benefits of boarding schools

8/6/2019 Benefits of Boarding Schools

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BENEFITS OF BOARDING SCHOOLS

Listing Boarding school benefits could be very extensive because there are many depending on

many factors. Below you will find some benefits of boarding that we consider the most

important:

1. Students from boarding schools are encouraged to live by themselves and take their owndecisions. They have to take their own decisions, be responsible with their belongings and duties,

organize their time, etc. Also the strict rules help them get used to a well ordered life. The schoolstaff is composed by professionals who will help the student in any way they need, there are

different kinds of professionals such as doctors, nurses, psychologists, teachers, etc. All of thenwill have the responsibility.

2. Boarding schools have fewer students than common schools so this makes the teaching

process easier and personal. Students can get more time with their teachers asking for help,consulting or interacting. Boarding school classes are smaller so teachers can know better and

encourage each student in the classroom easily.

3. Since boarding schools are private, they have the possibility to hire more qualified teachers

and other members of the staff, with advanced degrees. Having quality teachers improve

students academic education and boarding schools know it, thats why their investment inacademic staff is higher than other institutions.

4. Boarding schools are located inside extensive areas with lots of facilities. Since it's a school,

home and leisure area, it has everything needed for students such us libraries, sports fields,science laboratories, swimming pools, theatres and also the best equipment for each place.

5. As well as good staff, boarding schools care about having the better facilities and resources.They are often established in the countryside set in huge grounds, with the best resources such aswide sports fields, all the necessary equipment, well-stocked libraries and well-equipped science

laboratories. These resources are available for students even outside the school day time, thusthey can enjoy their free time.


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6. Another benefit of boarding is that the faculty members are available for students longer thanin normal schools. Students can consult then even outside the classroom, ask for academic help

in the campus, in extracurricular activities and more.

7. Boarding schools are a good alternative for children whose parents are rarely at home because

of work and obligations. A Boarding school offers the possibility for children to live and study

safely in a peaceful environment constantly supervised by school staff.

8. At Boarding schools, students friendship are stronger, they make lifelong relations. Since

students share their lives together, they learn how to solve difficult situations, problems so theysocialize better with others. This friendship extends to teachers and other school staff that

become a family.


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WHAT IS A BOARDING SCHOOL?

A Boarding school is private school that works as a residential house where students live in

dormitories within the school campus. They spend their weeks combining academic classes,

sports and other extracurricular activities.

Students are away from their homes, living a residential life which helps to develop theirindependence making them more mature. Teachers are always around, some of them even live in

the campus, helping students with their worries and supervising their academic progress.

About the building

A common boarding school has a building with several residential houses within the school

campus or around it. The residential house includes personal bedrooms, a library, a dining room,where students take meals following a schedule, a hall implemented with desks and chairs and all

the necessary material for students to do their homework.

The most used system to distribute students is shared rooms for younger students, while the older

students are usually housed in double or single rooms. There are also common rooms for

watching television and any other kind of relaxation, a place to storage bicycles and sportsequipment, and kitchens for some snacks.

About School Meals

Another important aspect are meals, they generally provide three meals every day that consist onbreakfast, lunch and dinner. Theres a large shared dinning room by students of different grades

and school staff.

About the food service, boarding schools generally have a self service staff but sometime theyhire a catering service which provides meals every day. Its important to mention if any childrenrequire and special diet so it can be provided too.


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About Parents Visits

Parents can visit their children whenever they want, but they have to notify the director, housemaster/mistress or their childrens teachers, first. This is in order to ensure that the student will

be available at that time, but if theres any emergency; parents are allowed to talk with anyauthority and talk or take his children home.

About School Schedule

Students generally have classes from Monday to Friday. Boarding schools give one afternoonper week for trips, projects, sports, drama rehearsals, theatre and museum visits, etc.

On Saturdays mornings students participate in sporting activities, matches in football, hockey,rugby, basketball, etc with competing teams from the school or outside the school. Sometimesthere are some shopping expeditions outside the school and coordinated and supervised by a

house master/mistress.

On Sundays mornings students can go to the church, then write letters to their parents and in theafternoon there can be outings to local places.

WHY A BOARDING SCHOOL?

