Fun, community and independence – the benefits of boarding at prep school

Richard Whymark, Head of King’s Ely Junior, explores why boarding is becoming an increasingly popular choice for parents of prep school-age pupils...

All of us remember how much fun we had at sleepovers with friends when we were children. Memories of packing my bag with toiletries and ‘essentials’, namely edible goodies, and laughing until it hurt with my pals come flooding back.

Boarding has changed for young children and I believe it is the ever-growing element of fun and community which is leading to boarding places at vibrant preparatory schools filling up faster than ever.

Being a day and boarding Junior section of a school which caters for children aged 1 to 18 means that boarding at King’s Ely Junior plays an important role in contributing to the myriad of opportunities that both our pupils and our discerning parents look for.

King’s Ely Junior is also home to approximately 40 boy and girl boarders who enjoy living in two spectacular buildings. With medieval origins, both Choir House and Priory House are our boarders’ peaceful havens at the end of their busy school days.

Each House is run by a Housemistress who lives in the building with her family and offers a close-knit and caring environment for our youngest boarders. A feature of the family-orientated Houses is the close bond between parents and the House teams. Aspirations are shared and communication is strong to ensure the most productive experience for those able to board at King’s Ely Junior.

Our Junior boarders join us from across the UK and overseas. Some are attracted by the all-age structure of the school, some by the opportunity for their children to join our world-famous Cathedral Choirs, and some by the superb international programmes with integral specialist English language tuition on offer here. But more recently, they come because of the vibrancy of the boarding offering and the flexibility being promoted for all boarders. For those able to use Government and Forces funding allowances, boarding at King’s Ely Junior has been a popular choice too.

Boarding at King’s Ely isn’t ‘flexi’ but it is flexible. Some schools fill beds by offering them night by night on a ‘flexi’ basis. Places in our boarding houses are offered on a full-time basis to parents of potential boarding students. Some of those parents, from further afield or overseas, will be planning on their child being resident throughout the term but more often than ever before, parents are keen to find a boarding school that is willing to permit mid-term or even mid-week visits home. Our boarding families appreciate our understanding that one size doesn’t necessarily fit all families.

For a flexible approach to boarding to be successful, fun has to be a guaranteed part of the formula. With healthy numbers of Junior boarders, our houses are busy 24/7. The size of our boarding community clearly helps to inspire the range of activities on offer throughout the week and during the weekends but for the younger, Junior boarders, the Houseparents and their families make time spent at school feel bespoke to the individual. Horse riding, tennis, swimming, baking, movie nights, off-site activities and special plans to attend friends’ parties or sleepovers are all accommodated in our flexible model and this has helped to really broaden its appeal.

The bonds which grow through boarding are strong and build a sense of community, independence and leadership through the opportunities on offer outside of the teaching day. The legacy of friendships formed at school is frequently listed as one of the most beneficial and life-enhancing elements of education by those who have experienced the positive influences of time spent at a boarding school. Whether friends are local or come from the other side of the world, the shared experience of school and the boarding house offer a sense of belonging and constancy within childhood.

The foundation provided by boarding between the ages of 8 and 13 at King’s Ely helps our children step forward with confidence as they move through to a Senior House. The flexibility on offer to Senior students remains a feature of our school’s boarding philosophy yet, what remains at the heart of the experience, is the sense of community and the plethora of activities available to boarders. We encourage any prospective boarding family to visit and for the child to enjoy a taster of boarding ahead of admission.