils felt comfortable and confident with the shift and we were pleased with the positive feedback we received from parents, pupils and staff.

TRANSFORMING LEARNING

With pupils back at school, we continued to embrace technology to drive and develop teaching and learning. A learning technologist was appointed to help us develop and refine our digital offering further, inspire staff in the use of technology and investigate new ways in which technology can be used to improve and transform learning.

We set out to shift the conversation from the digital champions to heads of department who best understand the individual strengths and needs of their team. A whole-staff survey provided further clarity on individual use of technology, comfort level and skill gaps, which in turn helped identify and prioritise appropriate support. Training sessions have become departmental priorities delivered at a team or individual level.

Numerous areas of common ground were agreed across departments. For example, on a practical level, the use of OneNote and Teams has been optimised for assignment setting and feedback flow. We also addressed the challenges of collecting and storing pupil-made videos, an issue which had been flagged by teachers in several practical subject areas.

From a pedagogical perspective, there was interest in low or no-prep formative assessment tools for engaging pupils during live, blended or remote teaching. Pupils are encouraged to be more active participants in the feedback process, responding to personalised comments, which the teacher annotates while recording spoken explanations. We are also exploring bespoke projects such as mixed reality in biology, collaborative creative writing in English and using the model of a head to create binaural soundscapes in drama.

NEW CONNECTIONS

New ways of living and working have made it even more important for staff and pupils to develop their skills of communication and teamwork. We have discovered new ways to connect, share ideas and show support, our horizons have been broadened and we have engaged with wider and more geographically dispersed audiences. As such, our community has developed a deeper understanding and political, social and environmental empathy. Our digital strategy has underpinned all these developments and continues to be a priority as we embrace technology to drive a culture of learning.

The success of our digital revolution was formally recognised by Microsoft when they awarded us Showcase School status in 2022. As a result, we now share our experience to the benefit of schools in the UK and all over the world through the Global School Alliance.

□ Louise is responsible for academic life and provision at Sherborne Girls. She started her teaching career as a mathematics teacher at Queen Anne’s Caversham, where she became Head of Fourth Forms. She spent a short time at Wycombe High, Wycombe Abbey and the British School of Brussels before joining Sherborne Girls. Louise is driven by the challenge of creating a new and creative curriculum that promotes exploration and investigation in teaching and learning, seeking opportunities to equip pupils for 21st century life.

Preparing girls for success

Co-ed boarding encourages girls to become more self-reliant and confident. VICKY CODLING, Head of Boarding at Langley School, explains how a positive and inclusive community includes all genders, races, ages and nationalities.

CO-EDUCATIONAL boarding offers a real-life environment. It reflects family dynamics, with a mix of different ages and genders, making it a home from home setting. Also, with pupils and students coming from all corners of the world, every boarder instantly becomes part of the fabric of the school. Given the cultural richness of the group, it comes naturally to boarders to integrate with a real diverse mix of individuals, including all genders, races, ages and nationalities.

Co-ed boarding encourages girls to become more self-reliant and confident. Living away from home in a supportive environment allows them to develop independence, resilience, and problemsolving skills. Co-ed boarding also allows girls to interact with inspiring female and male faculty members, fostering a supportive environment for personal and academic growth. Having diverse role models encourages girls to explore their interests and envision a future where they can excel in any chosen field. It also prepares girls for real-world dynamics by instilling a sense of inclusivity, respect, and understanding.

Langley is a co-ed day and boarding school which is lucky enough to boast two campuses nestled in the Norfolk countryside, in the east of England. In Taversham, just outside the historic city of Norwich, you will find Langley’s Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School. Loddon is home to Langley Senior School, Sixth Form and its international boarding family. Community, opportunity and excellence encapsulate the Langley education across the whole school.

Values of kindness, confidence, curiosity and integrity are the basis from which the Langley education flows and, importantly, from which the culture and ethos flow too. The boarding experience at Langley sees these values being lived every day.

As Head of Boarding, I offer pastoral support to all the pupils and students. Having female leaders at the school means there are strong role models for our girl boarders. Langley is proud to be described as a safe and secure environment, a haven for our boarders who, in many cases, are thousands

of miles from home. From a practical standpoint, there are separate wings for girls and boys in the Langley boarding house, allowing privacy for the respective groups. The division also helps to support close friendship networks among the groups respectively, while the extensive activity programme allows that healthy co-ed mix.

Co-ed boarding at Langley School creates a diverse learning environment that mirrors the real world. In classrooms, girls engage with their male counterparts, gaining exposure to different perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. This prepares them for a future where teamwork and understanding between genders are vital.

The close-knit community at Langley ensures that girls feel secure, with their own social area and ensuite bathrooms, and girls-only activities. Interaction with boys in the common areas then enhances social skills and facilitates the development of meaningful friendships. We prioritise creating a positive

and inclusive community, fostering friendships that can last a lifetime. Learning to work and socialise with individuals of different genders prepares girls for success in a globalised society.

Our advice would be to actively encourage families to consider coeducational boarding. The advantages of co-ed boarding at Langley School extend far beyond the classroom, shaping confident, independent, and well-rounded individuals ready to make a positive impact on society.

□ Vicky has spent her career working with children, in a variety of roles. Before joining Langley, she was a fulltime mum to her two daughters, while running a local dance and performing art school, which she still runs today. Vicky is on the Langley safeguarding team and is Head of Boarding. She oversees all the pupils and students, which means that, essentially, she is mum to around 50 teenagers! Vicky’s role involves everything that a parent does, plus keeping up with all the dayto-day tasks that ensure the boarding house runs safely and smoothy.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Successful boarding provision means empowering girls to be the best that they can be. LIANNE AHERNE, Housemistress at Oakham School, fully co-educational for more than 50 years, reports on how an element of healthy competition with boys can help.

HAVING spent many happy years supporting girls within boarding schools, both at all girls’ schools and since 2022 at co-educational Oakham School, I have witnessed first-hand the transformative power of boarding. In a boarding school there is a commitment to developing every aspect of a child – intellectually, emotionally, physically, and spiritually – to provide an education that goes far beyond the confines of the classroom.

Boarding helps children to become confident and independent within a supportive environment. We encourage children to try new things, to challenge themselves and to not be afraid of failure, recognising that some of the most important lessons we can learn are from when we are initially unsuccessful.

RESPECT AND TRUST

Having the right mix of boarding staff is key to creating this atmosphere and culture of mutual respect and

trust, where everyone has a sense of responsibility for themselves and for others within the house community. It’s about having people with the experience and passion to do the job, because it is much more than a 9 to 5 job, it is a vocation.

In a school like Oakham, with boarders from the UK and overseas, each of our 16 houses is a vibrant and supportive place that provides our pupils with a global perspective, where we celebrate diversity and value the views of others. One of our key strengths as a large, co-educational boarding school is that we offer a broad and varied number of co-curricular opportunities, as well as the many academic and social aspects of school life. Above all, boarding helps children to build strong relationships with their peers and adults where you are known as an individual.

For girls who board in a co-educational school environment, the benefits are even greater. Girls receive tailored support in their individual houses, focusing on issues directly impacting

them, before they go out into the wider school community. We help the girls develop self-worth, independence and confidence. They enjoy the security of their house and then mix confidently with their male peers in the classroom, on the sports pitch or on a social level. As well as being a very natural and healthy way for girls and boys to interact with one another, it helps them develop into confident adults, ready to fulfil their potential and take their place in the world. It really is the best of both worlds.

EMPOWERING GIRLS

Having been fully co-educational for more than 50 years, Oakham School has a long and successful history of boarding provision for girls and boys. At Oakham we want to empower our girls to be the best that they can be, with an element of healthy competition with the boys. We teach them that they can achieve anything and talk to them about important issues that influence both boys and girls within a carefully curated pastoral curriculum as well. Boys become aware of the issues facing girls

and can become allies for them both in and beyond school when they leave. Boarding encourages genuine teamwork between the sexes that mirrors the modern-day workplace.