Parents always look the best option for their children and choosing a boarding school could be adifficult decision. However, a boarding school is a good option if what they want is to improve

their children independence, confidence as well as many other qualities.

There are also further reasons why a boarding school has many benefits for student's academic

development, some are listed below:

Good environment


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A boarding school provides a good environment. Students develop their skills in a different way,because they are encouraged to grow in an unfamiliar place where they have to do everything by

their own. Of course teachers will be there guiding their steps and correcting them. Teachers areregularly available and accessible during the day, which makes academic help easier.

Being at Home

Boarding schools care about transmitting the sensation of being at home Home away fromhome. Students will also find people from different cultures and places learning tolerance and

mutual respect for others. It's a good option for international people too because they will learnto speak english fluently.

Faculty Quality

The Quality of faculty is another great characteristic of boarding schools, they have advanceddegrees specialties. At the same time boarding schools are located in beautiful locations with

great architecture and places for everything like theatres, stadiums, laboratories, clubs, pools andothers.

Boarding schools offer a whole complete package that includes academic education, sportstraining, and social life, everything with full time supervision. All of these advantages representa huge bonus for busy parents, who dont have enough time to supervise their children. Parents

wont have to worry about what their children are doing when they arent near.

Nowadays Boarding schools are considered a good option for education, they are generally private

schools that offers students preparation, personal growth, self confidence and independence. They still

offer practicality for parents that sometimes dont have enough time to take care of and protect their

children, but still want the best for them.


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Boarding schools keeps you apart from family

There are several boarding schools around US and other countries. You can find a boarding

school within a reasonable distance of your home. Also now with internet connection and

cellular phones makes easier to contact family and friends. Also to help the boarding students

keep in touch with their families, boarding schools have public phones set up in dorms andaround campus, wireless internet access throughout the campus.

If parents are worried about their children, they can easily call up the dorms supervisors and they

will immediately communicate with your children.

Boarding schools are boring

Despite some opinions Boarding schools in general are enjoyable. There are many weeklyactivities planned for students, these activities take place during school days afternoon andweekends. Some activities include competitions between dorms, competitions such as sports,

dances, food eating contests, and parties. The funniest activities are on weekends includingactivities such as hiking, biking, camping, mall visit, excursions, visit beach, and fishing trips.

FACTS OF BOARDING SCHOOLS

Many myths are weaved around boarding schools, but the real facts are the ones you have to

know. The following are some facts of most Boarding Schools:

Within the school students build strong friendships not only with classmates but with teachersand faculty members. Friends and faculty are like family and they learn to stand each other.

Boarding schools provide help and assistance 24 hours per day. At home, sometimes parentsdon't spend too much time with their children because of their work schedules so boardingschools offer safe guidance. This is so beneficial to parents who are always worried about their

childrens future, because at a boarding school students will be supervised and attended.

Students learn to do things by their own. In consequence they value more their parents effortsof putting them in such school. They gain experience, independence, make their own decisions,front difficulties. All these aspects will mold their character and personality.


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The majority of boarding schools are residential. Students reside on rooms within the campus.

They are divided in groups following their age, for every group there is a dining room, a librarywhere they can do their homework. The number of dorms depends on the age of children the

younger ones sometimes sleep in the same dorm and the older ones have a personal dorm.

Schools have high qualified teachers with advanced degrees. Boarding schools demand thebest teachers for their students. Sine they are private and have their own budgets, boardingschools spend a big percentage of their incomes in education, they hire the best teachers.

Boarding schools way of life can be described in different aspects, academic, social or students

activities, etc, see below some general aspects of boarding school life:

Boarding schools academic life is the same as in private or public schools.

Boarding schools academic life is the same as in private schools or public schools. Students have

classes with a full schedule in the mornings, teachers take exams when needed, they still givehomework and the curricula are the same as any other school or longer.

The difference remains mainly in the relationship between teachers and students, it doesn't end

with classes, and teachers are very involved in students life, not only in the academic field but

personal. Trust in young pople is very important because if the student has problems he willcomunicate with teachers so further problems can be warned then avoided.

The day starts around 7:00 am, students have one hour for breakfast then the classes start at 8:00,

then theres a 20 minutes break at 10:50, lunch is taken around 12:00 or 12:30, they return toschool around 13:00, ending classes around 15:00. The following is a general daily schedule thatcould vary among schools.

