Boarding at an independent school

Rebecca Tear read Chemistry at Exeter University before taking a PGCE at the UCL Institute of Education where she also completed an MA in Educational Leadership. She enjoyed seven years at St George’s School, Ascot, where she held several academic and pastoral responsibilities. She then spent seven happy years at Wycombe Abbey, first as resident Head of Sixth Form and...

Young people today need first-class tuition and the finest academic qualifications to succeed, but they also need strength of character and skills such as communication, teamwork and resilience, to build happy, fulfilling and worthwhile lives. A boarding education can provide the building blocks for character and success. 

As parents, guardians, carers or general supporters of young people, we know that how children develop has a fundamental influence on the future of our society. We guide them through their younger years, the opportunities and challenges of life, and, with the support of teachers, through their education. Gaining academic qualifications is important, and educational institutions do a fantastic job,...

Anyone who spends time with young people will know what a dominant force digital technology can be in their lives. The hours spent clicking and swiping, liking and emoting, can seem endless with the phone or tablet an apparently constant fixture. But a survey conducted by the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC) reveals that young people themselves may be less...

Major developments in boarding education in the last 20 years include an increase in the number of co-educational schools and the global digital revolution. But the importance of keeping pupils and their development at the centre of learning has remained. A key part of this is keeping parents in touch with pupils’ academic and personal progress, achievement, successes and also...

The late Dr Stephen Winkley, former Headmaster of Uppingham and Rossall, and a former Chair of the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA), was passionate about boarding. He strongly supported boarding in all its facets, from those young people who board to the staff who work so hard to provide outstanding pastoral care.

Independent boarding schools have a long history of creating well-rounded pupils with excellent results. Most pupils beginning an A-level course or an International Foundation Programme are striving to gain the best possible grades and complete a challenging programme of academic study, and also yearning to exercise their independence. In many cases these two can act in competition with one another,...

The attack that spilled out of Fishmongers’ Hall and on to London Bridge on 29 November 2019 was a chilling reminder of how acts of terror can arise unexpectedly.  Those events are still being investigated but the Chief Coroner’s report[1] concerning the previous attack in London Bridge and Borough Market in June 2017, makes many pertinent observations. His summary describes the...