With nearly 500 boarders at Oakham School and a 50:50 gender split, girls and boys enjoy the same opportunities during the week and at the weekend. For example, our boarders can take part in mixed outings to the cinema, sports matches, or bowling. Each girls’ house is linked to a boys’ house at Oakham, so boys and girls have socials together or compete in sports day together, which fosters genuine equality.

Equality of leadership opportunities run throughout the school, with both boys and girls represented on the School

Council and in the Decem (the senior prefect team). There are therefore many strong female role models within our current pupil body. Our long history of co-education also means that we have a strong alumnae network. We have many Old Oakhamians (former pupils) who act as strong female role models to our current pupils, often returning to school to share their experiences and give careers advice.

The decision on whether to board in an all girls’ or co-educational school very much depends on the individual child. Co-educational schools can do everything that an all-girls’ school can but within a ‘real-world’ environment. My advice to families who are choosing a school for their child would be the same whatever their gender. Choose what is right for your child – everybody

is different. Consider your child’s interests and strengths and then look at which school can best help your child to thrive.

□ Lianne Aherne has many years’ experience of supporting girls within boarding schools, both single sex and co-educational, working as a housemistress and Head of Sixth Form. She is currently housemistress in a Girls’ House at Oakham School, a co-educational boarding and day school for 10 to 18-year-olds. Lianne is passionate about the benefits of boarding and focused on the subject of boarding in her Masters with the Institute of Education. She has also worked as a tutor on the BSA’s Pastoral Care and Pastoral Management Course.

SENIOR SCHOOLS

Individual nurturing and development

By choosing boarding, you are adding to your family, with key individuals helping to guide and nurture your child alongside your own parenting. HELEN HARRISON, Head of Fettes College, explains more.

BOARDING schools provide students with the opportunity to develop important life skills in a supportive and nurturing environment. This enables them to leave school knowing themselves, looking out for others, capable of thinking critically and aiming high. Of course, we also need to be giving our students the confidence to perform at their best academically.

As the Head of Fettes College, I see every day the benefits that a boarding education can bring. For me, the key is that each pupil is truly known and therefore we can adapt and adjust our education and care to support each individual.

We are proud of our long history with the forces and these links are as strong today

as they ever were. We understand that many forces families want their children to board at the same school and, as Fettes is co-educational and caters for children aged from seven to 18, siblings can be educated together in this family environment.

SECOND HOME

A boarding house is like a family – a closeknit group of staff and students looking after each other, helping, encouraging and simply being there when needed. All teaching staff at Fettes do a duty night in a boarding house. This means that everyone is involved in the boarding experience and strong relationships are built up. The resident house staff forge strong bonds with the students and really get to know your child. By choosing boarding, you are adding to your family, with key individuals

helping to guide and nurture your child alongside your own parenting. It is very much a team.

A full-boarding ethos nurtures and develops each pupil so they leave school with confidence, prepared for all the world has to offer and ready to make a positive mark. Full boarding offers pupils a chance to embrace new opportunities, making the most of their individual talents while surrounded by their friends. This is achieved in a supportive environment where pupils learn to be responsible for their own belongings and routines, build independence, learn from mistakes and are taught self-reliance. Boarding houses are at the heart of school life where lifelong friendships are made, trust is fostered and loyalty forged.

A full-boarding ethos ensures weekends are vibrant and fun. For example, activities which took place over one weekend during our autumn term included a wide variety of sporting fixtures on the Saturday afternoon, followed by a whole-school ceilidh (everyone at Fettes learns to Scottish country dance!) in the evening.

A late Sunday morning brunch was followed by a walk up to Murrayfield to watch a rugby international. Some went on that day’s outdoor pursuits event in the hills, some trained for the Fettes Scottish Islands Peaks Race team, while others accessed the beautiful city of Edinburgh in a safe and controlled way.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

When considering boarding I would always ask a school these questions:

• What type of boarding is on offer? Flexi? Weekly? Full?

• What happens at weekends? This is clearly especially important if you are looking for the full-boarding experience.

• How is boarding staffed? Is there a separate team or is everyone involved?

A secondary education should be exciting and full of opportunity. Boarding pupils are encouraged to stretch and challenge themselves. They learn not be afraid of failure, of trying new things, of of forming their own opinions through informed choices. Pupils are encouraged to make the most of their talents and to discover talents they did not know they had.

At Fettes, a full sporting, music, drama, activity and outdoor education programme mean that opportunities abound. Just some of the wide range of co-curricular activities we offer include a climbing wall, a 25-metre swimming pool, fives courts, an Olympic standard water-based hockey astro pitch, mountain-biking tracks, robotics club, ceramics club and Fettes Radio. Our low ropes course provides a unique challenge in developing leadership skills, trust and the importance of working together as a team.

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

Wellbeing is at the forefront of everything that we do – only happy and well-supported children truly flourish. We are proud of our proactive and forward-thinking Personal, Social and

Emotional (PSE) programme. The core components of the programme are healthy relationships, pressures of the modern world, resourcefulness, decisionmaking and emotional resilience. The programme is developed in consultation with pupils. By making the most of external contacts, for example guest speakers from charities and alumni, and harnessing the enthusiasm of pupils themselves through our peer-to-peer mentoring programmes, we endeavour to provide pupils with the knowledge and support to flourish.

□ Helen grew up in Edinburgh where she was educated at St George’s School for Girls. She gained her Geography degree from Jesus College, Cambridge, where she rowed for her university and college. She taught English as a Foreign Language in Portugal before her first teaching post at Clifton College, Bristol. From 1996 she was a Geography teacher and Deputy Head at Fettes College, Edinburgh, becoming the first female Head in 2019. Helen’s interests outside school being Chair of the BSA/SCIS Boarding Forum and a member of the Board of FetLor. She loves spending time in her cottage in the Moffat Hills with her family and two dogs.

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES

Providing for special educational needs

The right

boarding

school can work wonders for a child with additional needs.

SALLY MOORE, Head

Learning Support at Fulneck School, reports.

SCHOOLS across the UK have been inundated with increasing numbers of children with significant special educational needs (SEN) since Covid. Parents are increasingly exploring independent alternatives to state schools, where they feel their children cannot get the support they need. As a special educational needs coordinator at an independent school, I have seen requests for Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) placements rise exponentially.

WHY BOARDING?

The right boarding school can work wonders for a child with additional needs. For autistic young people, the transition from home to school can be very difficult, and they can often struggle with the demands of homework. By staying in a boarding house, young people can avoid the daily transition, the often lengthy commutes and keep school work very much at school. This means that key points of dysregulation can be avoided.

Young people with learning difficulties can benefit hugely from a boarding environment, including the dedicated

support available for each pupil, tailored to individual needs. There are opportunities for focused tuition and the support of trained staff for homework or study. The continuity of a school’s clear expectations into evening prep can support time management and help more vulnerable learners develop good study habits.

DEDICATED LEARNING

Fulneck School is an independent boarding and day school with a dedicated learning support unit (LSU). It has met the criteria of the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils (CReSTeD) continually since 1996. Fulneck is approved under Category LSC (Learning Support Centre) as a school offering an LSU, with specialist tutors to accommodate pupils’ needs in the classroom.

The aim of Fulneck’s LSU is to identify individual special needs and to provide teaching programmes and strategies to allow every student access to the curriculum. Tuition is in small groups or delivered one-to-one by experienced and specialist teachers, with a range of multisensory teaching methods and technology. We focus on using assistive technology,

particularly the use of e-reader software to enable dyslexic students to independently access text, effectively checking and editing their own work.

