Boarding School realities

[Historicalroad]

Just wondering if anyone who attended Boarding Schools between the 60s and 90s would be willing to share their experiences?

So as to not drip feed, I'm attempting, though failing miserably so far, to write a novel. Purely fictional. I have my characters and a storyline but it works best set in a boarding school.

I've never stepped foot inside a boarding school. I've no idea what they're like but I want to keep it as realistic as possible. I've trawled the internet to try and get an insight into what life is like at boarding schools but I'm struggling. I don't think the plot would fair as well if it was set today, hence why I'm looking at some time between the 60s and the 90s.

I'm surprised not to hear more about uniform ...especially in girls' schools in 60s/early 70s. I worked for a gap year in the home of a family who sent their girls to boarding school. The year I was with them was 1970 an the uniform with its different outfits for different occasions was quite a surprise. I think the uniform was modified and modernised a little a few years later but this is what I remember.

Proper traditional gym slips which were worn both for lessons and games. With thick...not cotton ...blouses for lessons and aertex short sleeved blouses for games. A cloak to travel between House and School. Much smarter uniform for travel, Sunday church and outings. Tweed skirt and matching coat . For very special occasions a skirt suit. Cord beret in winter. lace up brown shoes for outdoors with brown strap fastener shoes for indoors (2 pairs ...one pair left at House one left at School. The gymslip was changed into a neater pinafore type tunic during my time with the family for lessons with ...great innovation...the option of wearing this with a cream sweater underneath in the evenings. In summer there were cotton tunics for lessons with very good quality cotton dresses in school colour for Sunday and occasions. Brown leather gloves in winter. Panama hat and cream coloured gloves in summer. Lisle stockings in winter. 2 pairs of knickers worn ...white linings ...school colour outer. The girls loved the midi length cloak which was the only remotely fashionable part of the uniform. No wonder a massive trunk was needed for the term. Girls played lacrosse in winter, tennis in summer and swimming all year. I remember the 13 year old being not very keen on the rotating tables arrangement at meal times with pupils expected to be able to make polite conversation with anyone the ended up sitting next to.

We had dark blue tunics - a sort of pinafore with a waste, not gym slips. Underneath them we wore white blouses in quite a heavy material or aertex ones in the winter, with red jumpers and red ties. We had grey coats and dark blue blazers, plus red cloaks for wearing in the school grounds. In the summer it was red gingham dresses. Hats were either dark blue berets or ridiculously impractical boaters. On Sundays in winter it was grey skirts with pale blue twin sets in the winter, or a ridiculous blue dress with white spots in the summer. We changed into home clothes in the evenings, but they had to be dresses or skirts and tops.

waist, not waste.

I still have odd bits of clothing with sewed on name labels from school. I found my old wax jacket a couple of years back and it’s become a wardrobe staple - lucky I did most of my growing early on before I started

We changed into home clothes in the evenings, but they had to be dresses or skirts and tops. We were definitely allowed trousers as part of mufti!

Oddly enough, while school uniform was relatively unproblematic, what I recall most was the dearth of choice in younger teenage clothes during the 70s. It was either the ephemeral and impractical from Chelsea Girl or the deadly dull from department stores. Really, the mountains of uniform was a relief from having to put outfits together from the unpromising material available.

I was a full boarder from 1986-91 happy to speak to you :-)

Blue bags! Giant navy blue pants that were worn on top of smaller white ones. Shirts changed / laundered weekly. Gross.

Shiny sheets of loo paper not rolls (and this mid 80s)

I boarded from ‘87 - ‘94.

All schools will run slightly differently. My school was co-ed. We used to sneak out at night. Smoke on the roof. In the younger years there were between 6-12 in a room. From 5th form you shared with up to 3 people, in 6th form with one other. I personally didn’t come across any bullying though I am sure it probably did happen. We had a fair amount of freedom and in middle/upper 6 we had a common room where we could exchange tokens for a maximum of two pints of beer on a Friday night and on a Saturday you could go to the pub as long as you had food with your alcohol.

The school I was at until 5th form had a music school which I used to escape to as if you played an instrument you could do that rather than stay in the house.

I enjoyed the boarding school part of school. You basically get to live with all your friends.

We had ‘bags’ fetching green nylon, enormous things. Worn with an airtex top for pe. Very embarrassing for a teen to be wearing pants basically.

Once a term we had “socials”. So these were discos with a boys boarding school. The hormones were running rife, snogging and more all over the place. So random and strange.