Wake up


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7:00 7:50

Breakfast

8:05 9:101st class session

10:50 11:10Break

10:50 11:10

2nd Class session

11:10 12:30

2nd Class session

12:30 13:20Lunch

13:20 15:00

3rd Class session

13:00 !8:00

Sports or Free Time

18:00 19:00Dinner

19:00 21:00

Study or Homework

21:00 23:00

Lights out

Friendship at a boarding school is closer and stronger.


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Friendship at a boarding school is closer and stronger. Students classmates become a part of

their family, like siblings. They spend every hour, every day of their lives together, sharing,

talking, arguing and everything brothers or sisters usually do. Students help, support and push

each other, because none of their parents will be near, they learn how to be independent andresponsible. It's said that one year of friendship at a boarding school is equal to seven years in anormal school.

Activities in boarding schools

There are not only physical activities. At the playing fields students can also watch TV together,

sail, hike and any other outdoor activities. There are clubs also, where students can join in groupsand take part of their favorite, there is the school band, a painting club among others. Boardingschools also have social groups, such as painting clubs, school band, math clubs, science clubs,

chest clubs and others.

Dorm Life

Dorm life hows the life at the dormitories? Well this is the main difference between boardingschools and other types of school. Students have to take into account that the entire dorm is theirhomes, so they have to be respectful with to everything and their neighbors.

Since dorm life is very similar to college life this allows students to experiment what they will gothrough in the future. There are check in every week day at 7:30 am. Teachers also live next to

them which can be good, and bad. In case theres any homework, students just go and ask but ifstudents dont do their homework teachers will know why and there wont be any excuses.

Boarding schools system is very effective, the teaching method allow having fewer students sotheres no overcrowding and students learn better with more attention. Boarding schools offer acloser coordination and supervision from parents to monitor the status of the students.


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Read the handbook about school rules and dress code. Living at school makes you theirliability, so they act like your parents. Know all rules and consequences; being late to sign-in or

missing study hall could mean detention, even though it's when you would normally be donewith class. The dress code will help you shop, but remember to also bring after-class or weekend

clothes, too!

y Think this boarding school as college. You are going to be away from home; you aregoing to be independent; you are going into the world as though you are out of the nest.

y Try to meet people. You are going to need to meet people and have friends in order to getthrough the year.

Students who decided to go to boarding school have the same feeling of excitement and

curiosity like other students who choose other institutions. The only difference is that studentswho go to boarding schools live in the school campus during the period of their study. Boardingschools have everything you want like the academic facilities for your learning, space for your

study, your own room for rest and even the safety you desire. You may notice that otherboarding schools make use of technologies like photovoltaique technology to ensure protection

of the students and to save energy for the school as well. Leaving home and living in a newenvironment will not be as easy especially for freshman students. So here are some few tips for

students on how to prepare for boarding school life.

y Prepare the things you need in the boarding school. You can also call the boarding schooland ask what you can and cannot bring inside the campus. You should better write it

down so as not to forget it.y Visit your boarding school aside from the usual school tour offered. This will give you

enough knowledge about the school and its campus. A personal tour will help youidentify every corner of the school campus which will be your new home.

y Prepare in advance. Early preparation will lessen the feeling of rush and nervousness.You can also avoid forgetting something if you organize your things early.

y Ask the school about your roommates and some information about them. In this way youwill have few ideas about the person whom you will share your space for the whole year.

y Let your parents and friends talk about their own boarding school experiences if theyhave one. This will provide you information and advices on how to adjust a new life

inside the boarding school.y Dont forget to stay in contact with your parents. You may have a cell phone of your own

or send e-mails to them.