In September 2022, Fulneck School opened our specialist autism provision, named Soteria after the Greek goddess of protection and safety from harm. Soteria aims to support autistic learners to access a rounded education, meet their potential and enter the world as resilient, independent young people who are proud of their achievements. Acting as a safe space and staffed by our specialist team, Soteria has teaching areas, sensory rooms and mentoring spaces.

It is the form room for our Soteria Scholars, who are academically ambitious autistic students needing a bit more support to manage the school’s social demands. With a little extra nurturing and the safe space to come back to, our Soteria Scholars are excelling academically, with friendships both in the unit and the wider school. They make the most of every opportunity and, importantly, they are proud of their identify as neurodivergent learners and

are great ambassadors for our school.

In boarding schools, pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can also be supported outside the classroom, leading to better social interaction and confidence.

The nature of a boarding school environment means staff get to know each child as a unique individual.

Boarding schools also offer pupils a choice of co-curricular clubs and activities to help develop new interests and boost self-esteem.

Boarding in the right environment can provide young people with a taste of independence, the first step towards independent living for young people on the cusp of adulthood. We have found that a flexi-boarding approach has enabled some more vulnerable students to flourish, often surprising themselves with how much they can do when away from home.

Choosing the right school is a critical decision with far-reaching consequences, and it requires thorough research. Parents should carefully check a

schools’ SEND provision and gain a clear understanding of conditions they specifically cater for, how they do this and how many students they have supported with similar needs. It is important to visit the school and meet the SEND and boarding team. This allows potential parents and pupils the opportunity to gain a true appreciation of the environment, teaching methods, ethos and attitudes to SEND. Making the correct choice and giving children access to a fulfilling boarding experience can be lifechanging for pupils with SEND and enable them to truly flourish.

so well. In the learning support unit she is able to implement learning in the best way to suit each individual pupil.

□ Sally began her teaching career as a VSO volunteer teaching English in Kiribati. She has taught in many different countries and once spent a summer teaching flying trapeze at an American summer camp. Sally joined Fulneck School as Head of Learning Support in 2019. She loves the family feel of the school and the way the adults know the children

How CReSTeD helps boarding families

THE Council for th e Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic pupils (CReSTeD) is a charity set up in 1989. It aims to help parents and those who advise them to choose schools for children with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD). It is a valuable resource for parents, educational advisers and schools, acting as a source of information f or parents.

The main SpLD is dyslexia, but dyslexia rarely exists in isolation. The latest research demonstrates a high level of co-occurrence with other difficulties including dyspraxia, dyscalculia,

attention deficit disorder (ADD), as well as pragmatic and semantic language difficulties.

The CReSTeD Council includes representatives from a wide area of SpLD provision including Dyslexia Action, the British Dyslexia Association, Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre, the Dyslexia-SpLD Trust and schools.

THE REGISTER

CReSTeD publishes the Register, an annual list of both state and independent schools and centres accredited for their provision for pupils with one or more SpLD. The vast

majority of schools on the Register are mainstream, offering a wide range of teaching styles, environments and facilities. The Register is free of charge to parents. SpLD provision is divided into six broad categories. Of these, five are for schools:

• Dyslexia Specialist Provision (DSP) schools established primarily to teach pupils with Dyslexia.

• Learning Support Centre (LSC) schools with designated units providing specialist tuition on a small group or individual basis, according to need.

• Maintained Schools (MS), local authority schools able to demonstrate an effective system for identifying pupils with dyslexia.

• Specialist Provision (SPS) schools specifically established to teach pupils with dyslexia and other related SpLDs.

• Withdrawal System (WS) schools which help dyslexic pupils by withdrawing them from appropriate lessons for specialist tuition.

The remaining category is called Teaching Centre (TC), noting a designated centre providing specialist tuition on a small group or individual basis, according to need.

The categories give guidance on the type of provision offered by a school. One category should not be seen as ‘better’ than another. Children have different requirements and personalities and the categories help to match each child to the type of provision needed. A report from an educational psychologist or a specialist teacher who holds an Assessment Practising Certificate should offer parents guidance on the level of provision their child requires. For example, a child at the severe end of the dyslexia spectrum may require a DSP school, whereas a child with only some slowness in spelling skills may be suitably provided for in a school from the WS category. The Register includes a checklist to help parents decide whether a school or centre can meet their child’s educational needs in relation to SpLD. It also provides a geographical index.

CRESTED CRITERIA

Every school and centre on the CReSTeD Register has been independently verified for SpLD provision by CReSTeD consultants, which is not the case for all other lists. Schools must complete the CReSTeD registration form and provide supporting documentation, such as dyslexia policies. This form covers staff development, admission policy, organisation of the school week, specific arrangements for SpLD pupils, and examination results for the whole school. For SpLD pupils in particular, the form cover resources and includes parents’ details so the consultant can gain feedback about the school or centre.

The criteria include the provision of relevant and high quality information technology resources, and Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ)-approved training qualifications for teachers. Also included is the awareness of dyslexic pupils’ needs on the part of non-specialist staff, and arrangements to obtain and provide special provision for examinations.

During a visit to a school or centre, the consultant checks whether this information is accurate and ensures the school or centre meets the criteria set by CReSTeD Council. Schools and centres are visited on a three-year cycle, with possible earlier visits if there are substantial changes, which should always be swiftly communicated to CReSTeD. If the head of a CReSTeD school changes, the school must inform CReSTeD and the new head must confirm that the school intends to continue with the SpLD provision in accordance with

Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils

Our aim is to help parents, and also those who advise them, to choose an educational establishment for students with Speciﬁc Learning Diﬃculties (SpLD).

Schools and centres listed in the CReSTeD Register are accredited for their SpLD provision.

We oﬀer:

• For schools / teaching centres, a visit by a consultant to assess your provision against our speciﬁc criteria.

• For parents, a free Register of schools and teaching centres approved for their SpLD provision.

For further information regarding accreditation or for a free copy of our Register please contact CReSTeD via email: crested.admin@crested.org.uk

Registered charity no. 1052103

the CReSTeD criteria. This enables CReSTeD to retain the school’s details in the Register without the need for an extra visit.

ONLINE HELP

CReSTeD Council initiates ‘responsive’ visits if it has any cause for concern about a particular school.

The CReSTeD website www.crested.org.uk contains all the information in the Register. It is updated when new information is received, or when new schools are approved. It also contains links to registered schools and centres’ websites, ands to other websites that may be helpful to parents of children with one or more SpLDs.

For further information email admin@crested.org.uk

Provision in the independent sector for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities

Pupils with SEND continue to be very well educated within the independent sector and this is undoubtedly one of the sector’s strengths. Many parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities take them out of the maintained sector because the class sizes are too big and they feel there is not enough individual support. The independent sector offers a range of choice not available within the maintained sector. Specialist Provision Schools (SPS) are approved for specific learning difficulties, with associated language difficulties, such as dyspraxia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Dyslexia Specialist Provision Schools (DSP) are established primarily to teach pupils with dyslexia. There are also mainstream boarding schools with designated units or centres providing specialist tuition on a small group or individual basis. In January 2015, 66,026 pupils (33,311 boarders) were identified as having SEND. The most common SEND is dyslexia (321,169) followed by information processing (9,053), dyspraxia (5,459), gross and fine motor skills (3,720) and Asperger’s syndrome (3,597). The table below lists independent boarding schools on the CReSTeD Register providing support for pupils with SEND.

Independent boarding schools on the CReSTeD Register providing support for pupils with SEND Specialist Provision Schools (SPS) are approved for specific learning difficulties, and associated language difficulties, dyspraxia and ADHD.

Category School Town Website

SPS Appleford School Salisbury www.applefordschool.org

SPS More House School Farnham www.morehouseschool.co.uk

Dyslexia Specialist Provision Schools (DSP) are established primarily to teach pupils with dyslexia.

