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Original poster

How many people do you know with children in boarding school?

112 replies

Intoand · 13/11/2023 01:39

Curious about this as, living in London, and having children in school and friends with children in school about how many seem to be looking into boarding or have children boarding currently. Although not a crazy amount it’s more than I would have thought. Two of my friends have children boarding, and another is looking into a girls boarding school for her DD. Some of what I’ve heard has been friends of friends too, but still more than I originally thought.

OP posts:
bonkersAlice · 13/11/2023 01:41

Zero

Oooooft · 13/11/2023 01:58

Zero

RhianMor · 13/11/2023 01:59

Loads but its cos we're in the military.

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Hollyhead · 13/11/2023 02:00

Zero

KingsleyBorder · 13/11/2023 02:05

Two, both doing GCSEs after day independent schools (different ones to where they now board). One has parents who live and work abroad (child was brought up in country where parents work, younger sibling still there with parents).
Other is only weekly boarding so can come home every weekend.

XelaM · 13/11/2023 02:11

Six off the top of my head, but could be more. Mostly my work colleagues' kids (City Law firm) and a couple from daughter's horse riding.

Strokethefurrywall · 13/11/2023 03:06

Loads but we live on an island full of rich expats.

MintJulia · 13/11/2023 03:20

My ds is at an independent school with a boarding house. There are 18 dcs there as weekly boarders and 5 as term boarders.

The 18 either have parents in military or diplomatic services, or do insanely busy jobs - hospital consultants, international roles etc. The 5 are all overseas pupils.

My ds wants to go to a specific sixth form that is also a state boarding school. If he gets in, he will need to be a weekly boarder because it's too far to commute and there's no bus. That will be his choice though, he'll be 16 and I'll only be 40 miles away so we're considering it.

A close friend has her two at boarding school from 13 - she's a farmer. It's usually down to crazy busy parental careers in my experience.

Milkasheika · 13/11/2023 03:31

Pretty much all of the people I know with teens doing GSCE and A Levels but I am also abroad where the local school, although British curriculum isn't as desirable.

YireosDodeAver · 13/11/2023 03:31

One family in our circle of friends used boarding school - both kids now undergraduates and seem reasonably well-adjusted. Both parents boarded themselves. No one else seems to be giving the idea a moment's consideration.

PuttingDownRoots · 13/11/2023 05:00

Quite a few but military.

Does seem to be waning in popularity though. 12 years ago it was people sending at 8yo. Now its at least 10.... and many chosing the serving person to commute instead.

PutinSmellsPassItOn · 13/11/2023 05:17

One.

A single mum on a low income, her dd worked her arse off to get a full scholarship when she was 11, straight from primary into termly boarding........she's obviously an extremely determined young girl.

ThePaperTrail · 13/11/2023 05:17

Zero - I don't run with a rich crowd.

However, 20 years ago I studied drama with a bunch of people who had been to boarding school. All were the most self-absorbed people I'd ever met and all had established drug habits.

Now, it could well be that the course I was doing at the time attracted those sorts of people, but I was left singularly unimpressed by these kids who had been to some of the best schools in the country.

Perhaps things have changed or perhaps I wasn't exposed to a representative sample of boarding school alumni. Put me off ever sending a child to one though (not that I could afford it anyway).

DinosApple · 13/11/2023 06:44

Zero. I know a fair few who are privately educated, but all day pupils who started in the local state primary.

My dad was a boarder from age 7. He loathed it.

LaChienneDesFromages · 13/11/2023 06:49

Almost Zero and (referring to the above) do run with a rich(ish) crowd.

Far, far fewer than I imagined would. DH and I have discussed how notable this is.

We have many close friends who boarded. All, without exception, choose independent/state day schools for their children. Not for financial reasons. They felt it best for their children . And I wholeheartedly agree. DH went to a very well known boys’ boarding school. He and his two brothers have opted for day schools for their kids too.

DH is in City law and just of his colleagues’ children do state primary and independent day schools at secondary. None in boarding. None of my colleagues’ children board (but my colleagues tend to be left leaning, so that’s no surprise.)

A couple of social acquaintances locally have kids who board weekly, or a nightor so a week for logistical reasons.

We do know one woman quite well who has opted to send her children to traditional, full boarding schools. But she is a tiresome social climber. We see her at social events and it’s all she can talk about. Poor husband has a hunted look. I can’t work out if he feels hunted by her next project or by bursers brandishing bills.

It feels such an anachronism nowadays.

menopausalmare · 13/11/2023 06:49

None

NoCheaperTransactions · 13/11/2023 06:52

Loads. The DCs go to a school that has boarding as well.

Most of DH's friends have theirs in boarding. He boarded. We chose not to because I simply could not bear the thought (and our oldest has learning difficulties thanks to a criminally mis-managed labour)- but I am not from a country where there is a culture of boarding so the concept is alien to me.

SpringIntoChaos · 13/11/2023 07:01

Zero now, but loads when my two were at secondary school as I worked overseas with the military.

One of mine went to a 6th Form in the UK boarding, one didn't want to so stayed with me and went to the sixth form on base.

It's very usual for military families as it guarantees continuity of education.

I don't know anyone outside of the military who send/sent their child away to school though.

NotFastButFurious · 13/11/2023 07:17

None, although one family have kids as day pupils at a school that also has boarders so I suspect they might when they’re a bit older.

smilesup · 13/11/2023 07:19

None. I would struggle to be friends with people who would not want to be around their children. My DF went to one and it fucked him up.

Littlegoth · 13/11/2023 07:22

Loads, but there are 2 boarding schools within 3 miles of me, 1 is a 15 minute walk away. We have another 2 private schools within 5 miles, and a lot of local children attend fee paying schools here. I’m in North West England

PinkyDinkyDoodle · 13/11/2023 07:31

One, though it was a special school for children with more challenging behaviour, and it has turned his life around for the good.

My brother had the option of boarding school (parent in the military and moved around a lot) but my parents chose not to send him. He ended up moving school pretty much every year, and his education was terrible. Six months of French. Move school. A year of Welsh. Move school. Six months of German… no continuity at all.

Girasoli · 13/11/2023 07:34

One of my little cousins is boarding for 6th form (he got a scholarship).

bathroomcupnoard · 13/11/2023 07:35

One. Although DH went to boarding school, so his siblings and a lot of his friends went to public school.

User562377 · 13/11/2023 07:38

One. He won a scholarship aged 11 to a specialist music school

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