The individual nurturing and development of boarding pupils

Boarding schools provide pupils with the opportunity to develop important life skills in a supportive and nurturing environment, enabling them to leave school knowing themselves, looking out for others, and able to think critically and aim high. Of course, a boarding education also needs to give pupils the confidence to perform at their best academically.

As the Head of Fettes College, I see every day the benefits a boarding education can bring. For me, the key is that each pupil is truly known and therefore we can adapt and adjust our education and care to support each individual.

A Second Home

A boarding house is like a family – a closeknit group of staff and pupils looking after each other, helping, encouraging and simply being there when needed. All teaching staff at Fettes do a duty night in a boarding house. This means everyone is involved in the boarding experience and strong relationships are built up. The resident house staff forge strong bonds with the pupils and get to know your child as well as you do. By choosing boarding, you are adding to your family, with key individuals helping to guide and nurture your child alongside your own parenting. It is very much a team.

A full-boarding ethos nurtures and develops each pupil so they leave school with confidence, prepared for all the world has to offer and ready to make a positive mark. Full boarding offers pupils a chance to embrace new opportunities, making the most of their individual talents while surrounded by their friends. This is achieved in a supportive environment where pupils learn to be responsible for their own belongings and routines, build independence, develop self-reliance and learn from their mistakes. Boarding houses are at the heart of school life and

Helen Harrison Head, Fettes College

this is where pupils can make lifelong friendships and develop trust and loyalty. A full-boarding ethos ensures weekends are vibrant and fun. For example, activities over one weekend at Fettes included a wide variety of sporting fixtures on the Saturday afternoon, followed by a wholeschool ceilidh (everyone at Fettes learns to Scottish country dance!) in the evening, a late Sunday morning brunch and then a walk up to Murrayfield to watch the Scotland v All Blacks rugby international. Some pupils went on that day’s outdoor pursuits event in the hills, some trained for the Fettes Scottish Islands Peaks Race team while others accessed the beautiful city of Edinburgh in a safe and controlled way.

When considering boarding I would always ask a school these questions:

• What type of boarding is on offer? Flexi? Weekly? Full?

• What happens at weekends? This is clearly especially important if you are looking for the full-boarding experience.

• How is boarding staffed? Is there a separate team or is everyone involved?

A secondary education should be exciting and full of opportunity. Boarding pupils are encouraged to stretch and challenge themselves. They learn not be afraid of failure, of trying new things or of forming their own opinions through informed choices. Pupils are encouraged to make the most of their talents and also to discover talents they did not know they had.

At Fettes a full sporting, music, drama, activity, and outdoor education programme means that opportunities abound. Co-curricular activities available include a climbing wall, a 25m swimming pool, fives courts, an Olympic standard water-based hockey astro pitch, mountain-biking tracks, a robotics club, a ceramics club and Fettes Radio. Our new low ropes course provides a unique challenge in developing leadership skills, trust and the importance of working together as a team.