Any form of communication will do as long as you think its the best way to communicate with

your parents.Boarding school life may not be easy but this will be another experience for students who seek

for knowledge and students will also learn on how to become responsible and independentindividuals in the future


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There are a lot of choices when it comes to boarding school. There are boarding schools forgirls, boy boarding schools, therapeutic boarding schools, military boarding schools and many

more. Whatever parents and students choose among different types of boarding schools theyhave to remember some important things.

yCurriculum Whether it is a private, public, boys or girl boarding school it must have aconcentration on a strong curriculum. Choosing a boarding school that focuses on havingthe best curriculum will assure parents that their children is receiving the best and quality

education. As parents you should check the schools syllabus or catalog to be able toknow what type of education your kids can acquire from the boarding school.

y Type of boarding school you can choose among various types of boarding schools foryour children. There are boarding schools exclusive for boys and girls, religious boarding

schools and military type of boarding school. You can select any type you want as longas you believe that the boarding school you choose is best for your kids.

y Class size Students have different talents and skills and these can be enhanced withthe help of the school. There are some students who progress in their academic

performance with a smaller setting while others excel in larger institutions. To be able topick the right boarding school, be sure to ask your kids on what they prefer.

y Costs Boarding schools may differ from other institutions when it comes to its costs.So if you really want to send your kids to a boarding school you should be financially

prepared. You can also do advanced inquiries on boarding schools that are not tooexpensive yet can give your kids the quality education they need.

y Environment A good boarding school must have a safe environment, so before youfinally decide to settle in a boarding school take a tour inside the campus. Walk along the

grounds and visit the buildings. Check everything making sure that your kids are securedand safe in that boarding school. Good thing there are also some boarding schools that

use panneau solaire to prevent their school from natural disasters and also to saveenergy.

Choosing a good boarding school for your kids will help them achieve their ambitions. Excellent

education is always a big factor in making your kids excel in their studies and academicperformance so make careful and wise decision in choosing your kids boarding school.


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The decision of studying in boarding schools is not easy for students and for the family as well.

The physical absence of family and friends, a new environment and the responsibility to face are some

reasons that make the decision of choosing boarding school even harder.

But if you want to have change in your life in the future you must take the risk of being student.

Choosing boarding schools is the best move if you aim for a successful career in the future.

Your dream to become a professional doctor, a teacher or having an MBA in the business field can only

be realized when you are in a school that will give you an excellent education. Boarding School is the

best option if you think of a better future because boarding schools offer opportunities that cannot be

claimed in other schools. This is true when it comes to challenging your potential in academics. In

boarding schools, complacency is not enough that is why it sets a high standard in their academics.

Boarding schools challenged students to go beyond their limits in their academic performance. Students

are trained to become competitive and encouraged to do extremely well in their studies.Boarding

School offers a diverse curriculum that will develop the full potential of the students and this includes

the athletic and extra curricular activities such as giving chances to students to explore by giving a term

to study in other countries. Students will be sent to other countries to meet new things that will help

them learn. This could be in Spain where they can stay in hcc hotel if they dont have any relatives or

friends or they could either be sent to other Europe countries. Wherever their destination is, learning isthe most important thing that every student should remember.Boarding school is also a venue where

students develop the attitude of taking responsibilities for their selves. Living alone is difficult but to be

able to overcome this, students must learn to take care of themselves and make choices for their own

good. Good thing boarding schools have supportive faculty that will help every student gain maturity,

discipline and self confidence that will lead them to a successful life.Boarding schools perceive

education in a wide perspective. Boarding schools give emphasis to helping students not only in

educating them inside the class room but also transforming them into better and productive individuals.

Pack something that reminds you of home. This way you can battle homesickness and feel

more at home while at school.

Remind yourself that this is only temporary, and you can return home once the session is

over. Boarding school may seem intimidating because you have to leave your home. But it's

only for a short time, though it may seem longer.

Boarding school life may not be easy but this will be another experience for students who

seek for knowledge and students will also learn on how to become responsible and

independent individuals in the future.

y When your children go to boarding school, allow them to take along some reminders of

home that are meaningful to themfamily pictures, favorite toys or books, pictures to

hang, a special pillow or blanket.

y Provide your children with some tangible reminder of your love to take along to the

boarding school. Affirm your love to them and be sure they understandand feelthat


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you are not sending them away because they are a bother to you or keep you from doing

things that are more important to you than they are.


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Preparing Children for Boarding School

by Nick and Dora Pauls

Editor's Note: In response to a request for guidance on helping children and their families makethe transition to a residential or boarding school, the Pauls prepared the following suggestions.We invite others to share their comments and suggestions with the response devise at the end,

including suggestions of things the family can do during the time the child is actually away atschool.