Category School Town Website

DSP Bredon School

Tewkesbury www.bredonschool.org

DSP Bruern Abbey School Chesterton, Oxfordshire www.bruernabbey.org

DSP Frewen College Rye www.frewencollege.co.uk

DSP St David’s College Llandudno www.stdavidscollege.co.uk

Some mainstream boarding schools have a designated unit or centre providing specialist tuition. School Town Website

Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School

Barnardiston, Suffolk www.barnardiston.com

Bedstone College Bucknell, Shropshire www.bedstone.org

Bethany School Cranbrook, Kent www.bethanyschool.org.uk

Brockhurst & Marlston House Schools

Clayesmore Preparatory School

Clayesmore School

Cobham Hall School

Ellesmere College

Finborough School

Fulneck School

Kingham Hill School

King’s School

Kingsley School

Lime House School

Newbury, Berkshire www.brockmarl.org.uk

Blandford Forum, Dorset www.clayesmore.com

Cobham, Kent www.cobhamhall.com

Ellesmere, Shropshire www.ellesmere.com

Stowmarket, Suffolk www.finboroughschool.co.uk

Leeds, West Yorkshire www.fulneckschool.co.uk

Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire www.kinghamhill.org.uk

Bruton, Somerset www.kingsbruton.com

Bideford, Devon www.kingsleyschoolbideford.co.uk

Carlisle, Cumbria www.limehouseschool.co.uk

Millfield School Street, Somerset www.millfieldschool.com

Millfield Preparatory School

Slindon College

Walhampton School

Wycliffe College Preparatory School

Wycliffe College

Glastonbury, Somerset www.millfieldprep.com

Arundel, Sussex www.slindoncollege.co.uk

Lymington, Hampshire www.walhampton.com

Stonehouse, Gloucestershire www.wycliffe.co.uk

Special educational needs

Pupils

with disabilities and special educational needs benefit from two distinct, and at times overlapping, protections.

DAVID SMELLIE, Partner at Farrer & Co, reports.

WHEN pupils have disabilities and special educational needs, they may qualify for support from their local authority where they live via an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), formerly known as a ‘statement’.

Parents should discuss possible application for such a plan with their child’s school or prospective school. But they should bear in mind that securing additional resources through such a plan frequently requires a struggle, and sometimes a legal battle, with cash-strapped local authorities seeking to protect their funds. Failing an EHCP, parents may be able to secure reasonable adjustments, additional support and auxiliary aids and services from the school itself, whether maintained or independent.

There is a limit to how far individual schools have to go, and to start with it is worth pointing out the exceptions. Schools are not required to alter physical features of buildings. Nor are schools prevented from applying selective entry tests (known as a permitted form of selection), although they may have to make reasonable adjustments to cater for disabilities, such as extra time or use of laptop.

It is also the case that whilst the definition of disability tends to be interpreted quite broadly in pupil cases,

certain conditions such as substance dependency, seasonal allergies, tendencies to steal, start fires, physically or sexually abuse, exhibitionism and voyeurism were originally excluded from the definition of disability in the Equality Act. However, a recent case has determined that some or all of these exclusions may be incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights and should therefore not be applied by the court.

Assuming, however, that none of the exclusions are found to apply, the critical question to ask is whether the disability places the pupil at a “substantial disadvantage”. If it does, then the reasonable adjustment duty is triggered, the purpose of which would be to eliminate or reduce the substantial disadvantage suffered. Reasonableness in these cases can take in various considerations from the cost and practicability of the adjustment to the interests of other pupils, and the need to maintain academic, behavioural or other standards. Ultimately, the school will need to demonstrate that whatever decision it reaches is a proportionate one in all the circumstances.

In the recent case of Ashdown House School v JKL, the court held that exclusion of a child with ADHD who had been violent towards some of his peers was not proportionate. In other

words, the school could have realised its objectives by adopting a less severe disciplinary action.

Parents who believe that their children are not receiving the support they justify, whether from their local authority or from their school, can seek legal redress via the First Tier Tribunal. The law and procedure is different depending on whether the claim is against the local authority or the school. In both cases, the Tribunal is able to order that additional support be provided – either via an EHCP or through reasonable adjustments to the educational provision.

The Ashdown House case referred to above also established the capability of the First Tier Tribunal to order reinstatement in the case of a child expelled from an independent school where disability discrimination is made out.

For more information, visit www. gov.uk/children-with-specialeducational-needs

□ David has an extensive schools practice and is widely acknowledged as one of the leading schools lawyers in the UK. He specialises in child protection, safeguarding, pupil disciplinary matters, SEND and schoolsrelated employment issues for a client base that includes many of the UK’s best-known schools.

CURRICULUM CHOICES

Children and parents face multiple acronyms and jargon when choosing exam subjects at school. ANDREW HOBBS, Head at Downside School, explains the detail and provides top tips on choosing what to study.

Studying for GCSEs and IGCSEs

THE UK education system includes studying a broad range of usually between seven and 11 subjects for examination in Year 11, at the aged of 16. This remains a highly valued way of assessing children’s education and a uniform platform for assessment, while at the same time preparing pupils for the world of work or higher education. GCSEs are recognised across the world as rigorous examinations which indicate pupils’ abilities across a range of subjects and skillsets fundamental to life beyond school.

The classic boarding school education, including studying for GCSEs, is much valued internationally, and is one of the reasons for the continued popularity of UK boarding schools with pupils and parents from the UK and all over the world. GCSEs are seen as academically rigorous across the world and they stand

up well internationally. The US High School Diploma roughly equates to five GCSE passes (at grade 5) and GCSEs are similar to the Chinese High School Entrance Exam (HSEE or Zhongkao), although the UK continues to offer a wider range of optional subjects.

Compulsory subjects for GCSEs and IGCSEs are English, Mathematics and the Sciences (either taken as three separate GCSEs, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, or as two GCSEs called Combined Science). There is a huge range of optional subjects on offer. At Downside, most pupils take nine or ten GCSEs with Modern Foreign Languages being popular, as well as Humanities, Music, PE, Computer Science, Art and Design. Downside is a Roman Catholic school and, as such, all pupils take Religious Studies. Other subjects taken include Russian and First Language Chinese. IGCSEs traditionally cater for international pupils and so there are a

wider range of subjects globally, offering everything from Accounting to Swahili.

EXPLAINING JARGON

Terminology and acronyms surrounding education are ever-increasing, and GCSEs and IGCSEs have not escaped this. The Department for Education sets the content to be studied at GCSE. The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) regulates qualifications and examinations across England and aims to maintain confidence in GCSE qualifications. It is a non-ministerial department and is independent of government, reporting to parliament. There are four different awarding bodies or examination boards: AQA, OCR, Pearson and WJEC/ Eduqas. These awarding bodies provide specifications for subjects offered at GCSE, and they are all members of the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). JCQ helps to ensure parity between the different awarding bodies and aims to allow for

common administrative arrangements for schools.

Because of the international nature of the IGCSEs, the awarding bodies set their own content and methods of assessment. The qualifications are mostly taken in independent schools or countries across the world, but the JCQ rules broadly apply.

CHOOSING SUBJECTS

As always, pupils choosing GCSE optional subjects should select the subjects they are good at, but that they also enjoy. It is also worth remembering some higher tariff universities require higher grades in Mathematics and English than the nationally accepted Grade 4 pass. GCSEs offer a wonderful chance for pupils to gain a really broad education, but this is not without significant challenge for pupils.

We now wait with anticipation, or trepidation, to see how the GCSE and IGCSE will evolve given the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT, the language processing tool. Will these render the setting of independent work redundant? Will the rise of AI make coursework obsolete? These questions will demand much attention over the next few months and years.

But in the meantime the GCSEs and IGCSEs remain robust, academically rigorous, highly valued and are, in part, one of the reasons for the UK’s rise up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PIZA) rankings.

