Boarding

These words remind us how starting boarding school can feel to even the most robust pupil. These days, of course, the “wind” is undoubtedly gentler and the “ocean” calmer, but many of the emotions felt by a new pupil today will be very similar. What has changed is how schools manage the transition from home/day school to boarding school. The art of helping pupils to settle in has developed considerably over the years and Laverock House is now highly skilled.
The social barriers created by an excessively hierarchical House community have now broken down in favour of mutual support, healthy signs of boarders’ own willingness to establish meaningful relationships across the age range. A busy child is a happy child and this is where boarding schools, with the range of extra-curricular activities they offer, come into their own. Boarders are kept phenomenally busy, not only with lessons but also with ICT skills, swimming, tennis, cricket, soccer, tours and the like. At weekends, when there could be a risk of “down-time depression”, the days are even fuller: the whirl of rugby, cricket and tennis matches, Chapel services, DSTV, drama rehearsals and so on, ensures that boarders are continuously occupied. This “activity onslaught” stops boarders becoming bored, allows them to demonstrate their unique skills and helps them to bond through their engagement in shared pursuits. Boarders retire home for Exeat or Fixture Free Weekends exhausted but exhilarated.