Thread For Boarders

[morethanpotatoprints]

Just thought I'd start a support thread for those either starting this september or established boarders happy to help those with many queries.

There are quite often individual threads for particular schools but it doesn't necessarily say whether boarding, day, private or state in the title. So I thought this would be a good way of getting us all together and also for those people from overseas looking for particular types of schools.

My dd is starting in sept and will weekly board, atm I am gathering uniform and other essential items and will begin the labelling process soon.
I do quite like this as sad as it seems, I find hand sewing very therapeutic and relaxing for some reason.

Those rivet things won't survive the school laundry. They iron with a machine so you'll find the plastic is quickly melted flat and the tag comes off

Woven nametapes are the only way...

DD2 boarding for sixth form from September, so marking place for tips. Definitely getting laundry nets for tights, socks and her lovely undies. Feel faintly nauseous at the idea of sewing in name tapes, maybe it will be character building for her to learn

Cathyandclaire

You could be onto something here. I've taught dd how to sew a button on in case one comes off a shirt or trousers. I know somebody in laundry does it, but hopefully she'll bring her lovely pile of washing home at the weekend for me to do.

What are all your schools like for parents meetings. I know you can't attend if overseas but are they generally good at keeping you informed and issuing reports?

Do check DS2's school asks us to use sewn in ones.

Ladies (sorry to be so presumptuous) but labelling is going to become your passion for however long your darling is at school. The only way to go is woven labels. Boarding school and sewing seems to go hand in hand.

DS has been boarding for the last 5 years first weekly at prep, now full at senior school and the thing I have learnt is label everything, I even do pencils. Superglue is my best friend for all non-clothing items.

Labelling is just one of those chores you have to do. The washing nets do work however after buying lots nice M&S and John Lewis undies at first, found lots of items were "borrowed" by other pupils (that may be a boy thing). It is now a job lot from Primark for socks and pants. Plain black and they are thrown away each academic year if they get to the end. I keep a bag of replacements already sewn and to reduce the chore, sew throughout the year and keep in a bag. As my DS is a full boarder he has some nice pants and socks for weekends but wears plain black boxer shorts during the week. For my DS's school, each child has a school number as well as name on their labels and they are quite strict on the placement of labels and that everything must labelled even socks. If you are wondering how to do socks, fold label in half with the number at the top, and sew horizontally across each sock. I don't sew but have purchased a sewing machine because although schools have a sewing service (they charge £1 per item at DS school), a sewing machine will payback within a year because of all the items they go through. Pants, I sew the labels on the cuff of the left leg, that way if borrowed, it is very visible who it belongs to.

Highly recommend a tuck box ideally with a re-enforced lid so they can sit on it. Had my DS box clad in metal and it is still going strong after 5 years.

If I can give one tip, it is send food parcels even if they are coming home at the weekend, with a funny note inside. Ds loves them. I fill it with things like noodles, crisps, sweets, cookies the odd cake but it is the joy he gets when a parcel arrives.

CathyandClaire, your child's tutor is going to be your number one contact. By the time the reports arrive, you don't want any surprises. At DS school, report cards approximately every 3 weeks and end of term reports twice yearly. Parents Meetings are once per year but given the scale just not an effective way to having a discussion.

At Win Coll multicoloured odd socks are obligatory so at least I don't have to worry about pairs. I never label socks or underpants (I buy Boden in the sale) they go straight in the net bag. DS2 rarely looses things or brings other boys clothes home, surprisingly especially when you consider how little personal space they have. We go through silk ties like they're going out of fashion, on our 6th or 7th in four years they just get worn out and I nearly to say forgot definitely have two pairs of school shoes, and I now invest in fairly expensive ones, Loakes etc (not sure what you'd buy girls) as they last 3 times longer than the cheaper one, boarders walk a lot. A folding umbrella is also essential apparently but others endlessly borrow it so we've had a few of those over the years too. If your school doesn't state a particular school bag again invest in a good one, the one my DS uses looks as good as the day I purchased it three years ago and it keeps the books dry. Don't send to many jumpers/cardigans that can't go in the school laundry especially if your full boarding, my DS has 1 cashmere/wool jumper that requires more careful washing so only gets done at home in holidays etc and two or three sweat shirts hoodie things that happily go in the school washing machine. For mens/boys shirts M and S cotton ones are pretty good, wash well and are cheaper than JL equivalent.
Don't buy all the PE kit before you start we sent over half to the school second hand shop at the end of the first year unworn.
Give them a couple of packs of blister plasters when new shoes rub although it's been better since we've spent more money on shoes.
If your child takes inhalers etc and your school will expect them to self medicate all not just relievers from day 1 (some do) get them into the habit now.
If something happens at home e.g. a grand parent becomes suddenly ill or the much loved cat dies inform your HM and your DC either yourself or through your HM immediately boarding children hate to feel out of the loop when it comes to family life.
Your DC's tutor may not be your "number 1 contact" it very much depends on the school, your DC's HM can be the most important person in his life and your first point of contact.
Try and follow the school rules some will be petty and irritating but rules are inevitable in a boarding school I'm a born non conformist but it does make life easier for all!

