The decision whether to send your child to boarding school or not is a big one to make and there will be a lot of factors to consider. You’re probably wondering about the emotional and social aspects of boarding school, as well as the academic ones. Much will depend on your child’s personality and how you think they’ll handle being away from home, and you’ll have to weigh this up with the advantages they’ll get. Here a private school in Dublin outlines some of these benefits to help you come to a decision.
A top rate education
This is usually one of the main reasons parents send their children to boarding schools. These schools tend to attract high quality teaching staff, something which is very important in helping children get the most out of their education. In addition, the teaching is often more personalized than in a state school and tailored to each pupil’s needs and abilities. Teaching tends to take place in smaller groups which enables pupils to get more one-on-one attention, and teaching staff might be more available outside of formal lessons than in state schools. All of these elements work together to create a first-class education for pupils.
A sense of community
Being around their peers constantly helps children develop important social skills, such as the ability to listen to others, communicate their needs and express their opinions. There are also lots of opportunities for children to take part in extra-curricular activities, like sport and music, which develops their social skills even further while helping them master other useful skills. The sense of community is strong at boarding schools as pupils and teachers become part of a large family who live and study together. There’s also a greater chance of children developing strong, lifelong friendships at boarding school as they spend a lot more time with their peers than children at state schools do. They’ll develop shared interests and support each other both within and outside the school environment.
Diversity
Top boarding schools often attract pupils from across the UK and other counties, so children are exposed to people from different cultures, backgrounds and nationalities. This helps broaden their viewpoint, while studying in this diverse environment teaches them to respect differences and tolerate alternative perspectives and ideas. This will set them up well for later life where they’ll encounter people from all walks of life.
As you can see the benefits of boarding school for children are not just academic – they’ll also be part of a community who nurture and support each other, possibly well into adulthood.