□ Andrew became Head of Downside School in 2018, after ten years as Deputy Head. He was educated at Worth School and studied Classics at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He has taught in boarding schools since 1989, including Canford, where he was Head of Classics and subsequently a Housemaster. He believes that education happens most successfully when schools engage in a partnership with families built on trust and shared values. Married to Damaris, an NHS physiotherapist, they have four grown-up children.

The acquisition of any modern foreign language expands linguistic capability, enhances employability, enriches cultural understanding and helps to overcome communication barriers.

RACHEL REES, Acting Head at Monmouth School for Girls, reports.

PEOPLE in the UK are renowned for not speaking modern foreign languages. A survey published by the European Commission has revealed that 62 per cent of Brits are unable to speak any other language apart from English, proving them to be Europe’s worst language learners. The number of pupils in the UK taking GCSE languages has been in decline since its removal from the core GCSE curriculum in 2004.

However, the introduction of a new government programme is set to change the landscape, with schools selected to lead on boosting language interest in the UK. The benefits of learning a foreign language are plentiful. As well as economic benefits in terms of improved trading between countries worldwide, languages help us to meet new people, learn new skills and expand career opportunities, plus they make foreign travel easier.

Schools therefore have a responsibility to ensure pupils understand the advantages of studying a foreign language.

The benefits of modern foreign languages

In a boarding community where diversity is valued and different cultural backgrounds are celebrated, the study of modern foreign languages is more important than ever. It is important to ensure that pupils receive a broad linguist diet by choosing a linguistic focus and rationale upon which to base the curriculum. In UK schools, this focus is very often on Europe, with French, German and Spanish on the curriculum (although many independent schools also offer Russian, Mandarin, Arabic or Japanese). The aim is to equip pupils with a basic understanding and knowledge of the two main language systems of Europe – the Romance languages of the south and the Germanic languages of the north.

It is hoped that such a rationale will enable pupils to have a positive, enjoyable and informative experience of modern language teaching, encouraging an awareness of the communities at large, around the world, which share the target languages and cultures. In 2021, the British Council reported that French is still the most commonly taught language in

English secondary schools at Primary and Key Stage 3, with Spanish being the most popular A level choice.

CELEBRATING CULTURE

Language learning celebrates the cultural traditions and history of the target language while learning about the lifestyle and issues associated with young people today. In modern foreign language departments throughout the UK, it is important to enthuse and inspire pupils by offering a stimulating learning environment within the classroom. The emphasis should also be on learning beyond the classroom to allow full engagement and ultimately a love of the language, the country, its people and culture.

Visits or exchange programmes provide students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and culture of a country. Competitions are also a great way to get pupils involved with language. From poetry recitations and designing Christmas cards to songs and inter-school

debating competitions, there are no limits to what schools can offer pupils in language activities outside the classroom.

The Dresden Scholarship programme is an excellent initiative, where selected Year 13 students are sent to the University of Dresden to follow an academic programme, living and immersing themselves in student life in the city. The Oxford German Olympiad is another popular competition that gives students the opportunity to extend their subject knowledge and compete against other likeminded linguists at a national level. These opportunities enrich students and build confidence, giving them the chance to use their language in creative and imaginative ways.

Work experience abroad is also a fantastic addition to any CV and a great way to build confidence, learn new skills and improve communicating in the target language. It certainly benefited me as a sixth-form student and cemented my desire to follow a career in modern languages. Such initiatives also develop vocabulary and a firm grasp of grammar, enabling

pupils to achieve their potential in external examinations.

I am always amazed by the creativity of pupils when coming up with ideas to promote languages. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing pupils getting enthused and excited by something for which you share a mutual love. Pupils should be taught the benefit of language learning from an early age. They need to know that the acquisition of any language can expand linguistic capability, enhance employability, enrich cultural understanding and help to overcome communication barriers.

□ Rachel took on the Acting Head’s role at the start of the Summer term in 2023. She has previously been Senior Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Director of Sixth Form. Rachel has also taught at Langley Park School in Beckenham and The Ravensbourne School in Bromley. She has more than 23 years’ experience teaching Modern Foreign Languages throughout the key stages in both state and independent schools. Rachel completed a MEd (Educational Leadership and Management) at Buckingham University in 2022.

SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD’S UK BOARDING SCHOOL JOURNEY:

plying for a Child to simplify the application

information

need.

Are you considering the enriching opportunity of enrolling your child in a UK independent boarding school, but facing the burden of obtaining a visa? BSA Group Legal Services stands ready to guide you through the intricacies of the UK Child Student visa process, ensuring a smooth transition for your child.

Navigating the complexities of immigration law can be daunting, especially when it involves securing a Child Student visa for educational purposes. However, with our specialised expertise in immigration support, we offer comprehensive assistance every step of the way. From the initial consultation to providing detailed document guidance and liaising directly with the Home Office, BSA Group Legal ensures that all necessary procedures are expertly managed, alleviating the stress from your shoulders. This allows you to focus wholeheartedly on the excitement and anticipation of your child’s upcoming educational journey in the UK.

At BSA Group Legal, we understand the significance of a seamless transition to international student life. As part of the BSA Group, we offer truly integrated advice, providing tailored visa support to ensure that your family feels confident and prepared for this transformative experience.

Rely on BSA Group Legal as your trusted ally in realising your child’s educational dreams in the UK. With our unwavering dedication and support, you can embark on this path with assurance, knowing that every detail is meticulously handled with precision and care. Reach out to us today to begin your journey towards a seamless transition to UK boarding school life. Your child’s educational adventure awaits, and we are here to support you every step of the way.

legal@bsagroup.org.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)207 798 1583

www.boarding.org.uk/for-parents-pupils/visas-immigration/

School

fee planning

There are many things to consider when sending your child to boarding school, and a big subject is finance. ANDREW ASHTON, the Bursar at Radley College, highlights the various helps that is available.

DECIDING to invest in education can be the most important decision a parent makes. But operating a school is expensive. Almost two-thirds of the cost is in staff, the most valuable resource a school has. Money is also needed to pay for facilities, utilities, food and teaching resources.

There can be a wide range in fees to cover this cost according to age group, the school and what it offers. Extras add to the bill and schools have different approaches to this, so it is worth checking.

PLANNING FEES

Fees for a boarding education from 13 to 18 vary from around £60,000 (in a state boarding school where tuition is paid by the state) to more than £200,000. In 2022 to 23, the Independent Schools Council census reported that the average termly boarding fee

was £13,002. There is also uncertainty ahead, including with the probable introduction of VAT on school fees in the next year, if the new Labour government sticks to its controversial election pledge, and so the price of an education is likely to rise, even if schools do what they can to soften the impact. It is therefore important to prepare for paying fees. Financial planning can help reduce the burden, so do take professional advice. Planning should consider the following.

SPREADING THE COST

Schemes can help spread fee payments over a longer period to make them more affordable. One way of doing this is against the equity in the family house to spread fees over the term of the mortgage.

LUMP SUMS

Early investment reduces the need to use earnings for fees in later years. This

Photo with kind permission of Bedales School

approach can be tailored to individual requirements. Some schools offer schemes for advance fee payment. If you have a lump sum available, this is worth exploring, especially given recent volatility in interest rates.

REGULAR SAVING

Regular saving should start as soon as possible. The longer you save, the less the reliance on earnings when fees fall due.

PAYMENT PROTECTION

It is important to ensure the payment of fees can continue in the event of a change in circumstances. A lump sum can be provided by life insurance. Income protection plans can provide income in the event of specified illnesses or accidents. Fees refund schemes can provide cover in the event of absence through illness or accident.

TRUST PLANNING

Trust planning can be useful to make provisions for school fees and achieve inheritance tax benefits. Financial advice should be sought when establishing trusts.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

• Bursaries: many schools offer bursaries to help parents pay fees. These are awarded after a ‘means test’ of family income. Bursaries may be awarded in addition

to a scholarship where financial need is demonstrated, and the child would otherwise be unable to enter the school. Parents will usually be asked to complete an application, providing details of their financial circumstances with supporting evidence.

