What are boarding schools like?

What are boarding schools like?
Because most boarding schools are independent, they can vary widely in how they're laid out, what the atmosphere is like, and daily routine.

Generally, there will be a greater level of pastoral care (as the teachers are in locus parenti when the kids are there, and have to look after their emotional and physical health, as well as just teaching them) Also, there will probably be better teaching and resources, as independent schools have more money to play with.

If you think of Harry Potter, it's a fairly decent lay out of how schools are organised. There will be several houses, with a head of house assigned. there might also be several tutors in the house too, to support the head of house. Kids sleep in dorms, and older students might have their own room.

The 6th form generally support the staff in looking after younger pupils, and the there will be a head of house among the pupils who might help organise day to day affairs. Some pupils will be assigned mentors from the 6th form

This is what my boarding school was like: My boarding school was fairly small - about 500 pupils - and in a small village in the north of England. I was a day pupil there, but I boarded most weekends. There were three schools under the whole umberella - one for 3 - 7 year old, one for 8 - 13 year olds, and one for 14 - 18 year olds. I'll talk mainly about the senior school.

There were 6 houses, 2 for girls, 4 for boys. Even for day pupils, we were in school monday - Friday 8am - 8.30pm. In the evenings we did homework which we called prep. We also had to be in school on saturdays, which was from 8.00 to 4:30.

We had our own, beautiful chapple (with a church organ) where we held assembly every morning, and there was a church service on Sundays (which I boarded for, as I was in the choir) We also had our own band and orchestra, and we did loads of theatrical work, with high budgets cause hey! independent school! We did Les Miserable once.

We had sport about 4 times a week. On tuesdays we had out door persuits in year 9, CCF (where we learned about the military and trained with rifles as cadets) and we got to choose other activities in year 11. In 9 and 10, you did hockey, netball and rounders. In year 11, you got to choose. I did badminton for a while, and OP for a while. We also had PE lessons, where we focused on other sports like swimming, trampoline, volley ball etc.

Overall, it was a positive experience.