Bed & board

Boarding school once meant saying goodbye until the end of term but different options are now available to suit your family’s needs

Living at school can be daunting especially if it’s your child’s first time away but far from the once rather cold ‘institutionalised’ experience, they now offer a much more holistic approach. 

Many run taster weekends and allow new pupils to start before existing ones return while buddies and mentors will help new faces settle in. But which option suits your family best – full, weekly or flexi boarding? 

As the name suggests with full boarding, pupils are at school from the start of term to half-term and so on. All will also have at least one exeat every half term where all pupils (with a few exceptions) will go home. Most schools also encourage family visits and outings for dinner or tea. 

While the number of full boarding schools is declining there are still a few offering the all-round experience. 

Weekly boarding is a popular option combining the best of both worlds and is ideal for pupils living too far away to be day pupils or whose parents work long hours or shifts. Pupils enjoy being with friends in the week and can focus on their education and then really ‘let their hair down’ and relax and have fun with parents and siblings at the weekend, making it real quality time for all. 

Flexi boarding is a relatively recent addition to the offering with ad hoc stays as and when necessary, on rather a hotel-like arrangement which can cause headaches for all involved. However, unlike a hotel, most will not allow spontaneous ‘bookings’ and ask that parents book these ad hoc stays at the beginning of term. This can be a bonus if parents know they have work trips away coming up. Definitions of flexi vary between schools, so check the offering suits you and your needs. 

While it can be complicated for schools to manage, flexi boarding could be the answer for after school activities one or two nights a week, (I remember being in a school production of Oliver which over ran so much on the first night we didn’t finish until midnight), or if you want to ‘test drive’ boarding. Schools that offer flexi boarding will likely have some spare beds and many will always try to help out at short notice if there’s a family emergency. 

Boarding means you’ll never be ‘bored’ at school. 

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