1. Remember that going to boarding school is a major transitionfor the child and thefamily. Learn all you can about the skills needed to handle other transitions in life

successfully and seek to apply them when facing the transition to boarding school.2. Be sensitive to the individual needs of your children. Children are not all ready at the

same age to face separation from parents. If one of your children seems particularly

insecure and fearful of the separation, investigate other options for that childs educationto allow for additional maturity. A year or two delay may prevent many years ofdifficulty later.

3. Get as much information as possible about the boarding school before sending yourchildren. Find out about its purpose, philosophy, discipline, rules, the

expectations/privileges/restrictions for you as parents. If you dont understand something,seek clarification from appropriate sources.

4. If at all possible, visit the boarding school and meet the boarding home parents with yourchildren before you have to leave them there. This will give you, as a family, an

opportunity to talk specifically about what it might be like for your children to go there,and they will be able to go to a place that is at least somewhat familiar. You as parents

will also be able to visualize your children in their setting when they are away from you.All of these things make it easier to maintain a sense of being connected even when

you are physically separated.5. Talk about the boarding school experience well in advancebe realistic about what will

be enjoyable and what will probably be difficult. Express your feelings honestly, andencourage your children to do so as wellwithout trying to talk them out of feeling the

way they do or telling them they shouldnt feel a certain way.6. When your children go to boarding school, allow them to take along some reminders of

home that are meaningful to themfamily pictures, favorite toys or books, pictures tohang, a special pillow or blanket.

7. Provide your children with some tangible reminder of your love to take along to theboarding school. Affirm your love to them and be sure they understandand feelthat

you are not sending them away because they are a bother to you or keep you from doingthings that are more important to you than they are.

8. Openly communicate with your children that you will miss them and that, because ofyour deep love for them, you too feel emotional pain in being separated from them. (In

years past, some parents have tried to hide their feelings from their children, thinking thatto show emotions and tears when saying good-bye would make it harder for their


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childrenonly to find out later that the children interpreted that to mean their parentswerent sad to see them leave and so probably didnt love them very much.)

9. Discuss and make provision for ways to keep in touch while your children are away atschool. Keep them informed about what you are doing. Share prayer requests and

answers with them. Research indicates MKs who feel in some way involved in their

parents ministry (either directly or through information and prayer) fare better as adultsthan those who dont feel involved in any way. Encourage regular and honestcommunication from your children. Show them you are interested in the events,

relationships, struggles, joys, accomplishments, and failures of their lives. Respond totheir communication in a positive way without criticism.

10.When you become aware that your child is struggling or having discipline problems, seekto get as much information as possible before taking any drastic action. Listen carefully

to your childs side of the story along with the childrens home parents or teachers side.If possible, go to the boarding home so you can deal with the issue in person with the

purpose of seeking to do what is best for your childto help him/her become a betterperson as a result of any action taken. Find ways of affirming your love to your child

even when his or her behavior is unacceptable.11.If at all possible, get to know some of the significant others who will be part of yourchildrens lives while they are at boarding school:

a. Get to know the boarding home parents and let them get to know you. A mutualrelationship of trust and appreciation for each other will help you work together tohelp your children grow and mature into healthy, wholesome adults and to point

them to a personal relationship with the Lord. Let them know of some of thespecial likes/dislikes of your children. If your children like some special ethnic

food, ask to teach the childrens home parents how to prepare it (even provide theingredients if they are unusual) so they can make it for your children for some

special occasion like a birthday.b. Try to meet the teachers who will be teaching your children. Tell them of any

special needs or interests your children have. Let them know of any experiencesyour children have had that may affect their ability to concentrate on school work

so the teacher can be sensitive to them.c. Get acquainted with classmates and friends of your children. This will make it

easier for you to understand your childrens communication about their peers.d. Attend the fellowship or place of worship your children will attend. Meet and

introduce your children to their Sunday school teacher, youth sponsor, etc., sothey will feel there is a familiar face in the crowd. It will help make this less

frightening.e. If a family of similar ethnic origin is in the area where your children will be

attending boarding school, perhaps they would be willing to be someone withwhom your children can speak their own language, eat familiar foods, etc.

