1st time boarder preparation

[MrPickles73]

DS2 will be a 1st time boarder in year 7 in September. Neither DH nor I have experience of boarding.

We've been sent a list of uniform, duvets covers etc to take.

What else should he take? He's a bit funny about mattresses 😵‍💫 so does anyone have a topper they recommend? He will be in a dorm with circa 5 others. V sporty and busy but enjoys his sleep!

Also any questions we should be asking the school?

Any recommendations on a lockable tuck box? And what should we put it in it? He has v poor enamel so the dentist has banned sweets..

Make sure you have set up an easy way of sending him money (GoHenry is good, but there are lots of similar options now). TBH, I don't think you will have any say over what he eats- he'll buy his own snacks, not just what you send with him.

Make sure he has the right computer and it's all set up with his school logins etc before he goes (if possible).

Hopefully you don't live too far away and will be able to drop off anything he realises he wants after term starts. If not, make sure you know how posting things into the boarding house works.

He'll be a weekly boarder just over an hour away so we can easily take him stuff.

Mattress topper good (just one from amazon)

Snuggly blanket if it's cold.

Posters and photos for their bed area

Alarm clock as they probably dont allow phones?

School will have tuck boxes to buy maybe..my sons just used old family tuckboxes so im not helpful re a brand. Definitely a lock.

Put food in that doesn't take up too much room and doesn't go off. So not crisps. Instead, packets of biscuits, soba noodles if they can use a kettle, Nutella. Dried fruit, trail mix, bagels, cheese oatbiscuits, museli bars. Not peanuts probably.

My boys also got a mini fridge but that was when they got to big school and have studies. I can't remember if they had one at prep school. But good for drinks, yoghurts , babybels etc.

Own bedlinen from home so it smells of home for the first few nights.

Adidas sliders for the showers. Or to be worn with socks around the place 😐

Logicline and Mossman are the main suppliers of tuck boxes for those not opting for a family one. As long as it has a lock on, anything of the right size goes, though 80% seems to be the cheapest Logicline boxes. Someone at my DDs house has what appears to be a 14th C carved oak box, which is probably starting to be misguided.

At my DDs school, instant noodles appear to be the big thing as apparently they need 22,000 calories a day and school meals and school shop candy together only covers 21,850…

Beyond uniforms, slippers and pyjamas seem to be the only items of clothing worn at girls’ boarding schools which keeps costs down.

If items not marked in a very permanent manner, the rule seems to be that it becomes collective property. Might be worth keeping in mind. Also, there are no limits, it appears, to what a 12-year old can lose: wristwatches, one right shoe, toothbrush chargers and 21 different headphones.

DDs school has a payment system we can top up that covers school shop but not, obviously, spending outside school. GoHenry and Revolut seem popular for that. Generally most parent try to limit spending on school account to £50-100 per term.

Thankyou for your help - esp re tuck box.

Its a state boarding school and I don't believe there is an on site tuck shop which I am hoping will help with the dentist's concerns! Dried fruit would also freak the dentist out..!

Sliders on the kit list!!

What's cool in year 7. Will they be taking teddy bears and photos of pets or is this a no no??

Pet photos yes. And family photos or a small album to keep in their drawer.

We always kept teddies safe at home in case they were hidden or something happened to them at school which would be a disaster!

See how the land lies. Year 7 they are quite cool and tough so nothing too babyish until your son sees what's what.

And own-clothes wise, trainers, trackie bots and sports kit at that age. My oldest son in sixth form is now starting to look more presentable but its been a long slog...

Anuggetofpurestgreen I love this comment re clothing! Yes he only wears jeans under duress - usually tracksuit bottoms / shorts..

Good point re teddies - I have not broached the subject yet. He does some flexi boarding at the moment in Year 6 at prep school and its ok to take teddies. I may ask the school as I could imagine this could be a major faux pas and as you say they are safer at home.

I've seen them in socks and sliders... no sartorial prizes here!

I asked Yr 7 DD who is day pupil at a boarding school but her best friend boards and she seems to spend a lot of time in the boarding house 🙄. Yes to instant noodles and mattress topper. Own clothes wise definitely just comfy, casual plus 1 suit for formals. At DDs school the boarders have 2 x formals per year.
Amazon account to cover random items/fancy dress outfits etc.
Double sports kit items especially trackie bottoms.
The amount of stuff that gets lost is mind blowing so double label everything even trainers.

Placemarking as in same position

State boarding Yr 7 here. Absolutely yes to mattress topper and probably a blanket, as the temp in the boarding houses seems to fluctuate. DD absolutely takes her teddy and photo blanket with ZFG but not sure if the others do. Instant noodles (the spicier the better) are definitely a thing.

Ours has a no spray deodorant rule because of the fire alarms so roll on only.

I do rigidly label everything, even though all washing comes home, as they have an informal uniform pool in her room.

DD took some printed photo booth style strips and her blanket has photos printed on it.

Otherwise, her bedroom (and my make up drawer) gradually empties all term and then takes 3 trailer loads to bring it all home again.

