EDUCATION
That appealing mix of work and play is a big draw. After homework is completed (something many parents are delighted not to be supervising), pupils may take part in clubs, play sport or just enjoy being with their friends. At St John’s College School, boarders might swim, use the computers or cook – pancake day is always a highlight. Stoke College runs a weekly activities evening in the summer term, including everything from water balloon fights to rocket building, outdoor chess to robot wars – so there’s something for everybody. Day pupils are invited to join in, too, and get a feel for the delights of boarding. Older pupils at the Stephen Perse Foundation can also choose from a packed programme of activities, but decide on their level of involvement, as there is no Saturday school and weekend activities are optional rather than mandatory. “We want to encourage and receive applications from students who see this as a place to develop their academic ability first and foremost – but also to develop as young people,” says Richard Girvan. “Ultimately, it’s all about meeting the child’s individual needs,” explains George Masters at Felsted, which offers different models including flexi, weekly and contemporary, where a child commits to boarding for, say, three nights a week. Instead of assuming children can instantly become weekly boarders with no soft landing, he says it’s all about taking things There’s plenty of support along the way, and not just from staff
HOME FROM HOME A comfortable common room found at St John’s College School (above); enjoy a breakfast with friends at The Leys School (below)
one step at a time. “We think that modern pastoral care involves gently pulling pupils outside their comfort zone.” The goal is to work towards ‘comfortable independence’. There’s plenty of support along the way, and not just from staff. At many schools, Felsted and Stoke College among them, older students play a vital role in mentoring younger pupils, sitting down with them and having an informal chat, often providing invaluable advice and guidance in the process. It’s the flexibility schools now offer that has helped ensure the continued popularity of boarding into the 21st century. While postal deliveries continue to be owl-free, inanimate objects refrain from levitating and corridors are devoid of supernatural manifestations, the care that schools take to make boarding a fun, enriching and nurturing experience can have a magic all of its own.
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK APRIL 2023 79
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