The best state boarding schools offer world-elass teaching and keen pastoral eare. They are also more affordable, as students only pay for boarding.
The best state boarding schools offer world-elass teaching and keen pastoral eare. They are also more affordable, as students only pay for boarding. DR CHRIS PYLE, Head of Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Chair of the BSA State Boarding Forum, explains more.
England’s state boarding schools have a very special place in our education system. They often
have an ‘independent’ ethos and education is free. Boarding fees are typically around a third of the cost of independent boarding schools.
State boarding schools come in all shapes and sizes, from non-selective schools in rural settings to grammar schools in towns and small cities. A few are single sex while others are co-educational. Several are very ancient – Lancaster Royall Grammar School (LRGS) traces its roots back to the 13th century – while others have been established recently to meet demand in this vibrant sector.
All state boarding schools are united by a shared belief in the opportunities of boarding. There Is a consistent concern for the wellbeing and personal development of young people in our schools. Wraparound pastoral care creates a very special environment where friendships and shared activities become for many the defining privilege of their teenage years.
Co-curricular opportunities are a particular strength. After-school activities flourish in a residential community with no commuting required. Many pupils play competitive sport against independent schools, and some schools offer outstanding debating and music. Others, including LRGS, place a high value on thriving Combined Cadet Force Army, Naval and RAF sections as a mainstay of outdoor and leadership programmes.
Academic results are a major factor for parents in choosing a school, and the state boarding sector punches above its welght. Value-added’ analysis shows our boarders tend to do better than day puplls at GCSE, because of the support and encouragement from boarding staff who engage with academic challenges during and outside prep times.
At LRGS, around half of our 140 boarders live within an hour of the school, but growing numbers are from London and elsewhere. We have about 50 overseas students, who must have UK passports or right of UK residence. Bilingual or expat families from Europe to the Middle East, and from Hong Kong to West Africa are all well represented.
MODERN LIFE
Most of our families are first generation boarders. They may not initially have considered boarding or even been aware that exceptional state schools offer this opportunity. Boarding fits modern life for many families living with the realities of commuting, travel commitments, divided families or older siblings away at university. A mother bringing up her son on her own told me how boarding allows her to manage her growing business, while her son benefits from positive role models. “We have the best weekends ever!” said the mother of another weekly boarder.
The boarding experience changes with age. Younger boarders are in light and airy shared dorms of four to six. The emphasis is on establishing excellent habits in boarding and the classroom. The housemaster and the matrons lead pastoral care. Their days Include reuniting pupils with lost property and supplying toast! Evening tutors supervise prep, with young sports grads and sixth-form mentors often on hand. Plenty of summer evenings are spent chasing either a ball or each other round the fields. Junior boarding has the excitement of a secret society: boarders and day pupils are indistinguishable In school, but boarders have the key to an extra world – while many day pupils face long journeys home.
In GCSE years, boarders normally share a dorm with another pupil, and sixth form boarders all have single rooms. Revision season sees pupils working together – with occasional encouragement to head out for an impromptu barbecue or game of dodgeball to relieve pressure.
STEPPING STONES
Parents increasingly see sixth-form boarding as an excellent stepping stone to university. We encourage all our senior boarders to take on leadership positions and to engage with the local community – from planting trees to hosting our local residents’ Christmas party.
State boarding is very much a shared enterprise between parents and school, with open communication evolving quickly in recent years. “I Facetime my dad twice a day,” one overseas boarder told me recently – although most teenagers struggle to communicate quite so frequently.
A school’s website and reputation tells you a certain amount, but it is important to visit and meet staff and students if you can – at open days, a tour on a normal school day, and perhaps an evening taster session. Come and see what makes us special.
A recent Ofsted visit resulted in boarding at LRGS being awarded ‘Outstanding. Inspectors sald: “The boarding experience at this school has a profound positive impact on the lives of children. Boarders make exceptional progress because of the commitment of the staff team and thelr experiences of staying at the school.”
D Dr Chris Pyle has been Head of Lancaster Royal Grammar School since 2012. He was state-educated in Oxfordshire and went on to complete a degree and PhD in Geography at Cambridge University, before working in the water industry. He was previously Deputy Head at the Perse School, Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and regularty writes resources for schools on natural hazards and environmental
change.
Subscribe / latest articles and news from our schools
