What about boarding schools?

‘Photo with kind permission of Gordon’s School What about boarding schools? ? Barnaby Lenon Headmaster, Harrow School, 1999–2011 and Chairman, Independent Schools Council (ISC) Boarding schools continue to be popular in the twenty-first century, offering exceptional education and extracurricular activities with round-theclock pastoral care. The 2022 ISC Census shows that 69,937 pupils were registered to board at any point during the 2021–22 academic year. Overall, 441 schools, representing 32 per cent of all ISC schools, have some boarding pupils. Parents are able to choose between different types of boarding to suit their child. Although full boarding remains most popular overall, the pattern appears to be changing with weekly and flexi boarding becoming more popular. In 2016, 15.7 per cent of boarders were weekly or flexi boarders. In 2022, the figure is 22.8 per cent. Many working parents value the flexibility of these boarding options. three in ten of all pupils. For junior pupils this proportion is significantly lower, with only 2 per cent of pupils boarding. International pupils bring a global perspective to our schools and enrich the community. The 2022 ISC Census shows there are 25,079 non-British pupils at ISC schools whose parents live overseas. Pupils from Hong Kong comprise the largest group in this category, with 5,845 pupils. The parents of these pupils choose British schools because they are keen for their children to master the English language, they understand the significance of extracurricular activities as part of a wide education, and they know attending a British school may be the best way to gain admission to a British university. Some boarding and day schools have set up franchise schools abroad. While I was headmaster at Harrow, we built schools in Thailand, Beijing and Hong Kong. These schools pay a fee to the British school which helps to keep down the fees paid by parents and can be used to fund transformational bursaries at the school. In return, the British school provides advice and monitors the franchise school in a way which guarantees standards. In 2021, average fee increases were 1.7 per cent. A total of 179,768 pupils now receive help with their fees, representing 35 per cent of all pupils. The value of this help totals over £1.1 billion, an increase of 4.3 per cent on the previous year.

WIDENING ACCESS

This reflects the long-term aim of our schools to increase bursary provision and widen access. Over the last 15 years, there has been a consistent trend of schools providing increasing amounts of fee assistance to pupils.

There are variations between different age groups. For the sector as a whole, 12 per cent of pupils at ISC schools board. At sixth form this proportion more than doubles to More than 40,000 pupils receive meanstested bursaries, valued at £480 million in 2021. The average bursary is worth £10,840 per pupil per year.

?ADVANTAGES OF BOARDING Boarding schools have many advantages: • They are able to offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities to a high proportion of pupils because more time is spent by pupils on the school grounds. They also tend to attract staff who want to be involved in sport, music or drama at a high level. • Boarding schools take pupils from all over the country and all over the world. This is a valuable educational experience in itself: the opportunity to know people from many walks of life and from many different cultures. • And of course, boarders do not have to travel to school, something which can be challenging in some parts of the country. THINGS TO CONSIDER The boarding environment is positive and fun, but remember: • Boarding houses can be noisy places full of other children. • Being away from home will be a new experience for children and their parents. • Boarding requires substantial investment. However, overall more than a third of ISC school pupils receive help with their fees. Barnaby Lenon won the Cambridge University Prize for Education, taught at Eton for 12 years, was Deputy Head of Highgate School, Headmaster of Trinity School Croydon and Head of Harrow (12 years). For eight years he was the founding chair of the London Academy of Excellence, a state free school in East London. He has been a governor of 22 schools and is a trustee of the 12 independent and state schools in the King Edward’s Birmingham Foundation. For six years he was on the board of Ofqual. He is Professor of Education at the University of Buckingham, Chairman of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and a trustee of the charity Yellow Submarine. He has published two books, Much Promise: successful schools in England and Other People’s Children: what happens to the academically least successful 50%? He is one of the most widely quoted educationalists in the media. In 2019, he was awarded a CBE for services to education.

THE BSA GUIDE TO BOARDING SCHOOLS • AUTUMN 2022 / CHOOSING AND ASSESSING SCHOOLS / 15 Choosing to board is a personal decision for parents to make with their child – and with support and advice from their chosen school. Every school is different and details of individual schools can be found on their websites, or through the Independent Schools Council (ISC) website.

WHAT IS THE ISC?

The ISC is a membership organisation that brings together seven education associations and works on behalf of more than 1,390 independent fee-charging schools in the United Kingdom, which educate more than 500,000 children every year. The ISC has three main functions, covering policy and public affairs, media and communications, and research and data. The aim of the ISC is to be a service organisation, promoting and protecting the independent education sector. Importantly for our members, the ISC provides a central base in London where all types of independent schools (prep schools, mixed and single-sex, academically selective and non-selective, day and boarding) can come together to discuss issues of common interest. Parents can find information about all ISC schools at www.isc.co.uk

Outstanding facilities, an all-round education and endless opportunities await you atThe Duke ofYork’s Royal Military School. Our full-boarding school, open to 11–18-year-olds, is placed in the top 2% of schoolsnationally for GCSE progress. Students benefit from excellent teaching delivered by managers and leaders rated Outstandingby Ofsted (2018).