There are lots of reasons why parents should consider a UK boarding school for their children, as it is very beneficial in many ways. Unfortunately, there are various misconceptions when it comes to boarding school that put people off.  Parents often worry if it’s the right decision for their family. To help ease your concern, here are some myths about boarding school.

1) Boarding Schools are a Parent-Free Zone

One widespread misconception is that children who are sent to boarding school are deserted by their parents.  Basically dropped off in front of their new boarding house with a moth-eaten teddy under their arm, mentally calculating the next time they will see their family. However, this is not the case at all. Technology has done away with the once-weekly phone call home and although it’s not appropriate for boarders to be on their mobile every spare minute of the day, communication channels are firmly open.

What’s more, boarding schools offer various ways for parents to see their kids ‘in action’.  They can even mix with other parents. This is particularly comforting for those whose family may be experiencing boarding for the first time. Sports matches, school concerts, ‘at-home’ afternoons and the like all contribute to a reassuring family atmosphere. It also allows day and boarding parents to mingle and share stories. I think that is an important way to maintain a happy school environment.

2) Boarding is like ‘a Big Sleepover’

Boarding may have all the good bits of a sleepover (friendship, gossiping, playing together).  But it also provides that elusive life-enhancer absent at every single normal sleepover: sleep. Children at boarding school will go to bed when they are told, at an appropriate time,. Especially if their Housemaster or Housemistress happens to have their own living quarters fairly close to their dorm!

3) Boarding Schools are Serious, Cold and the Food is Terrible

Boarding schools usually take catering very seriously; innovation, experimentation (frog’s leg anyone?) and a proper balanced diet are at the forefront of the menu. After all, if the food isn’t good, the students will not perform to the best of their abilities. Some schools even have on-site cafes where proper coffee and cakes are served, which give a sociable alternative to a break-time bag of crisps.

This association of boarding schools and a gruel-like culture goes hand in hand with the ideas that the accommodation will be equally as grim. This is possibly not helped by the use of the word ‘dormitory’, which implies something small and dingy. Many boarding schools, whether in modern or traditional buildings, seek to create a ‘home from home’ for students. Therefore you are more likely to encounter en-suite wet rooms, architect-designed living areas that have been planned on a mood board and funky interiors than you are a curtainless window. Boarding schools understand that the decision to send your child away to school is not made lightly and so they make it their business to make the Houses feel welcoming.

4) Boarding Schools are only for Rich, Posh People

I think this is probably one of the most common myths surrounding boarding schools.  Most likely because it is a favourite of the press. It is true that full boarding can be expensive. But when you consider what the boarding school has to do and what it offers, there has to be certain costs involved for this to continue. That said there are a numerous options available to people who cannot immediately afford the full fees up front.

It’s also worth noting that there are a number of scholarships (academic, arts, sports, choral – the list goes on) and bursaries that go from part to full fees offered by boarding schools. Some schools will also have links to charities that will also help support children from disadvantaged backgrounds for whom boarding would be beneficial. There are state boarding schools too. Boarding schools do not live in an isolated ‘for the privilege few’ bubble.  They actively look to recruit boarders from a wide-variety of backgrounds because they understand this is best for everyone.

The question should not necessarily therefore be: ‘Can I afford it?’.  But ‘Is boarding school right for my child?’ Once that has been established then the practicalities of funding a boarding place can be discussed.