Do boarding schools have bedtimes

[User755]

This is something I’ve always wondered.

Yea, mine did back in the 80’s and I would imagine they do nowadays too! Different times for each year group but think they were pretty lax by your last year!

Yes they do

I was boarding mistress and yes ours did. They were staggered for ages and the younger ones had to be upstairs 30 mins before their bedtime wind down. We also took in all devices and said goodnight and turned the lights off in each room.

Yes mine did, I think it got half an hour later each year. Someone had to go round with a bell to wake us up too 😂.

Yes, of course.

Yes mine did, with detentions for breaking it, didn't stop us sneaking into other rooms though or reading magazines under the covers with a torch!

Yes, and got 15 minutes later with each year (which helped take pressure off the bathrooms too).

Yes, and bedtimes got later hy 15 minutes each year. Upper 6th had no formal "lights out" time though - just needed to be quiet in own rooms by 11pm

Yes, and detentions or punishment for talking after lights out

You mean its not like Hogwarts then?!

I work in a prep boarding school. Bed times start at 19.45 for yr 3 half an hour for showers and reading/stories before lights out. Each year or sometimes 2 years, then at 15 min intervals there after.

No. It's like a cross between Fabric and the Hunger Games. After working all day, the school staff moonlight as bartenders and DJs.

Feel free to fir boarding questions my way!

No, the kids can just do what they like and choose when or if they go to bed

Oh course they do!

In school you have rules. This is a 24 hr school, so constant rules. We didn’t have anytime that wasn’t timetabled. Finish school and change into mufti. Then supper, prep, bed. Lights out. No talking or a punishment would happen.

Its all about control. Routines for before school and after school. No deviation allowed.

Breaking rules meant harsh punishments.

It’s bloody tough. Well it was in my day. Probably better now more is known about being kind.

Yes, of course they do. Younger children are up to the dormitories for 7.30pm for showering, in bed for 7.45pm, bit of quiet reading... Other years going in 15 minute increments.

Older children in secondary...at 13/14 they're up for 9.30pm, 15 years 10pm, 16 years 10.15pm....
Corridors supervised overnight, lights out, everyone checked. Why would you think they don't have bedtimes? The older the child, the more they complain that they're allowed to stay up much later at home.....

Yes. At the one I work at its roll call at 6.30. 90 mins prep then supper and free time til bed, time depending on year group. Before Covid the oldest could go into town after prep or there's gym, basketball etc. We have to check v carefully they are all in their rooms before signing off duty. Alarm set on front door etc.

I've just remembered the excitement of behind granted "an Extension" to be able to stay up up to 30 minutes late to watch a TV programme on a Friday or Saturday night!

Another one who had age varied bed times. Age 11 you went up at 7.45, lights off 30 mins later. Got 15 minutes later each birthday. So up at 9 by the time you were 16. Maybe a generic 9.15 bedtime in the 6th form, 10 at the weekends.

Also had a bath rota and a separate hairwashing rota - once every 2 weeks unless you had a note from your parents to say that you needed to do it more ‘for medical reasons’. They were more corncernes with their water bills and drains not getting clogged by hair than girls having even vaguely clean hair! Not nice.

Yes they do. I remember seeing a documentary about Summerhill school where the children set at least some of the rules, and even they had set bedtimes.

It's a long time ago, but I remember them being v. strict re. no talking after lights out. We got the bell too in the morning, an actual hand-held one.

11.15 for Sixth Form - way too late in my opinion as pre-school training started at 05.30. Year 9 went to bed at 21.30 I think, perhaps 21.45. However, whichever it was tuck shop was open from 21.00 to 21.30 so they were usually wired well into the night.

First bell in the morning went off at 06.30, except on Sundays when you could have a lie in until 10.00.