Boarding House Routines (Continued) - Ipswich Grammar School

Older Students Entering Boarding
Some boarders (particularly boarders who enter at Year 11 or 12) may experience problems with social adjustment.
Teenagers quite often have established certain social patterns and have also enjoyed a certain amount of independence.
Due to the nature of the boarding community, the direct responsibility of the staff to the parents and boarders, and
the sheer size of our ‘family’, older boarders at times find some of the day-to-day workings a bit restrictive.
The legal aspects of ‘in loco parentis’ (Latin – in place of the parents) can assist a boy to understand why a boarding
community needs to know where all boys are at all times. Explaining the serious responsibility of the boarding
masters may assist boys in accepting boarding routines more readily.
To help them cope with this new lifestyle it would be beneficial to discuss with them some of the differences that
might be experienced. If you want more background information please do not hesitate to phone the Director of
Boarding with your queries. It may be of benefit to encourage your son to make the contact if they are indeed worried
about any aspect.
Success in this matter lies in the understanding that the larger community is in some respects reasonably inflexible.
It is essential that a boarder comes to an understanding of what is acceptable and what is not and why these things
are so. A new boarder has to quickly realise that some social patterns will not fit the new situation and that they must
take steps to adjust their behaviour accordingly rather than try to change the community.
Our boarding house has an established senior study system, which helps boys develop self-discipline in preparation
for tertiary education. The senior boys study in their own room without the direct supervision of a master. The master
on duty has a roving job, to ensure the boys are concentrating on their studies and to aid in any questions. Ex-students
on their return have supported this type of study by saying that it prepared them for the non-supervised study in
their tertiary education. We are trying to help each boy become an individual responsible for his own work ethics.
28 – IPSWICH GRAMMAR SCHOOL Boarders’ Handbook