I work in a boarding school -AMA

[SkygardenTower]

I know this is a topic of interest for many. I am a teacher at a boarding school and happy to answer and (polite and reasonable) questions.

The biggest regret of my life is sending my son to a leading British boarding school where it turned out that bullying was both vicious and endemic.

I have since lost count of the number of similar first hand experiences I have come across at pretty much every other major boarding school. My experience is that bullying is glossed over and covered up with both parents and teachers seemingly more concerned with preserving the name of the institution than putting the needs of individual students first.

What do you teach? Why did you choose to work in a boarding school?

Was that for your own children to attend the school?

Yes, both my children attended the school.

I teach one of the sciences.

The department I work in is fully funded so I don’t have to work without the equipment I need. I get to teach in specialty rather than in state I would have to be a science teacher. We have small class sizes so can offer the support I want to as a teacher. While teenagers will be teenagers everywhere we have less behaviour management issues. All of these means I can be the teacher I want to be with less compromise.

i also enjoy the community feel that the school has and like the Saturdays. Plus I got a fee remission for my own students to attend the school (though they have both left now so that is finished).

I am sorry to hear that your son had that experience, and I hope he's recovering now.

If you had absolutely no contact or insider knowledge of the school apart from the usual information parents get, would you send your kids to boarding school if you had the money?
Its all very well you keep saying your kids went there when its where you work.

I had to laugh at the dummy phones, we had that a lot at my last (SEN) school where we took the phones at the start of the day.

Thanks for this informative thread! I met someone recently who is 21 and boarded since she was 4. She said she was extremely close to her house mistress, who worked there for the whole time she was at the school. She also said most of the staff there were 'lifers' including the matrons. That's quite nice I think. What do you think of boarding schools for such tiny kids?

Hard to answer, if it was the right school for them / circumstances for the family / they wanted to go to a boarding then yes I probably would.

But that didn’t happen so very hypothetical situation.

No idea for tiny kids - they seem young at 13 and I can’t image kids primary aged boarding for more that the occasional night.

What is the food like at Boarding School these days ?..........at one time, it was endless spam fritters and apple sponge and custard, is it more modern cuisine now ?

It good to hear you have support and awareness for eating disorders such as anoerexia and bulimia.

What does the school do if they notice a pupil with disordered over eating or an unhealthy high BMI?

What is this pastoral care like at boarding school? I asked on the other thread but got no reply. Can you share examples of students getting good pastoral care what are the fundamentals?

Asking because it sounds like something boarding schools highlight as a unique form of support, but pastoral care is taken just as seriously in good state primary and secondary schools. It feels a bit like a marketing tactic and comes across as somewhat defensive due to the horrendous history and reputation of boarding schools.