I’ve worked in two boarding schools, and I would definitely say go what fits with your kid. If they want to have access to academic staff, libraries and extension activities like star gazing, do eight hours of sport a week, DofE, CCF, music, drama etc then a six day a week, either as a boarder or day pupil is super fun. If the school doesn’t fit for you, it’s pretty hideous. Most of the boarders at the school I’m at now live within 30 miles of school which means they see parents pretty often. I think you get a forces allowance for boarding (regardless of school) which would gives you lots of options (depending on where you live).

I went to a forces boarding school in Hamm Germany for three years in the 80’s. I loved it. There was always something going on and things to do. Also had to learn to do things which would probably have been done by my parents. Simple things like sewing a button on etc. But most of all it was just much more fun than any school I have been to before or after. If I could have a Groundhog Day it might well be at that school. So many great memories. Even the bad ones at the time like being put in a bath of urine on your birthday are funny now. But then I am probably not that balanced!

Many of the things I enjoy now probably started there. Playing rugby on a Saturday started there and still love trotting out at 46. Music lessons and being in band there have led to me running a buskers night here and performing. Going to art college started with art there too. Love of outdoors was from the D of E there and combined cadet force. Great fun camping in ditches at weekends being attacked by the Black Watch. I would say 95% there loved it. If I had the money I would certainly do it for my son at a school with a similar list of out of school activities

I too work in a boarding school. I went there with no personal experience of boarding (or private education for that matter) and a relative sceptic. I’ve since learnt that is suits a lot kids incredibly well.

However, 1- it has to be right for your child (and to a lesser degree you) and 2) boarding schools are as diverse in experience as could be imagined.

The other thing to remember is that in the last 20 odd years the majority of boarding schools have become quite open to weekday boarding. In a school of 450 students (14-18yr olds) I’d say only 30 stay in most weekends with most going home on a Saturday lunchtime and coming back Sunday evening. Great if you want to see your kids but if yours is one of the ones “stuck” at school at the weekend it could be a little lonely.

The military boarding thing seems flipping weird to me sometimes. I’ve got a friend who is a NCO in the Royal Navy who has managed to only spent 18months in the last 20yrs (and that was over 12yrs ago) not based and living in his own house in Portsmouth. His kids board about 2miles from home because if they were day pupils he would not get the subsidy and would have to go to the local comp(which is rubbish) as he couldn’t afford the fees. We also had the son of a very senior MOD person boarding at our place who could see his home bedroom window from his boarding school dorm window! Both clearly working the system – but it seems a pretty knackered system.

convert – the system has had a major overhaul in the last year or two for exactly those sort of abuses. It is much tighter that it was. I know several people who had to ‘adjust their lifestyles’ quite quickly.

No I wouldn’t. For purely selfish reasons, although they drive me nuts I wouldn’t be without them on a daily basis! They will be little for such a short time (mine are 3&5) and its my job to bring them up and give them the best opportunities possible here with us.

Good to know – even working for who I work for, good to know of this sort of “abuse”of tax payers money has been curbed.

I know my dad challenged the fact that he had to pay towards our costs at the boarding school in Germany but if he were to send us to England it was completely free. Eventually he was just ordered to remove challenge and get on with it.

I’ve got a friend who is a NCO in the Royal Navy who has managed to only spent 18months in the last 20yrs (and that was over 12yrs ago) not based and living in his own house in Portsmouth.

Bit of an isolated example, to be honest. Some parts of the MOD are much more “static” than others. As a member of the RAF, i can expect to be sent all over the country every few years (moving again in a couple of months for the fourth time in 2 years… (only two house moves in that time, to be fair)).

My Kids are 3 and 5 currently. When they’re a bit older, i’d at least like to explore the idea of boarding school; i think it’d be irresponsible of us not to get all the information we can, before we (as a family) make an informed decision on the matter.

The bottom line is doing what is best for the children.

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Surely what the kids want should play a part in the decision?

Its a difficult one – i presume there is financial help available to HM Forces and its often the case forces parents want to give their kids access to an eductaion thet didn’t have or would not be able to afford if they were in civvy street.

I myself am ex public school, but would not want my kids to go to boarding school, even though my Wife who is still in the RAF and is keen to at least look into it when the time comes, and comes from a state education background.

i presume there is financial help available to HM Forces and its often the case forces parents want to give their kids access to an eductaion thet didn’t have or would not be able to afford if they were in civvy street.

Possibly. The financial help available to Service members has been changed recently. I won’t pretend to understand the new system, but i gather it’s not as “good” as it used to be…

One of the appeals of Boarding Schools for a Service Family will be stability. As has been mentioned earlier in this thread, Service Families are often required to move every 2/3 years. If the Children are Boarding, then they can enjoy stability they would be otherwise denied.