12.Involve your children in planning how to spend their school vacation time. Spend timetogether doing some special family things. During extended time periods at home, it is

also a good idea to let your children see you involved in the daily routine of your ministry(and have them participate as appropriate) so they can envision and understand what you

are doing when they are away from you.


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13.While your children are at home, develop spontaneous, natural ways to talk about thingsyou want to affirm and build in your children, such as:

a. extended family relationships (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins),understanding and appreciation for home country culture, as well as discernment

about the positive and negative aspects of that culture

b.

your family's values and beliefsc. personal relationship with the Lordd. the ministry to which He has called your family and how each individual family

member contributes to ite. appreciation/respect for the host culture (or any person or group whose life-style

is different from your own)f. discernment in evaluating those aspects of the host culture (or any other

individual or group whose life-style is different from your own) that are in linewith your family and values and those that are not.

14.Build your childrens confidence in taking responsibility and making decisions that are inagreement with internal values and convictions so they will not be as easily influenced by

external pressures to participate in questionable behavior when they are away from home.15.Most importantly, build and nurture strong and loving relationships within the familylong before you face the transition to boarding school. The confidence that Mom and Dadlove each other and their children regardless of circumstances, performance,

achievement, and physical separation will help provide stability and security in the midstof transition and change, including the transition to boarding school.

Reprinted from the December 1995 issue ofParents Teaching Overseas.


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In this day and age children are familiar with the concept of going away from home to learn thanks to

the Harry Potter books and films for some therefore the thought of boarding school will be exciting,

for others, terrifying! Its important to begin at the beginning and explain what modern day schools are

like! Whilst some are still housed in fascinating and beautiful old buildings, all have a very modern

outlook on the pastoral care of the child! Sorting these concerns out from the word go is essential you

do not want your child frightened, intimidated or even overawed at the thought of going away to

school.


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Helping Your Child Prepare for Boarding

School

Constructive and practical advice for any parent actively thinking about boarding school as thebest option for their expatriate children

For many parents the best option for their children is to enrol them in a quality boarding schoolback home where they will benefit from a consistent approach to their education, and where

schooling standards will not decline and thus potentially negatively impact on the childs future.However, boarding school is a big change for children who are unaccustomed to spending long

periods away from home, and in this article we examine how parents can help their childrenprepare for boarding school.

The new term time has just begun in many nations across the world, for some children this

means a new school, for others it means a new school in a new country. And if youve justenrolled your child at an international or local school abroad in your new country of residenceand youre actively concerned about the establishment in question, you may be actively seeking

an alternative educational solution. Boarding school is the preferred option of the majority ofexpatriate parents who cannot find adequate schooling for their children overseas.

So, how do you broach the subject with your child? Well, chances are your child will be aware

of their new schools deficits and problems, or, if you have yet to move overseas, perhaps theywill already be concerned about having to learn a new language in order to understand their

teachers or having to learn a whole new school system and curriculum. The most aware childrenwill be the ones most likely to respond positively to the thought of a boarding school.

In this day and age children are familiar with the concept of going away from home to learn

thanks to the Harry Potter books and films for some therefore the thought of boarding schoolwill be exciting, for others, terrifying! Its important to begin at the beginning and explain what

modern day schools are like! Whilst some are still housed in fascinating and beautiful oldbuildings, all have a very modern outlook on the pastoral care of the child! Sorting these

concerns out from the word go is essential you do not want your child frightened, intimidatedor even overawed at the thought of going away to school.

The next most important thing to get right in negotiations with your child is that going away toschool is not a punishment. Go over the options that you as a parent/child unit have for getting

the best education possible for your childif the absolute best and most compelling choice isboarding school, slowly your child should come to accept the idea!

When choosing a school many parents go by word of mouth recommendation or from online

research however, one should ideally pick a school for the specific child rather than a genericgood school this is because every child is unique, and each independent boarding school has

its own methods and ways of teaching and nurturing. For example, some schools are morefocused on the academic side of learning and therefore ideally suited to children who are


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naturally academically gifted, others place greater emphasis on sporting activities, some havespecial facilities and teachers for those with learning difficulties. Be honest and realistic about

your child and which method of teaching could suit them best. We all know how awful andpushy some parents can be and how they make their childs life a misery by forcing them to

study subjects they hate or are clearly no good at dont be a pushy parent! Focus on your

childs strengths and likes, and try and find a school that will nurture these.

