Preparatory schools

In the fifteenth century, King’s Choristers were provided with meals and clothing, and eight pence a week for their board. Things have certainly changed since then!

There is something about British boarding school life that has always captured the imagination but literature and film are littered with enduring yet outdated stereotypes. Modern UK boarding schools are warm and welcoming, well regulated and full of sympathetic staff who provide superb pastoral support for their pupils. As a consequence, children flourish.

Boarding in a prep school brings a wonderfully diverse range of advantages and opportunities, but most importantly the children have a lot of fun. You only have to see the smiles on their faces and the excitement of planning what to do with their free time, to realise just how much boarding can enrich a child’s life.

In today’s rapidly changing and demanding world, where our view of life is distorted by social media and expectations of our young people are high, our prep boarding schools offer children an oasis into which they can escape.

When I am asked by parents and prospective parents what qualities of character I think are important to instil in children today, kindness is one of the first I mention. Academic success and other achievements, however important, will not be enough to see children through the twenty-first century world in which they will live, work and, we hope, thrive. Kindness is seen by some as an old-fashioned value but research has shown it has significant physical and emotional benefits and that children need kindness to flourish as healthy, happy and well-rounded individuals. This is particularly the case in a boarding school environment where children live in close proximity to one another and have to get along.

Like many boarding prep schools, Aysgarth has a vast activities programme and the boys work hard and have a great deal of fun. Boarding is not for everyone, but it does have enormous advantages and I would like to outlline the key benefits here.

An African proverb says, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. In our ever-changing world, it now takes a school to raise a child and nowhere is this more pertinent than in a boarding school. With the alarming statistics of children being diagnosed with depression at a young age, and resilience and wellbeing becoming the new ‘watch words’ in schools, there is a great need for all schools to be aware of the role they play in the life of a child. Childhood is precious and every child should be nurtured.

Every parent hopes their child will grow up to be a success – a happy and fulfilled adult who makes considered choices and who appreciates the value of being of service to others. Many schools promise to provide the opportunities to achieve this, particularly through boarding provision. Boarding is no longer popular simply as a necessity for travelling or busy parents – it is a lifestyle choice for parents who recognise and value the benefits of it.

Children in independent schools often lead relatively privileged lives, so one of the more challenging responsibilities of a school is developing a social conscience in its pupils. The teaching of subjects like history, geography and religious studies can broaden a child’s understanding of the wider world, but is that sufficient? 

In a world where children have more access than ever to types of communication that can be considered to strip away their innocence, it is vital to provide sanctuaries where the ideals of childhood can be preserved. I would argue that in providing such a sanctuary a boarding prep school is not merely a shelter from the ‘real world’ but a proper passageway to the future.