• Grants: charitable trusts can help in cases of need. For example, the Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF) supports children in the UK who are from challenging circumstances. The charity helps by providing grants and boarding school places for children who have suffered trauma, tragedy or neglect in their young lives. Details can be found at www.royalspringboard.org.uk or through the Directory of Grant Making Trusts at www.dsc.org.uk

• Scholarships: many schools offer scholarships to attract talented pupils. A scholarship is awarded for academic promise or based on ability in music, art or another specialism or all-round merit. They are usually awarded after a competitive examination and interview and take no account of financial need. Scholarships vary in value – they may be honorary accolades that come with no fee discount. In general, schools limit the

value of scholarships, such that any extra funding being awarded is strictly subject to financial need.

• Other educational awards: many schools offer awards to children of members of the Armed Services, clergy, teachers or other professions. Some support children of former pupils, single-parent families and orphans, or offer concessions for siblings.

There is much to consider and a great deal of financial help available. Read this guide thoroughly and explore schools’ websites. Above all, do not be afraid to ask schools how they can support your family. It can be a lengthy task, but potentially very worthwhile. Plan early and seek advice.

FURTHER INFORMATION

SFIA School Fees Planning Tel: 0845 4583690

webenquiry@sfia.co.uk www.schoolfeesadvice.org

□ Andrew Ashton was educated at Newcastle Royal Grammar School and Oxford University. After a career at Barclays and in consulting, Andrew has been Bursar at Radley College since 2008. Andrew has also served as a governor at a number of schools.

Photo with kind permission of Oakham School

A league-topping, Church of England, non-selective state day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 11-18

Affordable boarding from £5,100 per term

Located in the rural yet vibrant town of Bruton, Somerset - under 2 hours from London

Please come and visit to find out more www.sexeys.somerset.sch.uk admissions@sexeys.somerset.sch.uk

Useful contacts

GENERAL INFORMATION

Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) www.boarding.org.uk

Independent Schools Council (ISC) www.isc.co.uk

Department for Education (DfE) www.education.gov.uk

Independent Schools Show www.schoolsshow.co.uk

OVERSEAS PARENTS AND BOARDERS

BSA Certified Guardians

https://www.boarding.org.uk/bsa-initiatives/bsacertified-agent-scheme/ BSA Certified Agents www.boarding.org.uk/bsa-initiatives/bsa-certifiedagent-scheme/

British Council www.britishcouncil.org

Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS)

Email: RC-DCS-HQ-CEAS@mod.gov.uk

UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)

www.ukcisa.org.uk

UK National Information Centre for international qualifications and skills (UK ENIC) www.enic.org.uk

SPECIALIST SCHOOLS

Choir Schools’ Association (CSA) www.choirschools.org.uk

Music and Dance Scheme www.gov.uk/music-dance-scheme

BSA_Guide_85x125_Autumn24.indd 1 10/07/2024 09:53

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES (SEND)

British Dyslexia Association (BDA) www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils (CReSTeD) www.crested.org.uk

Dyslexia Action www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Disability Rights UK www.disabilityrightsuk.org

SSAFA www.ssafa.org.uk

OTHER USEFUL CONTACTS

Welsh Independent Schools Council (WISC) www.welshisc.co.uk

Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) www.scis.org.uk

Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) www.iseb.co.uk

Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) www.isi.net

International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) www.ibo.org

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) www.ucas.com

Educational Trusts’ Forum www.educational-grants.org

Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (Royal SpringBoard) www.royalspringboard.org.uk

ISC CONSTITUENT MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools (AGBIS) www.agbis.org.uk

Council of British International Schools (COBIS) www.cobis.org.uk

Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) www.gsa.uk.com

Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC) www.hmc.org.uk

Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) www.iaps.uk

Independent Schools Association (ISA) www.isaschools.org.uk

Independent Schools’ Bursars Association (ISBA) www.theisba.org.uk

Society of Heads www.thesocietyofheads.org.uk

RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS

Methodist Independent Schools Trust www.methodistschools.org.uk

Catholic Independent Schools’ Conference (CISC) www.catholicindependentschools.com

AFFILIATED ASSOCIATIONS

Naval Families Federation (NFF) www.nff.org.uk

Army Families Federation (AFF) www.aff.org.uk

RAF Families Federation www.raf-ff.org.uk

BSA member schools

UK MEMBERS

Abbey College, Cambridge

Abbey College, Manchester

Abbotsholme School

Abingdon School

Abrar Academy

Ackworth School

ACS International School Cobham

Adcote School

Aldenham School

Aldro School

Aldwickbury School

All Hallows School

Alliance Francaise

Amesbury School

Ampleforth College

Appleford School

Ardingly College

Ardvreck School

Ashfold School

Ashford School

Ashville College

Atlantic College

Aysgarth School

Badminton School

Barnard Castle School

Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School

Bath Academy

Battle Abbey School

Beachborough School

Beaudesert Park School

Bedales (incl Prep)

Bede’s Preparatory School

Bede’s Senior School

Bedford School

Bedstone College

Beech Grove School and Academy

Beechen Cliff School

Beechwood Park School

Beechwood Sacred Heart School

Beeston Hall School

Belhaven Hill School

Benenden School

Berkhamsted School

Bethany School

Bilton Grange School

Bishop’s Stortford College (incl Prep)

Bishopstrow College

Bloxham School

Blundell’s School

Bootham School

Bosworth Independent College

Boundary Oak School

Bournemouth Collegiate School

Box Hill School

Bradfield College

Brambletye School

Bredon School

Brentwood School

Brighton College

Brockhurst And Marlston House Schools

Brockwood Park School

Bromsgrove School (incl Prep)

Brooke House College

Brookes United Kingdom

Bruern Abbey School

Bryanston School

Brymore Academy

Buckswood School

Burford School

Burgess Hill Girls

Caldicott Preparatory School

Cambridge Tutors College

Campbell College

Canford School

Cardiff Sixth Form College

Cardiff Sixth Form College, Cambridge

Cargilfield Preparatory School

Carsterton Sedbergh Preparatory School

Caterham School

CATS College, Cambridge

CATS College, Canterbury (Worthgate School)

CATS College, London (Guildhouse School)

Chafyn Grove School

Charterhouse School

Chase Grammar School

Cheam School

Cheltenham College (incl Prep)

Cheltenham Ladies’ College

Cherwell College Oxford

Chetham’s School of Music

Chigwell School

Christ Church Cathedral School

Christ College, Brecon

Christ’s Hospital School

City of London Freemen’s School

Claremont School

Clayesmore Preparatory School

Clayesmore School

Clifton College

Clifton College Preparatory School

Cobham Hall School

Colchester Royal Grammar School

Concord College

Copthorne Preparatory School

Cothill House School

Cotswold Chine School

Cottesmore School

Cranbrook School

Cranleigh School (Incl Prep)

Culford School (Incl Prep)

Cumnor House School

Cundall Manor School

Dallam School

Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan

Darul Uloom London School

Dauntsey’s School

David Game College

Dean Close Preparatory School

Dean Close School

Dean Close St John’s

Denstone College

DLD College, London

Dollar Academy

Dorset House School

Dover College

d’Overbroeck’s

Downe House School

Downside School

Dragon School

Dulwich College

Dulwich Preparatory School, Cranbrook

Durham School

Eagle House School

Earlscliffe

Eastbourne College

Edgeborough School

Ellesmere College

Elmfield Rudolf Steiner School

Elmhurst Ballet School, Birmingham

Elstree School

Embley

Epsom College

Eton College

Exeter Cathedral School

Exeter College

Exeter Maths School

Fairview International School

Farleigh School

Farlington School

Farringtons School

Felsted School (incl Prep)

Feltonfleet School

Fettes College (incl Prep)

