Genuine question- why boarding school?

[NCTDN]

I'm not being horrible but genuinely intrigued. I never had the option and neither have my children, so clueless.
What are your reasons for choosing going to boarding school rather than a private day school?

@AelinAG now there are multiple flexi boarding options and many schools providing transport back to most centers on Friday with pick up on Sunday. Certainly a step closer to including family life into the boarding experience.

@GildedRage thats good to hear. She would have boarded late 90s/2000s so I imagine it was different.

Snap ! 😂
Very extrovert sporty child. ‘Bouncing off walls’ at his smaller day school according to nice Deputy Head. Determined to go. And happy to be there. Sad for his parents but better to have a happy child than a frustrated one!

Because it was a specialist school which my child wanted to go to for 6th form. It was substantially cheaper than remaining in his previous independent school which was a huge bonus. But mostly, the right school for him which helped him end up at the correct post school setting too. He's a musican.

I would have if I could have afforded it/ got a nursery. For the one dc that would have suited it.

For them because they suited the intense academic & sports curriculum that are far beyond what I /a day school could provide. Plus all the social capital/ networking reasons.

For me because I could have pursued career opportunities (travel/late nights/overnights) that were closed to me.

FCO or services families
Countryside dwellers
Focussing on a particular ability eg sports or music
Home fracturing
Two parents have heavy jobs that don’t allow children to be at day school
Better scholarships on offer than day schools
Perceived to be what the smart set does
Perceived to be a good stepping stone for the child
Believe child will have deeper bonds with friends
Less time wasted each day in commuting

Lots of good reasons

Mine were day pupils but desperate from lower 5th to board

So we let them

There was about 90% boarding at their school and even when they were day pupils they were at school on a Saturday with lessons in the morning and sports after lunch.
They also rarely finished before 6pm most days so tbh it wasn't that much of a change

Hey. Global I think we’ve both resurrected an old thread 🥳

There are loads of threads on this topic already, on which you can read all of the arguments for and against boarding schools.