What did boarding schools do during the height of lockdown?

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

I'm just curious really - we just drove past one and it made me wonder. Did they close like other schools and send the pupils home? But presumably not all of them would be able to go home, so did they have to lockdown in the school? If so what about staff? Where they allowed to go home or did some of them have to stay? And if they stayed did they carry on teaching, in a similar way to how schools stayed open for key workers kids?

As I say, I'm just being nosy!

[MrsBeltane]

The boarding schools near me sent the pupils home as soon as it was announced that schools were closing.
Probably quite difficult to organise with the international students.

[Swimbikerun]

The schools saw it coming, the international students left early. At least a week if not more.

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

I knew someone who was at boarding school because her parents were on active military service. I guess kids in those situations wouldn't have been able to go "home"?

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

I work in a boarding school. All our pupils went home. We were quite ahead of the game and some overseas pupils went home early. But all students must have a uk guardian, so many would go to them if unable to return home.
A few boarding schools did however remain open to pupils unable to go home and effectiveness locked down at school. Some of theses schools also opened up to Boarders from other schools unable to return home.
We are back up and running in September and I honestly can’t wait to have them back.

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

That should say effectively not effectiveness!

[Parsley1234]

Internationals left at the weekend before half term the school let other pupils leave on the Wednesday. After half term there was a full syllabus from 830/430 including Saturdays with sport on Tuesday/thurs/sat. September we don’t know how it will work could be each boarding houses will be one bubble and no mixing with other students taught in house no exeats and half term internationals will stay in the U.K.

[LumiPear]

Ours saw it coming and all the international students got safely home with a very small handful (of forces children) going to their guardians in the UK (usually extended family). They also offered boarding and in-school schooling to children of key workers and forces children over all the holidays and throughout lockdown. Really impressed.

[dottiedodah]

I saw an article on a Boarding School( The Ryde School IOW) DM! .Many of their pupils had stayed at the School, as they were from abroad or military families and couldnt go home !Their Teachers stayed with them and left their own families in order to do so .Seemed to work out well for them

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

@dottiedodah

I saw an article on a Boarding School( The Ryde School IOW) DM! .Many of their pupils had stayed at the School, as they were from abroad or military families and couldnt go home !Their Teachers stayed with them and left their own families in order to do so .Seemed to work out well for them

That's good of the teachers.

[OhToBeASeahorse]

I work in a boarding school - ours went home a couple of weeks before lockdown. Staff stayed put given that's where they live.

Good question re military kids though- none of ours are.

[minnieok]

Most went home in March, a few who couldn't arrange flights eg countries already locked down and the student wasn't a national of that country arranged to stay with British relatives, friends or in 2 cases their house master took them in (they could stay in their rooms as same building where he lived with his family). Not many overseas students some had far more stranded students

[HoldMyLobster]

DD's old boarding school closed down March 13th and sent everyone home. A couple of students from Korea stayed with other students' families nearby.

[PerditaProvokesEnmity]

Ours closed a few days before lockdown was announced and everyone went home (or presumably to their U.K. guardian if resident abroad) at very short notice.

The school then enjoyed lots of positive publicity for taking in key workers (who stayed in the boarding houses) and using the buildings for key workers children.

If you're interested - they cut fees for regular pupils by a considerable percentage, and provided a fairly full timetable of virtual learning. (Better in theory than in practice though.)

[DisgruntledSnowman]

My daughter's school sent the International boarders home before lockdown. UK based boarders went at the same time as everyone else.

They re-opened to boarders this week - presumably to get everyone through quarantine before the whoel school goes back in a couple of weeks.

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

Really interesting stuff, thanks everyone!

[Empra123]

My nephew ended up locked down in his international boarding school in Switzerland. I think several of the pupils were still there. His problem was not that he had no home to go to but that he couldn't get a flight home.

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

Oh bless him! Has it been tough or has it been Endless Japes (has read too much Mallory Towers)?