Five Islands Academy

Foremarke Hall, Repton Preparatory School

Forres Sandle Manor School

Framlingham College

Frensham Heights School (Incl Junior)

Frewen College

Fulneck School

Fyling Hall School Trust LTD

George Watson’s College

Giggleswick School

Glenalmond College

Godolphin School

Godstowe Preparatory School

Gordon’s School

Gordonstoun (Incl Junior)

Gresham’s School (incl Prep)

Haberdashers’ Adams

Haileybury

Hall Grove School

Handcross Park School

Hanford School

Harrogate Ladies’ College

Harrow School

Hatherop Castle Prep School

Hazlegrove Preparatory School

Headington School

Heath Mount School

Heathfield School

Hereford Cathedral School

Highfield School

Hockerill Anglo-European College

Holmewood House School

Holmwood House School (incl Prep)

Holyport College

Horris Hill School

Hurstpierpoint College

Hurtwood House School

International School of Creative Arts

Ipswich High School

Ipswich School

Jamea Al Kauthar

Jamia Al - Hudaa

Jersey College for Girls

Junior King’s School, Canterbury

Kensington Park School

Kent College Nursery, Infant and Junior School

Kent College, Canterbury

Kent College, Pembury (Incl Prep)

Keswick School

Kilgraston School

Kimbolton School

King Edward’s School, Witley

King William’s College, Isle of Man

Kingham Hill School

Kings Bournemouth

King’s College School, Cambridge

King’s College, Taunton

King’s Hall School

King’s High School, Warwick

King’s School , Rochester (Incl Prep)

King’s School, Bruton

King’s School, Ely (Incl Junior)

Kingsley School

Kingswood Preparatory School

Kingswood School

Kirkham Grammar School

Kitebrook Prep School

Lambrook School

Lancaster Royal Grammar School

Lancing College

Langley School

Lathallan School

Leighton Park School

Leweston School (Incl Prep)

Lime House School

Lincoln Minster School

Liverpool College

Llandovery College

Lockers Park School

Lomond School

Longridge Towers School

Lord Wandsworth College

Loretto School (Incl Junior)

Loughborough Grammar School

Luckley House School

Lucton School (incl Prep)

Ludgrove School

LVS Ascot

Maidwell Hall School

Malvern College

Malvern St James

Manchester City Football Club

Marlborough College

Marlborough House School

Marymount London

Mayfield School

Merchiston Castle School

Mill Hill School Foundation

Millfield Preparatory School

Millfield School

Milton Abbey School

Monkton Combe Preparatory School

Monkton Combe Senior School

Monmouth School for Boys

Monmouth School for Girls

Moor Park School

Moorland School

More House School

Moreton Hall School

Moulsford Preparatory School

Mount Kelly School (Incl Prep)

Mount St Mary’s College

Mowden Hall School

Moyles Court School

MPW London

Myddelton College

New Hall School

North London Grammar School

Northbourne Park School

Oakham School

Old Buckenham Hall School

Old Swinford Hospital

Orwell Park School

Oswestry School

Oundle School

Oxford International College

Oxford International College Brighton

Oxford Sixth Form College

Packwood Haugh School

Padworth College

Pangbourne College

Papplewick School

Perrott Hill School

Peter Symonds College

Pinewood School

Plymouth College

Pocklington School (Incl Prep)

Port Regis Preparatory School

Prestfelde School

Prior Park College

Prior’s Field School

Queen Anne’s School

Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate

Queen Margaret’s School

Queen Mary’s School

Queen’s College, Taunton (Incl Prep)

Queenswood School

Radley College

Ratcliffe College (Incl Prep)

Reading School

Reddam House Berkshire

Reed’s School

Rendcomb College

Repton School

Richard Huish College

Rikkyo School in England

Ripon Grammar School

Rishworth School

Rochester Independent College

Rockport School

Roedean School

Rookwood School

Rossall School

Royal Alexandra & Albert School

Royal High School, Bath

Royal Hospital School

Royal Russell School

Rugby School

Ruthin School

Ryde School with Upper Chine

Rye St Antony School (Incl Prep)

S.Anselm’s Preparatory School

Saint Felix School

Saint Ronan’s School

Salisbury Cathedral School

Sandroyd School

Scarborough College

Scarisbrick Hall School

Seaford College (Incl Prep)

Sedbergh School

Sevenoaks School

Sexey’s School

Shaftesbury School

Shebbear College

Sherborne Girls

Sherborne Preparatory School

Sherborne School

Sherfield School

Shiplake College

Shrewsbury School

Sibford School

Sidcot School

Slindon College

St Andrew’s College, Cambridge

St Andrew’s Preparatory School, Eastbourne

St Andrew’s School, Pangbourne

St Bees School

St Catherine’s, Bramley

St Christopher School

St Clare’s, Oxford

St David’s College, Llandudno

St Edmund’s School, Surrey

St Edmund’s College & Prep School, Hertfordshire

St Edmund’s School, Canterbury (Incl Junior)

St Edward’s Oxford

St Francis’ College

St George’s School, Ascot

St George’s School, Harpenden

St George’s School, Windsor

St George’s, Edinburgh

St Hugh’s Prep School, Lincolnshire

St Hugh’s Prep School, Oxfordshire

St John’s College School, Cambridge

St John’s College, Southsea

St John’s Beaumont Preparatory School

St John’s School, Leatherhead

St John’s School, Sidmouth

St Joseph’s College (Incl Prep)

St Lawrence College (Incl Junior)

St Leonards School, Fife

St Margaret’s School, Bushey

St Mary’s Calne

St Mary’s Music School

St Mary’s School, Ascot

St Mary’s School, Cambridge

St Michael’s School

St Paul’s Cathedral School

St Paul’s School, London

St Peter’s Prep School

St Peter’s School, York (incl St Olave’s)

St Swithun’s School

St Teresa’s School

Stamford Endowed Schools

Stamford Junior School

Stanborough Secondary School

Stephen Perse Foundation

Stewart’s Melville College

Steyning Grammar School

Stoke College

Stonar School

Stonyhurst College

Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall

Stover School (Incl Prep)

Strathallan School (Incl Prep)

Summer Fields School

Sunningdale School

Sutton Valence School (incl Prep)

Swanbourne House School

Talbot Heath School (Incl Junior)

TASIS, The American School in England

Taunton Preparatory School

Taunton School

Teikyo Foundation School

Terra Nova School

Terrington Hall School

Tettenhall College

The Chorister School

The Downs Malvern

The Duke of York’s Royal Military School

The Elms School

The Hammond School

The King’s School, Canterbury

The Leys School

The Mary Erskine School

The Montessori Place, Hove

The Mount School

The National Mathematics and Science College

The New Beacon School

The Oratory Preparatory School

The Oratory School

The Pilgrims’ School

The Prebendal School

The Purcell School for Young Musicians

The Read School

The Royal Ballet School

The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe

The Royal Masonic School for Girls

The Royal School, Armagh

The Royal School, Dungannon

The Royal School, Surrey

The Royal School, Wolverhampton

The Thomas Adams School

The Wellington Academy

Thetford Grammar School

Thornton College

Tonbridge School

Trent College

Tring Park School for the Performing Arts

Trinity School

Truro High School for Girls (Incl Prep)

Truro School

Tudor Hall School

Twyford School

Uppingham School

Vinehall School

Walhampton School

Warminster School (Incl Prep)

Warwick School

Wellesley House School

Wellington College

Wellington School

Wells Cathedral School (Incl Prep)

West Buckland School

West Hill Park School

Westbourne House School

Westbourne School

Westminster Abbey Choir School

Westminster Cathedral Choir School

Westminster School, Westminster

Westonbirt School (Incl Prep)

Whitgift School

Winchester College

Winchester House School

Windermere School

Windlesham House School

Wisbech Grammar School

Witham Hall School

Woldingham School

Woodbridge School

Woodcote House School

Woodhouse Grove School

Worksop College (Incl Prep)

