Friends for life...
Georgia & Lydia McMillan
Case Study: Downe House and St George's School Ascot
Educational experience for my late husband James and myself was widely different: I attended the local state primary school ( 48 per class all those years ago!) then the local girls’ grammar school, while James attended half a dozen primary schools and then a military boarding school at 10. So choosing secondary education for our girls was a task we addressed most seriously. Neither of us was in any doubt that single sex education was the answer. I was well aware of the differing rates of academic and emotional development between the sexes, and was confident we could supply the “male interactive” experience outside school . That has been easy. The girls have been surrounded by male friends since they were toddlers and remain comfortable and confident with boys. When I questioned Georgia recently she was emphatic that it was “a relief not to be distracted by having boys around during the day!”
As Georgia and Lydia were very different we decided to send them to different boarding schools where our girls could flourish as individuals (click here to read more about how we chose schools for each daughter)
They each loved their school and were thriving when during Georgia’s Sixth Form years and Lydia’s pre GCSE, a catalogue of disasters befell us, both physical, emotional and financial. The most serious was James’ untimely death from cancer after a year of horrendous illness. The support the girls received from staff and school friends was extraordinary. Boarding friends are friends for life, and school becomes a second home. I can still remember being so grateful when reassured “You do what you have to Mrs McMillan. We’ll take care of Lydia/Georgia.” Such were the friendship bonds that it was rare that Georgia or Lydia would visit daddy alone, however uncomfortable for their friends. These girls spent endless hours long into the night listening & comforting and even sleeping on the floor, during and for months after when both my girls were predictably depressed, moody and often irritable and irrational. In what other situation would a whole year group independently arrange and turn up without exception for a dinner on the one year anniversary of James’ death? The girls were both nurtured and supported by their girl friends in a way I have rarely seen adults behave.
So our 2 very different daughters found themselves in very different schools, sharing an unexpectedly horrendous couple of years. The wonderful support we received defies description – its profound effect immeasurable. …and it doesn’t end there…one of Georgia’s Downe House friends is keeping a sisterly eye on Lydia in Paris, and since her departure I receive weekly calls from her St George’s friends “ Just checking” that I’m OK!!! How wonderful is that!!
Related Pages
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Different daughters - different schools?
Georgia and Lydia are wildly different girls, and we made an early decision that they would not necessarily attend the same schools. Comparisons are glaring and we wanted each to succeed in her ow...
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Is there any hope for day-schoolers to have friends for life?
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When I was younger I would have said no,but now in the days of Facebook I have friends from primary and secondary.
People change a lot over the years,often for the better.