ANY TEACHERS WITH THEIR KIDS IN BOARDING SCHOOLS please? :)

[HeyaAll]

So, me and my DH were discussing the pros and cons of boarding schools - just conversationally really; and he sent me out on a quest of a feedback on the issue from teachers (presumably at normal schools) who made the decision of sending THEIR kids to boarding. (I guess he wants to hear from ''normal'' people within the field on whether and why they made such choice)
What made them choose so? What do they think about the experience? Are they happy with their choice? Why? Any input would be much appreciated. Know someone who is in this position? Please spill all the beans, Thank you Thank you x

I know some very damaged people from boarding schools (taught in the 80s/90s). I am a qualified teacher and my children went/go to local state schools.

Here is a website you may like to see for your research:
www.boardingschoolsurvivors.co.uk/

Some boarding schools have a high % of overseas students so their income streams may be drying up.

@Devlesko Thats so amazing! And nice to hear she is getting on so well - you must be one proud momma! I can imagine it being tough though, especially since she kind of told you she's going, rather than the initiative coming from you after a long and thorough thinking Thank you!

@Fluffybat That makes perfect sense if you're not into it thank you!

@Zandathepanda
Is that why you wouldn't even consider such option with your kids? Or is it because you feel like they can learn the same way (and attain the same opportunities) learning in a normal school (with your help)?
Thanks for the page, I will check it out.
From what I've been reading about the subject of students who suffered - they mostly (it appears) were kids who were 'put away' by their parents, with the bond and ability to tell someone if something is wrong, just wasn't there. Most people I spoke with / read their threads (past students and parents) were quite happy and were listing numerous benefits to this type of edu.

@BoardingSchoolMater I think why we dont seem to understand each other might be based on our different attitude to kids education. Me and my husband have no quarrels upping and moving to wherever we find what we deem the best. Hence why your 'best school for the child', although a valid point, is a nationwide search for us, and we need to start somewhere. We started at looking at different TYPES of institutions first. The search for the best fit is secondary at this point. If that makes sense to you, I hope so The specific Teacher question - I believe I have explained thoroughly at this point, and many people comprehended precisely where I was coming from, and I also hope that WHY. Thank you, however, for your input.
Ps: All kids are under 5. Hence why it's a 'learning' point on our journey so far

My daughter is currently writing a speech on "The effects of boarding on a teenager"
She has come to the conclusion that different people need different types of settings to thrive. If you get the wrong person in the wrong setting, then it is a bad experience, but the right person in the right setting leads to a good experience. That is why it is so very important to check schools out.
(both my dc attend very different types of boarding schools).

I was so anti boarding school it was ridiculous. When I started H.ed it was all consuming, after all it's a huge responsibility. So I was more heightened to what I thought was wrong.
I tore a strip off a poor person on here, who then went on to help me immensely when we first started out.

FWIW, imo, not only does the school need to fit the child but the child needs to fit the school.
No matter how good the school or indeed the fit seems to be, there will be a time when the child needs it's mother. I've been there, it's hard when this happens, even if it's temporary and forgotten the next day.
I'm worried if it hasn't all been a big mistake, who wouldn't.
But, you have to constantly evaluate because the slightest change at school can have a big impact on them, more so than a day school.
Selfishly, I'm glad we have these weeks at home now, before the start of 6th form.

My children are all far, far older than yours, OP.

However, FWIW:

Our DC went to a local prep school until they were 13. We just loved the prep school, and I can't believe there's any child on the planet who wouldn't have loved to be there. It was also a very short walk from our house, so it was convenient. Having looked at that school, we didn't bother looking anywhere else.

We chose their next schools based on their interests/abilities/gut feeling.

We are very much based in the place where the DC went to prep school, so couldn't go around sticking pins on a map and having geographical debates. I think that, if your children are under five, you really won't know at this stage whether boarding is a good idea or not. It's fantastic for some, and less so for others. My youngest is about to board, at her insistence, having seen her brothers do it.

I think she'll love it. If I didn't think that, though, I would say no. Her current school goes up to Upper 6, so she could equally well stay there.

Having had children at boarding school, I think it's absolutely brilliant. However, my family is used to boarding (XH and my dad were both boarders), so I don't know if that plays a role.

I do know, though, that I would not send any child to board unless I thought they would relish the experience.

It's more about the particular child, and less about the type of school - if you have the financial luxury of choice.

1805

I haven't seen you for ages, not sure if you remember me. We have been on many threads together, many years ago.

Devlesko
Probably school threads! My eldest is y13 so basically left now! Time goes so fast!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/education/2014/jun/09/boarding-schools-bad-leaders-politicians-bullies-bumblers

I was trying to find an article about boarding schools and came across this (above) which articulates what I was trying to say based on my experience.

I didn’t even contemplate sending my children to boarding school. Not on my register. I had children to be a family and they are lovely and fascinating and life is too short to send them away. A by-product is they have a nice deposit account for a house/travel etc.