My experience was similar to many (90s, parents overseas). The food was awful and often undercooked. We were once served undercooked chicken and veg. Our housemistress said 'girls- stop eating'. She made us mash all the dishes together with so it couldn't be reserved. She then sent the head girl and deputy up to the chippy and they bought fish and chips for 50 girls. I became vegetarian until I left university after that. She had a black lab and was tough. She used to patrol the perimeter of the house and chase off young men who were peering at us through our windows.

We had film night and used to have a rota to go and get something PG from blockbuster.

After school we had 'tea' which was tea, sandwich and cake before free time. After evening meal we all did prep in the dining hall or bedrooms for older girls.

Didn't get up to much mischief as strict. I did get my ears pierced by a friend one night. I passed out and they weren't sure what to do.

Lessons were fairly standard and totally separate from boarding life.

@Namenic - yes :)

I'd forgotten about those shopping trips!

@Panapan - hymn practice on fri/sat mornings was quite strange but I guess kinda made sense given that chapel was compulsory (sounds awful when no one knows the song and it’s a lot of mumbling). Helps me now as I often don’t need a hymn book while I run after my kids in church. But I can imagine non religious people finding it a bit of a drag.

@DobbyTheHouseElk - yes socials (usually discos - though some Reeling ones) ... I spent my time v anxious and hope some boy would ‘pull’ (kiss) me. V odd being in a loud dark room with boys we hadn’t met before - for only 1 night. At uni I found it hard to know what to talk about with boys as I didn’t know what they were interested in or found funny.

Re uniform - I remember ridiculous red capes and massive blue gym pants

Also was only allowed to wash hair once a week

Puberty + once a week hairwash = issues for life

1970s - horrible experience. I spent most time finding empty rooms to sit hide in, they'd never have found me if there was a fire.

@Parkinssheet is that a school in North Wales by any chance?! All of what you mentioned is familiar (apart from the cherry pie which I don’t remember but I do remember BBC on Fridays and Stumpy?!.)....
I was also a boarder during the mid - late 80s and remember the hierarchy of everything... For example the fact that the youngest had to clear plates and collect food, get spread each night, wait for the last slots to phone home and also, when watching tv in the rec in your boarding house, unless you were in the UV or LV you had to sit miles away from the TV and were definitely not allowed near the sofas!!
Lots of hiding in the loos / cloakrooms (cloakies) when we should have been having a study period. A hugely formidable French teacher who was so tiny but absolutely petrifying!! A piano teacher who actually used knitting needles on my palms so that I held my hands up ‘properly’ when playing! A history teacher that also taught sport and massively favoured her sporty pupils 😬...
Pickled babies and other horrors in jars in the science labs - there is NO way a child would be allowed to see these now!
Some naughty friends would actually jump out of the window to go and meet the ‘local boys’ at night and others would spend their weekends sniffing tippex thinner near the science labs!! Itchy tweed cloaks that we had to wear instead of coats which absolutely stank when they got wet!
Weird and wonderful initiations for new girls to the boarding house (dares and having your hair flushed down the loo!). Ah, good times!!

Oh yes, and piercing each other’s ears when bored with just a needle and an ice cube!! Lots of that went on. Generally in the kitchen for some reason! When we got home we were shouted at and told to take our earrings out, only to return to school later and have it all done again!!

You want late 80s?
At mine they finally allowed trousers for home clothes on weekdays in 1985, previously only allowed on weekends and jeans had been forbidden. Only juniors (Y7 and 8)changed after lessons, everyone else just wore uniform all week. Sunday uniform for Chapel.

My friends' brothers went to boys boarding schools at the same time and mitzi's stories are not unusual. Girls boarding schools had some outbreaks of bullying but on the whole the girls united against the staff, very them and us.
No actual corporal punishment by then but teachers throwing board rubbers or molecule models was normal, ditto dragging or pushing as needed.

Lessons varied from the excellent to the random (had a year of watching films instead of science every Monday morning, on the understanding we would work extra hard in other science lessons) and the frankly useless - one teacher we just took the mickey out of the entire time and learned nothing of the subject that year. Actually, make that half a dozen teachers... Though as we were generally wanting to pass GCSEs, by fourth year we were tolerant of teachers who were simply 'do exercise a. Now do exercise C on page 113...' and mostly cooperated.

We would do anything to escape the grounds, but doing so without permission was instant expulsion. Well, instant if you weren't going to get good exam results. There were two or three exeat weekends a term when most people went away but about 1/5 would stay and go on trips. Plus anyone who had been gated, which involved signing in with house staff hourly to prove you were there. There were shopping trips from 3rd year each weekend, plus bowling, ice skating, DofE, theatre and cinema... We'd try anything just to get out - now with a tween who goes 'boring' to everything, I can see the attraction. Though we were also experts in hiding booze and fags. Y7 and 8 were tough as shopping trips were only to a village and you were allowed 50p to spend (not enough for 2 chocolate bars) so we all hid money too.

