Weekly Boarding with no Saturday school?

[mazzamoo123]

Hi,

I am probably looking for something that doesn’t exist but I’m looking for a boarding school that has no Saturday school and is predominantly day/weekly boarding. I went to a boarding school and the day pupils were massively ostracised so I want to know that if my DS was a day pupil, he wouldn’t be in the minority and that most boarders were weekly anyway. It doesn’t matter where it is!

Thanks for any advice :)

Many schools are dropping Saturday lessons to appeal to the growing demand for flexi/weekly boarding and to cater for day families that want the boarding school facilities/pastoral care but also want family time at weekends. Traditional boarding provision is changing.

DS school has dropped Saturday school and now has optional sport/extra curricular on Saturdays.

@Oratory1 which school does your DS go to? I heard that too about boarding - I think they’re way more flexible now. We’d prefer mixed as we have two boys and a girl. We’re happy to work evenings, we’d just rather not weekends but I know we can’t be too fussy!

Shiplake College, Near Henley on Thames. No Saturday school, higher proportion of day students than boarders, lovely school.

Edgeborough and Cheam only do Monday - Friday boarding. Are you a primary or secondary teacher?
I’ve taught in a few boarding schools and if you had staff accommodation you had to do boarding duties.

I don’t know any that don’t have something on a Saturday. Co-curricular and sport might be optional for the kids but unlikely to be for staff!

At mine if you live onsite you have to do 1 boarding duty a week and 1 Sunday a year. Everyone has to do Saturday morning and at least 1 sport (term) a year.

Bedes in Sussex. Good mix of boarding/day, male/female

Family accommodation was thin on the ground at the two schools I worked at. Most of it was small one bedroom flats. It was also only given to full time boarding staff who had to work every Saturday and some Sundays on a rota.

You may well struggle to find a school that doesn’t only offer the hours you want but also has housing suitable for a family. It does exist, but I think you are seriously limited. Then you have to get the job......

I would be looking at a Housemaster job - but would rather work somewhere that predominantly had weekly boarding and no Saturdays. I coach netball where I work now so also happy to do sport. I was just interested to know whether my ideal school existed! And you’re right, I’d have to get the job in the end as well and that is not always easy!

Pangbourne college would fit the bill; I think they’re dropping Saturday school

Brighton, Hurst and Bedes in Sussex all have good mix and no Saturday school (although there are matches). I think Eastbourne College is moving this way too

Why do you want to work at the same school as your child? Any one of these things would be reasonably easy to achieve, depending on your experience, qualifications and income but I think you will be lucky to get all of them at the same time:
a job in a boarding school;
a boarding school with no Saturday element;
a boarding school which provides accommodation for staff (you don't say whether you're SLT as most staff accommodation is reserved for this role or house parents only IMHO);
a place for your child at the same school.

Maybe for a discount? Our kids couldn't possibly go to the school they go to if we didn't get a generous staff discount. But if that is one of OP's reasons, then of course it cuts down the choice of schools still further, as lots of schools don't offer big discounts.

The school one of mine is off to has flexi and weekly boarding - no Friday or Saturday nights and optional Sundays. I think there is sports/activities at weekends but no lessons. Lots of day schools have Saturday sports too so that's not all that different. Happy to pm you which school it is if that's helpful.

Thanks @GU24Mum that would be so helpful x