Looking online can be a good way to get an initial feel for a school, sending off for the

prospectus is the next step but a decision can only really be made once the whole family hasvisited the school in question and seen it with teachers and pupils in situ. This gives you a

chance to get a feel for what its like on a day to day basis, to observe how the other children arebehaving and coping, and for all of you including your child to ask as many questions of as

many people as possible.

Once a decision has been reached, make sure you spend at least another day more if you canafford the time taking your child back to the school whether it be during term time or the

holidays. Your child needs to build up a sense of familiarity with their new surroundings so thatthey are not intimidated or scared before they arrive.

Prior to their arrival get a special calendar for your child and mark on it their holidays, dayswhen there are treats or days out planned at the school, weekends when you will visit or they will

come and see you, and all the things they have to look forward to. This will always enable themto look ahead and see something positive on the horizon if ever they feel homesick or have a

difficult day.

Next up you need to think about communication some schools allow children to phone homewhenever they want, others are more strict and restrict telephone contact to once a week to

prevent the children getting disrupted and upset.P

rior to scheduled phone calls it makes a hugedifference if you are permitted to speak to your childs personal or year tutor so that you can be

made aware of any issues as well as find out about the high points for your child that week.Then, when you speak to your child you can anticipate the negative that they may report to you

and focus on all the positive things instead and ensure the phone call is a happy and constructive,affirming one that leaves your child confident and reassured rather than depressed or negative.

When you and your child decide that a boarding school is the best option, make sure your child

knows that they have to commit to the school for a year. If they know that they have to stick itout for that long they are far more likely to make the effort they need to settle in, make friends

and establish themselves. The children who suffer, struggle and leave are often those who haveno incentive to try harder and who know that there is a get out option.

Keep active communication lines open weekly with your childs tutor, find out exactly what theyare up to the highs, the lows and the challenges and treats they have to look forward to. You

can then be on the same level as your child and if you anticipate any issues, you can clearlycommunicate these to the tutor so that they keep a closer eye on your child or give them any

extra attention they need. Also encourage your child to communicate openly explain that youare there in the event of a serious issue, but that the every day ups and downs are handled by


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certain key staff members such as housemasters and mistresses, and that if ever they have anyworries they must speak to an adult at the school.

Finally, send letters, emails, postcards and packages to your child at least once a week the

difference that it can make to a childs life when they are reminded that they are being thought

of, that they are important and special to you is immense. And whats more, the worst thing thatcan happen to a child away from home is disappointment when they go with all their friends toget mail and they get none. Even if you never hear a word in return or a word of thanks, dont

forget to keep sending communication!


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WHY ATTEND BOARDING SCHOOL?

Living on campus is an important part of your educational experience here at Southwestern. As

you live with classmates from around the world, youll learn more about other cultures and

expand your horizonsand have lots of fun! There is always someone around to hang out with,

help with that math problem, or lend a listening ear when you need one. In our dorms and in ourclassrooms, lifelong friendships are made.

Boarding schools receive high marks from their students. Recent research shows boardingschools deliver big benefits.In a national survey,* students said:

Student Quote

Public

SchoolStudents

Private

Day SchoolStudents

Boarding

SchoolStudents

My school is academicallychallenging.

50% 70% 91%

I have high-quality teachers. 51% 62% 90%I was very well prepared for college. 39% 71% 87%

The survey also found that, compared to day students, boarding students:

y Devote more time to homework and extracurricular activities(and significantly less time watching TV)

y Spend more time with teachers outside the classroomy Learn how to set goals and budget timey Practice self-discipline and responsibilityy Learn to act and think independentlyy Develop leadership skills

In fact, the research study cited 78% of boarding school graduates say they were very wellprepared for the non-academic aspects of college life, such as independence, social life, and time

management as opposed to 35% of private day school students.

*Research Report by the Art & Science Group for the Association of Boarding Schools.

More data from this research can be found at The Truth About Boarding Schools.


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benefits of boarding schools

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