I sewed an airtag into DS's kit bag, school bag and computer case so he can do 'find my airtag' if he dumps them somewhere and can't remember where!

I think my DS's school might have a lot more freedom than OP's though- they wander the town the school is in all day.

@MrPickles73 I would check with the school first about tuck boxes because some don't allow them. But I second Mossman Trunks, really good quality. I've just checked and they have a clearance sale so you could pick one up for £48.00 if you're not too fussed about the colour and slight scratch.
John Lewis have different grades of mattress toppers so you could get your DS a thicker one if he wants that.
Also, your school should tell you how much box money Year 7s are allowed, usually much less than 6th formers and whether he will have a chance to spend it.

Agree Mossman for trunks.

Check re mattress topper: some schools don’t like them for hygiene reasons.

Pet photos fine. Teddies maybe not - which is daft as most of them would like to! This seems to apply more to boys than girls for whatever reason.

Get the sticky labels with their name on - they may also get a laundry number to add to any labels - then you can stick those on new clothes and give him some for anything new before it goes into the wash. We used STIKINS on Amazon and they hold up well enough and are handy for inside shoes and water bottles too.

A good book. I was very surprised mine came back with a love of reading - developed in Prep time when they had finished their work. Always good to have something to hand for any spare time when they don't have devices.

We also added a couple of packets of noodles (ramen) as they are allowed to use the kitchen to make them and sometimes they are just extra hungry or didn't like the main meal for whatever reason.

My son is in his 1st year of boarding (y7). ALL the boys in his house (from Y7 -Y13) have teddies of some sort- it seems to be an unspoken rule that they are out of bounds for messing with. No-one touches the teddies ! He says that it's a good indicator if someone isn't feeling that good as they'll be seen hugging/walking around with a teddy. It's very sweet.

NOODLES - NOODLES AND LOTS MORE NOODLES ...I don't know how he gets through so many but they are a must.Check with your school about lables. Our have to be sewn in,to everything ! urgh. socks are the worst.We packed way too much stuff for his 1st term. It's got less and less - more streamlined as the weeks have gone by.Not sure if anyone said it already, but nothing too nice as civie-clothes- my sons stuff gets blasted in the tumble dryer . and he doesnt actually use that much of it. i sent lots at first, but a lot and stayed at home.Someone else mentioned about stuff getting lost- omg- I get fed up with hearing that something else is lost- goggles, calculator, swim shorts, one football boot, ALL of which either have his name on with a sharpie and /or a label.There is a thrift shop which sells all this stuff second hand - plus i recently found out there is a sports shoe box - all lost shoes go there and if noone claims them within a month, they are up for grabs for anyone - my son now has a new (to him) pair of football boots...

Newagemothersexclusive thankyou for the ray of hope on Teddies! And noted re noodles. We will have to see if he likes them.. and we have the same with losing everything so I tend to have a second in supply in case of disaster. But that's great they sell off lost stuff :-) . We have been lucky to date with lots of hand me downs but we don't know anyone at the new school so will be flying 'solo'. But all helpful stuff. Thankyou.

I would specifically check in advance if Teddy is an issue. I’ve heard sad stories of teddy torture!

Oh crumbs Calliopespa I will certainly ask. TBH he's not particularly attached to teddies but its just knowing where to pitch things and I guess it will be very school and peers specific.

I think it might be. If he’s not too attached I’d probably leave them behind until he’s tested the waters. As you say, it can vary widely. It probably only takes one robust young chap to be out and proud with his bear to flip the dorm atmosphere to bear-friendly, but only you know if that’s the role for your DS!

Calliopespa that's so sweet! One bear leader!!
He usually gets on with other children really well so I'm hoping it will go ok - I'm more concerned about myself and how I will cope!! But he will be a weekly boarder and only 1hr 15mins away so we can pop up if he forgets stuff or I am pining too much!!
He's just been on a residential trip for 6 nights and I was calm as a cucumber until I got a call from the teacher to say he was unwell and then I was like a cat on a hot tin roof!

I think that’s true that it’s normally harder for the parents. 🥲

Calliopespa he is as keen as mustard to go and I am starting to panic! I'm hoping weekly boarding will be much easier for both of us than full boarding.

What kind of communication from the boarding house should I hope for on how he is getting on with his homework etc? I am thinking he will be more inclined to do it as he will see his peers doing it but I don't want to be totally hands off and wait for the annual parents evening to find out how he is getting on.

Charging cables. Millions of them. Wrap tape around with name written on to make a label. They seem to go walkabouts more than any other thing, particularly if they are using iPads for lessons……You can get a three pack on amazon for not much.

Some schools everyone has a tuck box, other schools no one does, so maybe check? They often get a locked cupboard in their room instead, if so you may need to provide a padlock for it. The combination ones are best, no key to lose…..

Family photos stuck inside lid of tuck box.

If there is a walk between house and classrooms, an overcoat of some sort is useful that will go over blazer/uniform on cold and wet days. Trend for big puffer type jackets at the moment.

Water bottle and mattress topper