Worth School

Wrekin College

Wychwood School (Oxford) Ltd

Wycliffe College (incl Prep)

Wycombe Abbey

Wymondham College

Wymondham College Prep School

Yehudi Menuhin School

EUROPEAN MEMBERS

A+ World Academy, Switzerland

Aiglon College, Switzerland

Alexandra College, Ireland

Amadeus International School, Austria

American Collegiate Institute, Turkey

Apex 2100, France

Bandon Grammar School

Berlin Brandenburg International School, Germany

Blackrock College, Ireland

Brillantmont International School, Switzerland

Cabella International Sahaja School, Italy

Ciscercian College

Clongowes Wood College, Ireland

College Alpin Beau Soleil, Switzerland

College Champittet, Switzerland

College du Leman International School, Switzerland

Complejo Educativo Mas Camarena, Spain

Ecole Jeannine Manuel, France

Exupery International School, Latvia

Glenstal Abbey School, Ireland

Hamelin Laie International School

Institut Montana Zugerberg, Switzerland

International School Eerde, Netherlands

International School of Milan

International School San Patricio Toledo

John F Kennedy International School, Switzerland

Kilkenny College, Ireland

King’s College, The British School of Madrid, Spain

La Garenne, Switzerland

Laude Lady Elizabeth School, Spain

Leysin American School, Switzerland

Lundsbergs Skola, Sweden

Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, Switzerland

Midleton College, Ireland

Open Gate Boarding School, Czech Republic

Préfleuri International Alpine School

Rathdown School, Ireland

Rockwell College, Ireland

Sage College

Saint Charles, Switzerland

SEK International School El Castillo

Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket, Sweden

Sotogrande International School, Spain

St Columba’s College, Ireland

St George’s International School, Switzerland

St Gilgen International School GmbH, Austria

St John’s International School, Belgium

St Louis School Milan

St Peter’s International School, Portugal

Surval Montreux, Switzerland

The Kings Hospital, Ireland

The Koc School, Turkey

Villiers School, Ireland

Wilson’s Hospital School

WORLDWIDE MEMBERS

Aga Khan Academy

Aitchison College

Benenden Bilingual School Guangzhou

Braeburn Garden Estate School

British International School Lagos

Bromsgrove International School, Thailand

Charterhouse Lagos

Episcopal High School, USA

Epsom College in Malaysia

Fettes Guangzshou

Frensham, Australia

Greensteds International School, Kenya

H Farm International School

Haileybury Bhaluka

Hangzhou Greentown Yuhua School, China

Harrow Innovation Leadership Academy Chongqing

Harrow Innovation Leadership Academy Nanning

Harrow International School Shenzhen Qianhai

Harrow Innovation Leadership Academy Zhuhai

Harrow International School Bangkok, Thailand

Harrow International School Bengaluru

Harrow International School Haikou

Harrow International School, Hong Kong

Harrow Appi Japan

Heritage Girls School

Huawei-Tongman Foreign Language School

Hulli School Nantong

Idyllwild Arts Academy, USA

Jerudong International School, Brunei

Kaiyo Academy

Kincoppal-Rose Bay, Australia

King Henry VIII College, Malaysia

Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar, Malaysia

Lady Eleanor Holles International School Foshan, China

The Lawrence School, Lovedale, India

The Lawrence School, Sanawar, India

M-PESA Foundation Academy

Marlborough College, Malaysia

Merchiston International School, China

Michaelhouse, South Africa

New School Georgia

Nord Anglia Guangzhou Panyu School

North London Collegiate School, Jeju, Korea

NUCB International College, Japan

Peponi School, Kenya

Pinegrove School, India

Prem Tinsulanonda International School, Thailand

Planet Spiti Boarding School

Pymble Ladies’ College, Australia

Regents International School Pattaya, Thailand

Ridley College

Rong Qiao Sedbergh School

Rugby School, Japan

School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA)

The Scindia School, Gwalior, India

Sela Qui International School, India

Selborne College

SEK International School El Castillo

Shenzhen International Foundation College

Shenzhen Foreign Languages GBA Academy

St Andrew’s College, South Africa

St Andrew’s Prep School Turi, Kenya

St Andrew’s Senior School Turi, Kenya

St Christopher Schools, Kenya

St Constantine’s International School

St George’s College, Argentina

The Sultan’s School

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai, UAE

Thailand KIS Reignwood Park School

The British School of Lome’, Togo

The Doon School, India

The Forman School, USA

The Hun School of Princeton, USA

The International School of Penang (Uplands), Malaysia

The International School, Bangalore, India

The King’s School, Australia

The Mayo College, India

The Regent Secondary School, Nigeria

Toowoomba Anglican School, Australia

United World College South East Asia, Singapore

Wellington College International Tianjin, China

Wellington College International Pune

Wellington College International Hangzhou

Welham Boys’ School, India

Welham Girls’ School, India

Westlake International School, Malaysia

Woodstock School, India

Whanganui Collegiate School, New Zealand

Wycombe Abbey School Changzhou, China

Wycombe Abbey School, Hangzhou, China

Wycombe Abbey School, Hong Kong

Wycombe Abbey School Nanjing, China

Y K Pao School

Yew Chung International School of Qingdao (YCIS -QD), China

Yew Wah International Education School of Guangzhou (YWIES-GZ) , China

Yew Wah International Education School, Zhejiang Tongxiang Campus, (YWIES-TX), China

Yew Wah School of Shanghai Changning. (YWIES - GB), China

Yew Wah International Education School of Shanghai Lingang (YWIES - SHLG), China

There Future Service Parents Guide Autumn

theirfuture Service Parents’ Guide to Boarding Schools

Foreword

Dear parent

NAVIGATING SUCCESS

GORDON’S SCHOOL, SURREY

DORSET

ST LAWRENCE COLLEGE KENT

Sherborne united!

Scotland’s biggest junior cross-country

Powerchair football star

Queen Anne’s 130th birthday

Thornton’s top marks

New Year start for Sturt

Queen Ethelburga’s military offer

Pupil becomes Head

L ancaster Royal G rammar School

State Day and Boarding School for Boys Aged 11 to 18

Coeducational Sixth Form

CHOOSING SCHOOLS

What about boarding schools?

INTERNATIONALISM

RESILIENCE

INDEPENDENCE

MORE FREE TIME

CONNECTIONS AND COMMUNITY

CHOOSING A BETTER FIT

What makes a good boarding school?

How boarding schools are inspected

ENGLAND

SCOTLAND

WALES

NORTHERN IRELAND

ISLE OF MAN

OUTSIDE THE UK

SUPPORTING BOARDING SCHOOLS

Reddam’s outdoors approach to the metaverse

Questions for school visits

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

16-18 CURRICULUM

EXAM RESULTS

SCHOOL LIFE

INTERNET USAGE

CHILD PROTECTION

OTHER QUESTIONS

AFTER VISITING

MOST IMPORTANT

Q&A

SCHOOLS FOUNDED BY THE MILITARY

Being a Dukie is an amazing experience

EXCELLENT RESULTS

PASTORAL CARE

VAST OPPORTUNITIES

APPLCIATIONS

Navigating the future

SMALL CLASS SIZES

POSITIVE IMPACT

Improving the lives of others

THOROUGH PREPARATION

Life at a state boarding school

MODERN LIFE

STEPPING STONES

Choosing state boarding

BOARDING SCHOOL

The benefits of sixth-form boarding

IT’S AFFORDABLE

State

boarding schools

State boarding schools

Schools together in partnership

CHARITABLE STATUS

PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES

WORKING TOGETHER

THE FUTURE

Building character and future success

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

KINDNESS AND COMPASSION

Philanthropy, kindness and compassion

DONATING TIME

Making a difference to young people’s lives