Then, probably half the girls were expat brats, a quarter foreign students from Hong Kong, SE Asia and MEast, and maybe 1 in 10 there because parents were having messy divorces and a similar number because there was abuse in the family and grandparents paid for it, or similar. For some reason lots of girls ended up telling me that kind of stuff. In 6th form we did lights out duty every few weeks and supervised prep every so often.

Unlike the sexual and physical bullying of boys schools, there were rumours spread (half true), but anorexia and kleptomania were rife. Rich girls were usually the thieves. Friendship groups were often related to wealth - I used to get extra cash by buying cigarettes for people and not giving them change. Girls got expelled before they could die of anorexia. There was also a full time school psychiatrist, two nurses, one scary, one nice but incompetent, and the traditional pervy doctor. There was a rumour that male teachers had to be married or gay except for Mr X (an undesirable but sweet chap) - a number of music teachers confessed on their pupils last day that they weren't actually gay/married but just pretended they were to keep hormonal girls off them.

2 to a room for 4th and 5th year, singles in 6th form. Mostly decorated with Smash Hits and Cosmo posters. In 6th form you could usually make excuses for going into town and it was civilised except not being allowed a job 'inappropriate', and could even go out in the evenings on Fri and Sat to 10pm, which could usually be stretched to 10.30. Did mean we only went to the dodgy nightclub which got going early and was where the local drug dealers hung out. Skiving Chapel and PE was feasible by 5th year too.

In was a boarder in the 80s and loved my time at BS mostly.
All girls run by a husband and wife couple. Rather posh and quite traditional.
School was set in a huge old country house and it's grounds were where the classroom block a were. Some ancient, some relatively modern.
There was a gong that was rung to call everyone to meal times that were breakfast, lunch (taken with the day girls) and supper. A younger girl from Yr 7 would be selected for gong duties based on good behaviour!!! Tea was served st 4.20pm straight after school finished st 4.15pm. It was wheeled out on trollies into the common room areas and was usually buns, slices of cake or small triangle sandwiches. Always served with orange squash.
Meals were served on tables with at least 1 member of staff or house staff. Someone was a server and used to serve out the food which was laid out in the centre of the table. We had to sit with hood posture and were pulled up on manners.
There was always a club we had to attend such as dance, gymnastics, swimming, hockey, needlecraft, drama and art most days of the week before prep would start. The length of prep depended on your year group. So Yr 7 or First Form as it was called would only have an hour. Yr 10 probably 2 hours. Prep was always supervised by a teacher mainly in silence (except for one young student teacher who would have a radio on) in our Form rooms.

There were "secret traditions" always carried out by the pupils. Writing/scratching your name and year into the top of the ancient huge wooden wardrobes at the start of each new school year or dorm move.

Ghost stories were rife. There was a huge staircase that stopped/started right outside the Headmistresses drawing room and main hall of the house. It was forbidden to use except when showing potential newcomers around the school. We had to use tge back stairs that were originally the servants staircase. We used to tell terrifying ghost stories and dare each other to run up and down the stairs in the dead of night. I recall one time being dared to run down and knock on the headmistresses drawing room door and run back up stairs without bring caught. I got away with it but my friend did not and got what we called "Front Hall" punishment.

Front Hall punishment was usually fished out for talking after lights out several times in one night or one week. You were made yo stand at the bottom of this creepy staircase in the huge front hall in the dark and I silence. It was creepy as he'll eith done stuffed game on the walls and huge old portraits of very scary looking past head mistresses.
Midnight feasts were frequently planned but rarely came off. The ones we did do were rather disappointing except for the time a girl from S Africa who was only eith us for 2 terms, lowered herself out of our Dorm window (going out the door was impossible without getting caught as it was so creaky and right next door to the grumpiedt strictest Matron) and somehow got into the kitchens. This was the night before the end of year Speech Day and Prize Giving where patents would attend and a posh tea would be served in the marquee. This girl sent loads of cakes back upto us in dorm in pillow cases. It was the best midnight feast ever. We got away with it and although the food was missed, we never got caught. We his the pillow cases in the bathroom attached to another dorm building as they were covered in icing etc.
Swimming was hell on earth in the unheated open air pool. We had to do pool duty which invoked taking out leaves and debris.
Our sports pavilion was a near derelict shed with holes and spiders. Getting changed in there was beyond hideous.
There was a music block built in the old stables. It had tiny practice rooms in which you had to go in for 45 minutes 3 to 4 times a week to practice any instrument which you were having private lessons.
The school had donkies, ponys, ducks and even a pair of Peacocks. Most the staff were live in and had thier own dogs thst would wander around school with them. My English teacher would ALWAYS bring her dog to lessons.

