We hope you will find the Guide helpful and informative. This is a good place to start if you are embarking on the search for a boarding school for your child. The Guide covers all aspects of boarding education, including funding, selecting a school, academic success, extra-curricular opportunities, schools that specialise in art, music or dance, schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities, and sixth-form choices. You will find information about the range of boarding options – full, weekly, flexible – and the variety of schools – boys only, girls only and co-educational. Each child and each family will be looking for something different in a boarding school and we have aimed to include information on the whole gamut of provision. UK boarding schools lead the world in the quality of education and pastoral care they provide. We hope this Guide provides an excellent start to your search for the right school for your child.
Steve Dyson
Steve Dyson has been a journalist for more than 30 years. He is a former regional newspaper editor and BBC radio presenter. Steve is now a media consultant who owns and operates Dyson Media Ltd, and he has worked with the BSA on various projects since 2014. His other education work includes creating and delivering numerous courses and exams for the National Council for the Training of Journalists, and producing podcasts for Aston University. Married with three sons and a grandson, Steve enjoys reading, cinema, walking, real ale and eating out.
Graham Able (Chair)
Graham Able has spent 40 years in independent schools, the last 22 as Headmaster of Hampton School and then Master of Dulwich College. After retiring from Dulwich he was appointed Chief Executive of the Alpha Plus Group, stepping down from this role in 2014 since when he has been Group Deputy Chairman. Having previously served on the governing bodies of Roedean and Imperial College, he is currently a governor of Gresham’s School and of Beeston Hall, where he was once a pupil and is now Vice-Chairman. A former chairman of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), he has advised governing boards on their structure and effectiveness. He enjoys golf, cricket, sailing and contract bridge and he is also a lifelong supporter of Norwich City Football Club.
Adrian Underwood
Adrian Underwood’s career has been in boarding education for over 45 years since 1971 when he was appointed a Housemaster and Head of Department. From 1975 to 1997 he was Headmaster of a boarding and day school. In 1998 Adrian became National Director of the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA). He watched over the Association’s development into the world’s major boarding association, pioneering a professional development programme for boarding staff and engaging with the British government on a range of boarding issues including drafting the first set of National Boarding Standards. He was appointed OBE in 2007 for services to education. For 15 years he was a Lead Inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) and the Education Development Trust. He now lives on the North Norfok coast and is an educational consultant. He is a governor of Wymondham College and governing member of the Sapientia Education Trust.
Jenny Dwyer
Jenny Dwyer has worked in boarding schools for the last 30 years. She began her career at Benenden teaching mathematics and running a boarding house. She moved to Queen Anne’s in Caversham as Pastoral Deputy and then became Headmistress of Prior’s Field School, a day and boarding school, in Godalming, Surrey. She spent the last 12 years in Dorset, as Head of Sherborne Girls, a full boarding school and retired as Head in July 2018. Jenny has been on the governing body of a number of independent prep and senior schools as well as a local MAT and has been a team inspector for ISI for a number of years. Married with two sons, she enjoys sailing, keeping fit and spending time at her house on the Norfolk coast.
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