Boarding ADVENTURE

Choosing to educate your child in a boarding school is one of the most important decisions you can make – and often it is a step into the unknown for both you and your child. Helping your child to build a realistic picture of what to expect, and encouraging them to develop their own strategies to deal with the practical, emotional and social aspects of living away from home are key to a happy and successful transition.

Boarding, at its best, is a holistic partnership between child, family and school – so planning ahead to ease the transition is a team e ort. Boarding no longer means staying away from home for weeks on end as there are exeats during term time, opportunities to phone home and family visits to school for events.

Reading through the school’s boarding handbooks well in advance will give your child a good overview of practical information – such as term times, boarding houses, daytime routines and sta . It will also help them to build positive images ahead of their boarding adventure.

Taster Experiences

Taster overnight stays are an excellent way to become more familiar with the school and will help them to form a firm idea of what to expect. At Heathfield, the incoming cohort is welcomed to a school sleepover in June where they join with current boarders and get a true taste of the structure of the school day, facilities, extracurricular activities and 24/7 pastoral care.

We also recommend that parents of girls about to start boarding contact each other to arrange sleepovers, play dates or lunches over the summer. This helps to establish bonds (and start friendships) prior to the start of term.

While preparation is key, for many, the start of term is the first prolonged time away from family. Homesickness is natural. It is important to talk about this and help your child to develop strategies to manage these emotions independently, as well as knowing that they can talk with sta who are on hand to help. Mindfulness activities such as reading, listening to music or simply enjoying their own space can also be helpful.

Homesickness quickly fades with the excitement of engaging in so many co-curricular activities and realising they have a whole new ‘family’. At Heathfield, we appoint ‘big sisters’ – pupils who organise activities with new boarders to encourage friendships in a relaxed way.

A ‘CAN DO’ MINDSET

SARAH WILSON Headmistress Heathfield School

Being able to self-regulate and manage their own time and belongings are skills that pupils need in a boarding environment. Help your child by gradually encouraging them to develop a ‘can do’ mindset. Skills to encourage include recognising when it’s time to get ready for bed (and understanding the importance of sleep). Creating their own checklists, packing their own bag for school/days out and understanding why it’s important to engage with those around them are also really useful areas to reinforce and develop. Promote resilience by resisting the temptation to ‘fix’ every problem for your child and, most important of all, remind them that great adventures lie ahead!