Sixth form had thier own boarding house called The Cottage, that was 2 or 3 old cottages knocked into one. It was the envy of all the younger girls as it was tucked away.
Letters home on a Sunday after attending church in school uniform and queueing for coins or tokens for the 3 payphone was our only contact with home. Letters from home were pinned to a board outside the HM drawing room.
On occasion, like of you had been super good you would be invited to HM lunch in the drawing room. I only went twice and found it dull and arduous.
There were few socials. Bonfire night at a local boys school was an annual tradition as was the serious talk on how to be a School NameGirl and act lime a proper young lady talk immediately before it. Thinking back it's hilarious- it was like a low key hidden hysterical panic from the staff at the very thought of us girls being exposed to boys 😂!
Birthdays were celebrated with a cake either made by school cooks or brought in from home.
Occasional weekend trips to an indoor pool and a roller disco also featured.
Older girls were allowed to venture onto the village on some weekends but always eith the prior talk on how we must behave being School name* girls!

I loved my boarding school so much. I just accepted most of the weired things and traditons. Thinking back now it was quite a backward traditional school.
The downside for me is recalling how some boarding and teaching staff had a few favourite pupils and I do recall feeling a little hard done by at times.
One Matron was adorable. She seemed ancient to us but was probably only in her 50s. She always had time and a manner that just felt comforting. She would be kind even if you were in trouble. She had the perfect balance. Because she was so lovely we never played her up like we did dome of the others.

Oh and I recall summer uniform was a cotton striped dress from Yr7 all the way to Year 11.

Always a worry at when you had your period!!

I work in a boarding school and have done since the mid 90s just call a few schools and ask for a show around I'm sure they would love to show you. Find some with a lot of history they love talking about it and would be able to put you in touch with some old students.

Mid-80s here - all girls boarding school. I didn't hate it, but neither did I love it. Lots of anorexia, a bit of stealing, camaraderie as well. A great deal of boredom which led, I think, to a huge amount of snobbery, especially towards teachers. It was before computers so it was easy to just look inward. We were al aware that our yearly fees where roughly the same as a teacher's annual salary. 15-year-old girls can be brutal in their assessment of adults looks and fashion sense (or lack of it).

Birthdays: On someone's birthday it was expected that everyone in the house in the same dorm or year gave them a small present in the morning before getting up time. It was bad form not to. Others could also give presents, so popular girls had a lot of people crowding round their bed. I don't remember cakes or anything though.

Cleaners: When I started (79) we were only allowed 6 things on our chest of drawers as otherwise too much for the cleaners to clean round. Towards the end that was changed to as much as you wanted but you had to move it all onto your bed on cleaning day.

Founders Day customs- walking through the city centre 4 abreast in full traditional uniform to a service at the cathedral. Boarders going back to school for lunch and day girls going out to lunch with classmates or parents before meeting back at the school for prize giving. Every pupil received a coin at the end of the day.

Oh yes the telephone. All sitting in the corridor waiting to use the pay phone booth. Everyone could hear you, it was a really lonely experience. Sitting on a school chair, putting 10p in the box and only get a few moments of chat. Considering it was a fee paying school I don’t understand now, why it was so awful trying to speak to your parents and hoping you had enough money.

I can’t remember any love or care from house mistresses. They were there to make sure you behaved and not for pastoral care. Ditto the Matron and Sisters in the san. Having to deal with periods wasn’t fun, asking for sanpro and getting them written down in the big ledger sister kept in her office. Even a paracetamol was billed at 10p. My parents where horrified the first term wondering what the san shop was and why I’d racked up such a bill. Having to explain it was sanpro and painkillers wasn’t fun.

Some of this has jogged my memory a bit more. Calling day pupils ‘day bugs’. The straw boaters we had to wear in church in summer, the glue that held the ribbon onto the hat would melt and run into your hair! Eating lots and lots of super noodles in the house kitchen. I think as a child of expatriates my experience was a lot different to some here. I knew there was no chance to go home till Xmas (from September). The school was quite good in that it made boarders stay every weekend bar an expat either side of half term when the whole school emptied. Then it’d be me, the Chinese girls and the other randoms whose parents were in Zimbabwe etc. I think the staff on exeat duty felt a bit sorry for us and would rent films for us. I remember the thrill of the end of term as the international pupils got to leave a bit early sometimes (or sadly sometimes a day late) due to available flight times. And going to the airport in the school minivan with the school guardian seeing everyone get checked in and handed over to the unaccompanied minor airline staff.