Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AMA
Original poster

Boarding school house staff - AMA

48 replies

Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 09:40

Inspired by a thread over in Secondary Education. I'm boarding school pastoral staff - ask me anything.

OP posts:
Purplewithred · 02/02/2020 09:44

Nowadays, who sends their children to boarding school?

Original poster
Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 09:49

Lots of types of people - a lot of schools are mixed boarding and day, and the older and bigger ones have a lot of bursaries for local day pupils from all sorts of backgrounds.

Most UK boarders are weekly boarders and go home at weekends. Our full time boarders tend to be international students and military kids.
Our younger boarders are usually military backgrounds or flexi boarders (couple of nights a week). Flexi boarding is popular for parents who do international travel for work and medics who work night shifts.
A lot of it is determined by industry in the surrounding area as parents choose schools that are weekly commutable so they have weekends with the children.
Also, schools have specialisms, so a sports school would have sports scholars, music schools have music scholars etc.

OP posts:
BrutusMcDogface · 02/02/2020 09:50

Do the kids like being there?

Original poster
Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 09:59

Yes, or they wouldn't be there. There's a few who struggle because boarding isnt for them, and usually the parents move them to day school. It's not prison, and almost all our parents listen to their children - if they aren't happy they take them out. That happens rarely though.

OP posts:
PermanentTemporary · 02/02/2020 10:02

For your children, how young would you consider too young to board?

LizzieBananas · 02/02/2020 10:07

How is your week divided between teaching/ boarding duties/ admin and your own time?

What are the biggest pros/cons to living on site?

Original poster
Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 10:19

Every child is different, I'd say most are reading to board by 13/14, and we have plenty who are ready from 11. We do have a few younger boarders from 7 up. I think it's too young but they are from military families and seem to take it in their stride.

OP posts:
BrieAndChilli · 02/02/2020 10:21

Do you know when the older ones sneak out? I went to boarding school age 15-18 and on the weekends we used to sneak out and go clubbing!!! Always wondered if the staff were really oblivious or if they turned a blind eye!!

Original poster
Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 10:22

Teaching/boarding depends on your role. Matrons don't teach, Houseparents teach equivalent of 1-2 days a week and the rest is boarding.
Resident teachers teach an almost full timetable and do a couple of boarding duties a week.
Living on site: never lonely, no commute. Also no privacy and 'own time' in term time is almost non existent.

OP posts:
Original poster
Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 10:24

@BrieAndChilli we usually catch them. But I guess if they get out without us catching them I wouldn't know! We don't turn a blind eye.

OP posts:
morrisseysquif · 02/02/2020 13:06

Is it anything like Malory Towers?Grin

Original poster
Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 13:32

Not remotely like Malory Towers, no

OP posts:
keyboardwarrior1 · 02/02/2020 13:34

Do the kids leave behind huge piles of expensive, unwanted items at the end of each term ? I am thinking of trainers, football boots, designer clothing etc just thrown in the bins?

TeenPlusTwenties · 02/02/2020 13:34

How restrictive are you on mobiles, screens and internet access?

Fuckitwhynot · 02/02/2020 13:37

Do children expect it to be like Hogwarts?Grin

Original poster
Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 14:45

@keyboardwarrior1 no, definitely not. We check because they can be messy and leave rubbish as you expect from teens. A lot of them are well off and might have some designer things, but very very few are well off enough to have lots and not enough to treat them as disposable.

@TeenPlusTwenties pretty strict but they find ways round it. 4G and smart watches makes it impossible to control. They do all have to hand in phones at bedtime.

No they don't think it will be like Hogwarts.

OP posts:
FraglesRock · 02/02/2020 14:49

I wonder if they have two phones. One to hand in...

Original poster
Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 14:55

@FraglesRock yes that has been tried

OP posts:
FraglesRock · 02/02/2020 15:03

Ha

FraglesRock · 02/02/2020 15:03

What free time do the kids have.

MrsMoastyToasty · 02/02/2020 16:24

Do you ever find alcohol?

(I was a day pupil at a boarding school)

Original poster
Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 20:25

Free time - Saturday afternoons and most of Sundays. They have enrichment activities Saturday mornings and a lot of boarding schools still have Saturday lessons.
Alcohol - yes, but not as often as you might think

OP posts:
DreamingofSunshine · 02/02/2020 20:30

Do you believe in 'boarding school syndrome'? It's often thrown around on MN.

What's the split of UK/international pupils?

eyeoresancerre · 02/02/2020 20:40

From an army wife whose child boards - from the bottom of my heart a huge thank you for looking after our military children. My sons been to 4 different primary schools in 6 years. Now he's settled until he's 18. You do a great job.

Original poster
Napcrackleandpop · 02/02/2020 20:53

I think 'boarding school syndrome' is a misnomer. If parents are distant and disinterested they will be like that whether they send their kids to boarding school or not. Most of our pupils have loving parents who are very involved, the few who don't would feel just as abandoned at home, possibly more so because they would lose the care and routine we give them.
UK/international split varies school to school.
@eye thankyou

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread