The term ‘boarding school’ can evoke a variety of opinions and feelings depending on who you ask. Boarding is something many haven’t experienced and the term ‘boarding school’ will often take an individual’s thoughts to that of books and films such as Wild Child, Harry Potter, and St Trinians. Traditionally boarding schools were thought of as somewhere you were sent for bad behaviour where punishments were harsh. However, times have changed and now that is not the case. We asked sixth formers Hannah Bright and Nia Pannett about their experience of boarding at Christ College Brecon.
Christ College Brecon is an independent co-educational school made up of day and boarding pupils aged seven to 18. Its setting in the Brecon Beacons National Park gives it a very picturesque location offering a huge range of opportunities to its pupils. The rural environment surrounding the school is often an attraction for parents wanting their children to be educated outside of a busy city setting.
The benefits of boarding are vast. Going into her fourth year of boarding Nia feels that her confidence in trying new things has grown and that she is much more independent than she would have been if living at home, she also discusses the relationships she’s built as a large benefit and are ones she expects will last a lifetime. Despite having only been a boarder since September Hannah has already felt the benefits. She felt that her confidence had improved and stated “You feel part of a close-knit community in your house and the school as a whole and by having dedicated study time you have ample time to revise and complete prep without the distractions of home life.”.How does boarding benefit pupils?
When asked what sets Christ College apart from other schools, both Hannah and Nia agreed that the school being smaller than most meant that boarders are able to get to know each other better and that the boarding house feels like a ‘home from home’. Hannah discussed the ability to make friendships across year groups and stated that “the family feeling of your house makes you able to settle in so quickly”. Nia agreed with Hannah on the feeling of family within the house and that there’s a “sense of a family away from home. Because the school isn’t very big it makes it easier to get to know everyone and make new friendships.” And that “it’s as though I have 30-odd sisters”. Christ College Brecon hosts a number of activities throughout the year and the schools house competitions. These activities are another factor that Hannah felt sets the school apart she stated that they “really bring together the whole house making you truly feel part of the close-knit community”.What makes boarding at Christ College special?
Many misconceptions surround the topic of being a boarder and concerns that if you’re living on the same site as your school it doesn’t feel like home. Both Nia and Hannah disagreed with this feeling. Nia, who moved to the school from overseas discussed how, as soon as she arrived, she was made to feel at home by Mrs Patterson, the Houseparent and the House team. She feels surrounded by people she can turn to should she need advice or have something she wants to discuss and was introduced to activities and the life of the boarding house straight away and made to feel welcome by older boarders. Hannah emulated these feelings and added that “being able to talk to someone in your house is so important as they have all been through the same experience of starting boarding”.Do you feel at home as a boarder?
Boarding acts as a home away from home for students at Christ College, supporting them emotionally and with academic work outside of lessons, ensuring pupils are happy both in and out of school hours. Boarding life is built to be inclusive of sporting commitments and as Nia stated, “sport and boarding go hand in hand, sport is a major aspect of life here at Christ College”. Nia discussed how being a boarder can make things easier and helps to fit sporting commitments seamlessly into a pupils routine stating “boarding enables me to not have to worry about getting home on time, or making sure I catch my bus etc. I can simply play a game of hockey and then walk back to house once I’m ready. It has become a normal aspect of my daily routine.”. Hannah also spoke of benefits including having fellow boarders to walk to training with and a friendly face if trying out a new sport. The ability to build strong bonds with others on the team was also expressed. She also discussed how the boarding routine is built with sporting commitments in mind so nothing important is sacrificed and all is timetabled appropriately.How does boarding life support your sporting commitments?
Both Hannah and Nia expressed that boarding has personally benefitted them both. Nia discussed how her confidence has grown and boarding has taught her how to support people in different circumstances and has learnt how to adapt in difficult situations. Hannah felt that boarding has improved her confidence when talking to new people and that it has encouraged her to get involved in new activities. She also discussed how boarding has made her more aware of the free time she has and how she could use this time effectively to benefit her studies. Christ College Brecon sets out to ensure their boarders are well supported in all aspects of school life as well as outside of their lesson time. They aim to ensure boarders are happy and feel at home as well as having the support and family feel they would if they were living at home. Both Nia and Hannah expressed that this is definitely the case and that boarding has benefitted them hugely. When each were asked to sum up Christ College in 3 words Nia used ‘busy’, ‘exciting’ and ‘supportive’ whilst Hannah used ‘independence’, ‘encouraging’ and ‘community’. These sum up Christ College Brecon perfectly, reflecting its strong close knit community characterised by mutual respect and warmth with pupils’ interests, skills and needs appreciated and cared for.What impact has boarding had on you?
