The Typical boarding school

Boarding schools are independent, college preparatory schools that provide housing facilities for students and faculty. Boarding schools are well known for their academic excellence, small class sizes, individual attention from teachers and advisors, and diverse curricula.

A typical boarding school has several residential houses that are usually situated close to school facilities such as classrooms diningrooms and sports facilities. Housemasters or housemistresses are appointed, each of whom takes on a parental supervisory responsibility for students in their house, particularly outside of school hours. Each may be assisted in the domestic management of the house by a housekeeper, and by other teaching staff who carry out supervisory duties during the evenings.

Boarding facilities at different boarding schools may vary. Some schools may have a common diningroom for all students while others may have seperate dining facilities for every house. Accommodation within the houses may also differ from school to school and also from house to house. Some may have individual bathrooms for each room while others may have communal bathrooms. Most houses have a common area where students may watch television, read and play games.

In addition to the usual academic facilities such as classrooms and laboratories, boarding schools often provide a wide variety of other facilities for extra-curricular activities such as music-rooms, boats, squash courts, swimming pools, cinemas and theatres. Some boarding schools may have a religious background and a school chapel is often found on the campus. Day-pupils will usually stay on after school hours to use these facilities and are often required to remain on the campus untill after regular prep times are over.

During half-term and regualar holidays pupils are expected to go home. There may be special leave granted during weekends in each half of the term when pupils are allowed go home or away. Boarders often go to school within easy travelling distance of their homes, and may frequently visit their families.

Many schools take in day-boarders, who attend school in the day alongside boarders and then return to their homes after prep hours are over. These students would also have their meals at school even though they live off-campus.

There are many different types of boarding schools. When deciding on a boarding school the first step in choosing a school is to consider what type of school will best serve the student as the boarding school experience gives students many distinct advantages. Boarding school students acquire the abilities that help ensure success in college and in life.

A brief history of Boarding schools.

It has been observed globally over time that a significantly larger number of boys are sent to boarding schools than girls and for a longer periods of time.

The classic British boarding school became highly popular during the colonial expansion of the British Empire. British colonial administrators abroad could ensure that their children were brought up in British culture at public schools at home in the UK, and local rulers were offered the same education for their sons. More junior expatriates would send their children to local British-run schools, which would also admit selected local children who might travel from considerable distances. The boarding schools inculcating their own values became an effective system by which to deculturize the natives from their local culture and develop natives that would share British ideals and so help the British achieve their imperial goals.

One of the reasons stated for sending children to boarding schools was to develop wider perpectives and better opportunities than their family could provide. A boarding school may define the culture of families from generation to generation ; equally, by choosing a fashionable boarding school, parents may aspire to better the future prospects of their children by mixing on equal terms with children of the upper and wealthy classes. Other reasons may also be to include children who are considered too disobedient, underachieving, children from families that have divorced spouses, and children with whom the mother or parents do not have a good relationship.

Recently, there has been a marked increase in the number of girls entering boarding schools and private schools. Reasons for entering boarding schools have also changed and are more focussed on the needs of students and their academic achievements.

Benefits of Boarding Schools

Research shows that students attending boarding schools on average show higher achievement rates both academically and socially. During the academic year, boarding schools become extended families where teachers and students live and learn together. The 24-hour community of a boarding school environment allows the faculty to seize every teachable moment whether in the classroom, on the playing field, or in the dormitory. Students are given an all-round education in a safe, caring, and stable environment.


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