New to boarding here. DS starts full boarding in sept. Please can I ask some stupid questions on here?

Ask away.

ok.
Uniform suits. - can these be bought from M and S? or just from official uniform shop?

Bags. - how big is a 'big' bag?
Games kit- have to buy this in June. How big do I buy? How much does a 13yr old boy grow over the summer??
I was going to ask if I label socks and pants.

The last bit of the summer term seems to rush by does n't it. I can't believe another year is nearly finished.
abear and 1805 welcome to the next phase, the challenges of year 8 are done and dusted .
BTW HG a delayed several posts later wave back .

I've always bought DS2's suits from M and S I usually buy a wool or high % of wool mix, I buy at least two complete suits and sometimes in a rare moment of organisation three pairs of trousers as these get worn out quicker.
Bag; brief case size.
I bought games kit in August, assuming it's not tight I would have thought if you buy it now it will last a year.
I labelled socks/underpants the first year as I hadnt really grasped the net bag concept, a degree of organisation that had never crossed my mind might exist, now I don't bother to label socks and underpants and we all use net bags for socks and pants at home!

Cross posted 1805, those are actually quite tricky questions including how much does a boy grow.
We got suits from a mixture of places but included M&S and Next.
We definitely went large for sport shirts but not particularly for shorts and tracksuit bottoms. Your DS will be wearing them a lot at his school so will get plenty of use.
I would label the first lot of underwear whilst your DS gets organised into school but then if there is a laundry net give it a miss.

My DS never uses a bag for carrying books and files to lessons. I'm not sure how he manages but he does.

thanks HG.
Not long to go now……
both exciting, and daunting at the same time!

Are you happy to say what school 1805? Someone might then be able to advise you about how much PE kit is essential.

Radley.
Anyone?

I would like to ask does anyone have any experience with a direct debit card? How does it work and can my DD use it to buy thingd off the internet. Is it feasible to get money out at cash points if she is full Boarding?

I suspect for Radley all the sports kit it needed.
At Win Coll the boys have yo have debit cards (or at least in DS's house they did) they are not allowed to have large amounts of cash and we're meant to only give them a very nominal amount a term. Some school have house banks for younger children instead where any money is given to HM's to look after. This sort of info is usually provided on your joining papers which are usually sent out when you're formally offered a definite place after passing CE/final entrance exam.

And yes they can purchase things on the internet and in shops.

1805
Go to the pop up shop at school later this month. Buy everything they tell you to buy (see new boys info on the website and you will get a pack soon - probably after CE), school label most of it and it is waiting in your sons cupboard in sept. Re: size - i went big......!!! Make sure your credit card has space on it!

Wow, how totally brilliant, labelled and waiting in their cupboard.
Not sure if I could pass up the labelling responsibility.

I can say something constructive about the growing.
It depends on the child but honestly I have never failed to see a boy shoot up several inches in one year, and grow out of everything.

Dh and I call it the "Jethro" (Beverly Hillbillies) stage. Where their trousers are half way up their legs.
For both of ours it was the 13 - 14 age, so during year 9, we had to buy a new uniform half way through the year.

kenlee the debit cards are brilliant and make life a lot easier. Find out which bank is most convenient for your daughter and open an account for her there.

They can make purchases online and in shops, and they can withdraw cash from the ATM. Most accounts for young people have quite a low transaction limit (£50 or so) so they can't go mad. And you should make sure that they are not able to go overdrawn as well. We have set up an automatic payment each month into DSs account, and I also pay in some money gifts from grandparents.

1805 the growth thing is hard to judge and it sort of depends on how much your son has grown recently.

We were doing this three years ago and luckily my DS had already had quite a big growth spurt. Trousers were bought a bit long and simply turned up and stitched so they could be let down later. He is now at the end of his third year and is still in his original uniform and games kit.

Some of the new boys are quite small though, so I would imagine that they will need new clobber when they suddenly shoot up.

I have a daft question, totally just to be nosy as certainly doesn't apply to us.

At some schools are they only allowed to attend if they pass this CE entrance exam/ able to continue within the school if already attending. Or do they pass the exam before entry and haven't attended the school before.
This always interests me when I read these threads.

For dd, they are assessed twice a year and progress is expected, they word it in such a way as their place will be reviewed if adequate progress isn't made.
I suppose this is fair in this case as obviously they are in the wrong school if they aren't thriving.

Most schools want you to pass some sort of entrance exam, CE is the one used by most big name traditional boarding schools starting in yr 9 e.g. Eton Harrow Marlborough etc Win Coll which walks to it's own drum beat writes it's own entrance exam. The very selective one pre test usually in yr 6 sometimes in yr 7 and offer provisional places i.e. you have to achieve a certain % at CE/entrance exam in yr 8. Increasingly even less selective schools are pre testing as well.
Most will then want a pupil to achieve certain grades at (I)GSCE and will warn parents even in yr 10 that their child is unlikely to be successful and that they need to consider alternative schools. Obviously the more selective the school is the higher the grade boundary for retuning to the 6th form is.