Wealden Times | WT175 | September 2016 | Education supplement inside

WT Education Supplement
being the most popular, although many will also try to
accommodate parents if they want to dip in and out.
Bede’s Prep School in Hailsham has introduced a new
flexi-boarding house where families can take advantage of
boarding between one and four nights a week. “Schools which
do boarding really well are becoming more and more popular,”
says Headmaster, Giles Entwhistle. “Investment in the very
best boarding staff, as well as the quality of the boarding
accommodation itself has been key to our own success.
“Our educational ethos is to adapt the
school experience to the individual and not
the other way around,” he says. “We put the
child front and centre of everything we do
and employ the very best House Parents and
matrons, who provide a loving, nurturing
and secure environment. Our pupils take
a direct and active role in developing the
boarding environment and its ethos and they play a critical
role in decision-making within the boarding houses.”
Another essential difference between today’s boarding
and that of yesteryear is the constant contact children now
have with their parents through social media and the likes of
FaceTime and Skype. Long gone are the stilted, weekly phone
calls and the solitary Sunday letter home, he points out.
This regular contact is also stressed by Chris Liston,
Head of Boarding at Ashford School. “Some people still
have this idea that children are dumped in school at the
beginning of term and that’s it until they’re picked up at the
“Long gone are the
stilted, weekly phone
calls and the solitary
Sunday letter home”
end,” he says. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
He also underlines the importance of the closeness of
the relationship between staff and boarders. “We have
introduced a system which is a reflection of the normal
dinner-time chats a family would have,” he says. “Boarding
staff are allocated particular pupils and have regular oneto-one
chats with them and are very much in their corner
if any issues arise. They are the children’s champions.”
Chris Liston explains out that that the Department of
Education requires all boarding schools to
adhere to 20 national minimum standards,
but stresses that any good school should
view these standards merely as a framework
and the care provided should be far
beyond these basic legal requirements.
“The question I continually ask
myself is: would I send my own children
here – how does it compare with their home life?” he says.
“Our children only get one shot at their education – we
have to make absolutely sure we get it right for them.”
This is, of course, a responsibility shared equally by
parents and it is the latter who know their children best and
who are the ones who can make the best-informed decision
as to whether boarding would be right for their child.
But if you are considering boarding for your child,
you can rest assured that it has changed out of all
recognition since the bad old days and pastoral care is
now at the very heart of the system.
Co-educational, day & boarding school for 3-18 years in South East England
Co-educational, day & boarding school for 3-18 years in South East England
With small class sizes and exceptional facilities, St Lawrence College provides
outstanding opportunities for all pupils academically, in sport and in the arts.
Junior School Open Day: Friday 30 September 2016
Senior School Open Day: Saturday 1 October 2016
T: 01843 572931 E: admissions@slcuk.com www.slcuk.com
St Lawrence College, College Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 7AE
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