Quentin Edwards, Headmaster of Bilton Grange School and Chairman elect of the Boarding Schools Association, explains why

There has never been a better time to board. Recent developments in boarding provision, brought about by the need to improve conditions to appeal to the modern boarder and the advent of inspection under the Children Act; the development of a culture of training and professional development for all those in boarding staff positions; the shift to a greater emphasis on the interests, rights and concerns of the child have all made the conditions of boarding better and more flexible than they have ever been before.

But this is not why a modern child should consider boarding, nor why the modern family should consider the extra expense and commitment to education involved in having children at a boarding school.

The boarding culture developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries as a recognition of the need to develop a whole personality. Even in those days, there was a belief that a sense of community, of personal independence and responsibility, of a proper understanding of the role of leadership and loyalty to those with whom one was playing and studying, were important factors in the thinking of the educators who were in charge of boarding schools. The modern boarder can still derive these important experiences for personal development. The modern boarding school encourages independence and the willingness to take charge of one’s life. It breeds a sense of responsibility, of ownership not just of personal possessions and their whereabouts but personal organisation in the widest sense, and above all it breeds a real opportunity for friendship.
At an early age children learn to socialise through play. The modern urban community has increasingly isolated children one from another so that the periods when they are together as a group are now curtailed. It is often difficult for children to travel to see their friends because parents are nervous about letting them out of their sight to travel across a city or use public transport. Increasingly, in the home, most forms of entertainment through the video, television and computer screen are isolating. The vital skills of personal interaction are not being practised enough, but within the boarding school the constant exposure to one’s peers and the regular periods of free time enable all ages to develop greater social skills and the confidence that goes with them.

In addition, the boarding child can become involved more fully in education and learning. It is not just a matter of avoiding the hour or so wasted daily by travelling to and from school, precious time which can be put to better use with all facilities on hand and the staff available. It is also that children can pursue their particular interest in a sustained and uninterrupted way. This enables the pursuit of excellence, with all the attendant confidence-boosting that comes from being able to stay at a task until it is thoroughly finished. The child can also learn about the consequences of actions both positive and negative. Social responsibility grows with an awareness that what you do will have a consequence and reaction for other people. This too breeds greater maturity.

Above all, boarding offers a challenge to the child: a challenge to be independent, a challenge to become involved, a challenge to take responsibility, a challenge to pursue something to the highest point that you can achieve and a challenge to grow up.

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