Tips and Advice for living in a UK Boarding School

Having worked in boarding schools for over twenty years, I have operated in boarding houses in many different roles, from Tutor, Deputy Housemistress and Housemistress to a Head of Boarding. I have been fortunate to work in some of the top schools in the country, such as New Hall, Woldingham and Tudor Hall. I have always loved my time in boarding and especially the opportunity to help overseas and new boarders settle in. I have run both girls’ and boys’ houses and I have co-ordinated events with Radley, Eton, Winchester and Harrow to name but a few.

Boarding school life is a very different life to anything you can imagine and I hope by offering the tips and advice below I can help you settle in faster and be happy in your boarding house life, which should reflect as success in your academic school life.

  • One of the toughest parts of going to a boarding school is missing your home, family and friends. I talk through some tips and solutions to help you cope with the first month of separation.

  • When you first arrive in a boarding school you are faced with hundreds of new faces, nationalities and personalities which you need to adjust to. Research has shown that one of the main reasons that university students with English as a second language do not get the Firsts at University which they should, is because they do not understand how to complete group work with students whose first language is different to theirs. I go through the basic skills needed to not only join in with group work but also how to socialise with the other students.

  • Advice on what you should pack, what some of the new terminology means and the reality of food in the UK.

  • Tips and advice on how to cope with stress. Relaxation techniques and guidance on sleep.