A really good comprehensive school is the best type of school For an all round education. It promotes emotional intelligence and the ability to communicate/socialise with a broad range of people. Also state educators are more likely to have learnt how to teach. It wasn’t until I did a PGCE that I realise quite how bad the ex-army and ex-Oxbridge teachers were at my boarding school. My eldest left her comp with 2 A-stars and an A at A Level. And lots of extra curricular stuff. It is about a third of the way down the league tables for our county. If I had the whole country to chose from I would chose a state school further North that I had the joy of teaching in a while back.

I agree with all the other posters that you find the school that’s the best fit for your child. But I think you imply you can move anywhere so why on earth chose a boarding school unless you really don’t want to or can’t be around your child?

What an incredibly weird post! The writing style goes from ‘Momma’s’ and ‘Hubs’ and a plethora of emoji’s through to eloquent the next! Whoever said that this reads like a journo adopting what they think is a typical Mumsnetters style is spot on! The questions are downright odd as well - ‘Hubs’ wants Data. Right. And as neither the OP or her partner appear to be teachers themselves, where is the relevance to whether they could deliver ‘top notch’ education themselves at home!

I went to boarding school. My mother wasn’t a teacher (but she was a Newspaper Editor). As others have said, as with any other type of school some will be High Achieving whereas others will be decent for less academic children. I hated my school (it was far from the Blyton-esque place of my imagination) but my sister adored hers. Quite simply whether boarding will suit any child depends hugely on that child and like any school type, you have to put the leg work in to find the right fit. As we don’t know your DC, impossible to say if it would be the right choice for them. If this is genuine (which I sincerely doubt!) then as others have said, go take a look. Will give you far more of an informed view than asking random strangers on Mumsnet!

Tbf, SJane, some of us random strangers have been here, commenting about our real, live, contemporaneous experience of sending children to boarding schools, for a decade or more. But the OP doesn't want our opinions unless we present a teaching certificate first ...

I also went to boarding school. As did my sibling and both of my parents. But I don't think anything other than our 21st century experience (as decision makers/parents) has any relevance to boarding now.

DH was sent to a boarding school. Hated it. Has not really forgiven his parents. I don't understand why you'd want to send your kids away. It's really fucked up. Imo. Sorry.

With respect @PerditaProvokesEnmity, I wasn’t attacking boarding (it does quite clearly work for many children and parents) and the fact I boarded a lifetime ago was probably the least relevant part of my comment. Whether it’s the right environment for her child will depend entirely on that child and the school they select, as with any other type of school.

I didn't think you were attacking boarding, SJane. Was my post so unclear? Apologies if so.

Ah! My comment about my boarding ancestry was an afterthought - really, if anything, responding to the anti-boarding poster who cited their teaching experience from 40 years ago.

(Not their own teaching experience, but people who were taught 40 years ago. My own education was before that - which is why it's irrelevant to the contemporary experience.)

Well the point you seemed to be making was that my own negative experience of boarding is completely irrelevant compared to your own experience as a parent. If my post had centred on my own less than pleasant experience, fair enough, I’d take your point! What I was trying to get at was it may/may not suit anyone’s child, there are big differences in attainment & pick your school wisely. To be honest, if it wasn’t for the (in my opinion) rather odd posts I doubt I’d have commented anyway!

Sorry, just read your subsequent posts Perdita! I think I’m going to go away and have another coffee & hopefully wake myself up more! Have a good day.

Ok, guys, thank you all for all your asnwers and for all your wonderful judgement that ensued. @SJaneS48 maybe my writing style changes because I came here for a friendly chat and ended up having to defend myself to constant outlandish yet aggressively put accross posts. I am a young person, so excuse my usage of smileys, I shall continue to do so as I please - doesnt make mine better or worse than your writing style. I do appreciate you calling my more formal way of speaking eloquent- English is not my first language so I can only take it as a compliment.
I NEVER ASKED ANY OF YOU TO CALL JUDGEMENT ON WHETHER BOARDING SCHOOL IS/ISNT FOR MY CHILDREN, I SIMPLY ASKED FOR FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS WHO DECIDED TO PERSUE THIS PATH OF EDU FOR THEIR KIDS. If you can't understand the sentiment of wanting to hear a teachers opinion, providing my husbands mum was one (and of an exceptional quality if I may add); who we cannot ask for opinion on this as she passed when I was preggo with our first - thats fine, no need to be an ass about it.
To all of you who tried to understand there was no ill intention to my post, and who asnwered like normal, nice person - THANK YOU! You have helped me a little to form some sort of argument, and brought in new perspective for when our next debate on the subject comes on
To all of you weirdos who constantly attacked me, questioned my integrity and my motives - you are the reason why I don't talk to Mums online - you are one nasty bunch of judgemental pieces of work. Keep at it, must be great to live like a savage!
Its morning over here, where I am, and you have literally gave me anxiety for the day with your disgusting attitute. So I think I'm gonna retreat and leave you guys to keep tearing me apart in your own time.
Again, THANK YOU ALL THE ONES WHO WERE NORMAL ABOUT ME ASKING A QUESTION