It takes a village school to raise a child

‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ But in our ever-changing landscape, it now appears that it also takes a school to raise a child. Nowhere is this more evident than in a boarding school. With the alarming statistics of children being diagnosed with depression at a young age, and resilience and wellbeing becoming the new ‘watch words’ in schools, there is a great need for all schools to be aware of the role they play in the life of a child. Childhood is precious and every child should be nurtured, especially while at school.

Nowadays, raising a child can no longer just be the job of the ‘village’ – parents, extended family and friends. Schools therefore need to shoulder even more of the responsibility in helping to raise children. The modern ‘village’ now has the family and the school at its very heart.

Regan Schreiber Head of Boarding and PSHE teacher, Hazlegrove Prep School

Exceptional Pastoral Care

When you are looking for the right boarding school for your children, I urge you to look beyond the outstanding facilities, the superbly equipped classrooms and the extensive playing fields, although of course these are important. What really matters is how the school will deliver exceptional pastoral care and what this really means for your child. John Newman once said that teaching requires a moral dimension otherwise it is cold and arctic. Never has this been more relevant than today. Teachers have always had many roles –storytellers, educators, coaches, carers and others too many to mention – but a priority for me is being a ‘parent’ and role model.

My philosophy, which has always guided me in teaching and indeed in leading the boarding at Hazlegrove, is that every child should be ‘parented’ every day. By this I mean children should not get through a day without an adult asking them how they are feeling and digging a little below the surface in order to get to know the child better and help the child feel appreciated and cared for. Staff –including administrative staff, domestic staff, grounds staff, matrons as well as teachers – all have a key role to play in raising the pupils.

Communication and trust are key. Schools must ensure they have created an environment that encourages adults to talk freely and warmly about children. Staff and parents need to embrace the challenge and work together for the sake of the children. Teachers and parents can no longer just wave to each other from the car park or the street, they need to meet face-to-face (or online) and celebrate their children as partners in this exciting journey. This healthy communication must exist between children and staff too. Pupils must believe they have a voice and that the staff really listen. They will be looking to the adults for guidance, support, advice and a sense of belonging.

Boarding school teachers have always had an enormous responsibility in looking after children and that responsibility includes making sure pupils are learning valuable life lessons, from being able to tie shoelaces, to riding a bicycle and having good table manners. At Hazlegrove we believe there is more to teaching than merely delivering lessons. Teachers need to help children build self-confidence and a sense of self-belief, foster an appreciation and tolerance for others, facilitate friendships, help discover new talent and find out what makes their ‘tails wag’, as well as reinforcing the importance of self-control and selfrespect. At Hazlegrove, we are ready for this and have accepted the challenge (and indeed the privilege) of helping parents raise their children. So when choosing a boarding school, make sure you meet the staff, who will be those all-important role models for your children, who will be responsible for a significant part of raising them to adulthood and who will share (and reinforce) your values, helping your children become the best versions of themselves. You need to imagine seeing your child there – happy and cared for. Let’s start raising our children together!

Regan is Head of Boarding and PSHE Co-ordinator at Hazlegrove in Somerset where there are around 90 full-time boarders. He and his wife Gail are houseparents to the senior boys and live in the boarding house with their children and their dogs, Toast and Toffee. One of their children attends Hazlegrove while the other two have moved from Hazlegrove to senior boarding school in Taunton. Before joining Hazlegrove in 2016, Regan and Gail spent ten years as houseparents in a full boarding prep school in East Sussex.