The benefits of boarding

By living away from home in a community surrounded by her friends and gently guided by professional caring adults, your daughter can safely make the move from dependent child to well-adjusted autonomous young woman. At boarding school, negotiations for greater freedom and independence can take place without the heated emotion that families may generate.

As a parent you have the peace of mind that your daughter is being well looked after, can spend time with her friends and is being offered very positive role models with regard to behaviour and aspirations.
Girls love to be with their friends yet can often, during the turbulent teenage years, find their confidence shaken. For this reason, a girls-only environment, can offer a more stable framework in which to grow up. With no need to be anxious about what the boys think or who is going out with whom, girls can enjoy growing up at their own pace.

Stepping into the boarding world can be a daunting process for pupils and parents alike if time away from home is new to the family. Many schools offer the chance to sample this gradually by trying out “flexi boarding” where your daughter boards for a couple of nights a week. Flexi boarding can also be a useful facility for families to cover a business trip, family emergency or even a romantic getaway! Increasing in popularity is the “weekly boarding” model which allows parents to spend the weekend with their daughter whilst she benefits from the wide range of activities and social aspects of boarding during the week.

It is important, however, to be prepared for the time when your daughter begs to be left at school as she loves boarding life so much. At that point you will know that you made the right decision!

Read our real life case studies to hear more about families’ experiences of boarding.