Boarding school tips (sixth form girl)

[TheOccupier]

DNiece is off to boarding school! Going into Y12. She's been living abroad until now so has never even been to an English school before but has always wanted to do this and is excited.

Am helping DSis pack and prepare but although we have lists (so many lists) from the school we don't really know what we're doing - we didn't go to boarding school ourselves. Can any experienced parents of boarders share any tips please?

Also, I would like to get DN a special gift to mark this new stage of her life - something she can take to school with her that will be useful and nice there and remind her how much her auntie loves her . Does anyone have any ideas? She's going to a mixed school and will be in an all-girls house, I think with her own bedroom.

We got DD2 some towels with her name embroidered on them, so that they found their way back to her. Also, nice bedding, fairy lights, an agenda if the school doesn’t supply one. A photo frame that can hold different sized photos. Nice shower gel.

With the bedding and towels, I would choose a strong colour as the school laundry turns everything that is a light colour, grey.

Get her a nice fancy wash bag to carry everything back and forth

*subsidising

@TheOccupier My DD is about to start at boarding school for sixth form. We don't have a clue what we're doing either. I just wanted to say that I only ordered Stickins last night, so our 'not acceptable' name tapes may not even have arrived in time (although, in fairness to Stickins they have already dispatched the order)!

I hope your DN settles quickly and enjoys her experience. My DD is really looking forward to it even though she's a little apprehensive of the unknown.

@Card1gan you will be fine, Stickins always arrive incredibly quickly. As I said upthread I have/had 2 DC boarding and we use them on lots of things. You just have to be aware that they do peel off over time. Send a fresh sheet of them with your DC so they can replenish when needed and get them into the habit of checking labels when things come back from the wash.

I would still see in tapes to expensive and most frequently mislaid items like blazers though.

Thanks @ChequerBoard. I'll send some spare Stickins with DD and can order some sew in tapes if completely necessary. I'll also send her with a Sharpie - initials on labels with a Sharpie last forever!

I still find the odd thing with a name tape in it!!

I offloaded some towels to the boarding teen who was most amused to find that they were loving labelled MauveMavis Boarding House....

My experience was all uniform had to be labelled (games kit on the outside) but casual clothes and underwear did not .

That was because our laundry system was that all non uniform clothing was laundered in wash bags in big commercial washing machines and then tumble dryed in the same bags.... school uniform went off to the external laundry hence the need to be labelled very clearly.

Other schools had different laundry systems so having your pants labelled became more important!

When my DD went away to school, all her uniform was delivered to house with name tags sewn in. Other stuff that arrived unlabelled eg duvets came back at the end of the term also with labels sewn on (I assume by the Dame). I thought most schools offered this! Even both my DS as day pupils had this service at their school. Sorry if that sounds entitled in a Catherine Tate way.