Figure 1.--Boarding is an important feature of private education in Britain. British parents are not a convinced that it is appropriate for younger children as they once were. It has been been, however, an important feature separating the educational experience of children in private and state schools. |
One important feature of private education in Britain has been boarding. The traditional preparatory school was a boarding school. This was because the purpose of a prep school was to prepare the younger boys for public school life and the public schools were boarding schools. As a result, many prep schools were founded in remote rural locations. They began to appear in the mid-19th century when the public schools began to moderize. One of the problems addressed was the care of younger children. Thebasic solution was to restrict the age range. This created a need for specialized schools to care for the younger children. A number of public school masters and other individuals decided to locate their schools in largely rural locations. Here properties could be built inexpesively to set up boarding schools for the younger children. The first schools were boys schools, but girls schools followed later in the century. All of the early boarding schools schools were single gender schools. Boarding composed an important feature of the classic prep and public school experience. In some cases this was necessary because parents were borad or for other reasons. But more importantly boarding at the public schools was seen as a beneficial educational approach. And as the the prep schools were created to prepare children for the public schools, the prep schools also were organized as boarding schools. It was widely seen as beneficial to board younger boys. Generally this began at 7 or 8 years of age, although younger boys might board, depending on family circumstances. An older brother was also a factor. Over time 8 years of age became the standard time to begin prep school.
This convention was less accepted for girls. Thus the educational experience for well to do boys in Britain was very different than that of the less affluent children attending state schools.
Preparatory schools began to appear in the mid-19th century when the public schools began to moderize. One of the problems addressed was the care of younger children. Thebasic solution was to restrict the age range. This created a need for specialized schools to care for the younger children. A number of public school masters and other individuals decided to found their own schools to take advantage of the new opportunity. Here motivations needed. Some masters may have seen little opportunities for advancement at their public schools. Others may have wanted more control over the educational environment. Some certainly saw it as an attractive financial undertaking. Others may have decided they preferred working with younger children. And of course others may have been influenced with a mix of these and other motivations.
The early prep schools were thus privately owned. They commonly became family enterprises. The headmaster often taught some of the classes for the younger boys. A few masters were hired. Older sons and daughters were often involved. Many of the early schools were relarively small so large staffs were not required.
Many of the new schools were located in largely rural locations. Here properties could be built inexpesively to set up boarding schools for the younger children. Inexpensive land was necessary because space for games fields were essential. The public schools placed a great emphasis on sports and it was necessary to prepare the children for this. The country locations were also seen as healthy offering fresh hair and sunshine and room for athletics and exercise. At the time London and other big cities were terribly polluted.
The site of choice for the early prep schools were large country houses. These homes had the room to create classrooms, dormitories, and other facilities. They also had surrounding grounds that could be converted into playing fields. Commonly the schools took on the names of these homes. This is why the names of the prep schools are commonly very different that those of the public schools. Few of the early schools had purpose-built school buildings. Some had other buildings like stables which could be converted for other pirposes. Some of the homes had extensive grounds. Some even had impressive formal gardens, but this varied from school to school. Some of the early prep schools were founded in more modest homes. This varied grearly from school to school and the circumstances of the individuals founding the schools. Some of the more elaborate homes were acquired by schools after World War I when for economic reasons it became increasingly difficult for individuals to afford to maintain large esttes. The school life of the early revolved around the large country homes. Only gradually were other facilities built. Many of the elaborate facilities now offered by the schools whave been built rather recently.
The first schools were boys schools. Many parents in the 19th century gave much more attention to educating their sons than their daughters. And there was more hesitation to send girls off to boarding schools. Girls' schools did follow later in the century, but in smaller numbers. All of the early boarding schools schools were single gender schools.
Boarding composed an important feature of the classic prep and public school experience.
The traditional preparatory school was a boarding school. This was because the purpose of a prep school was to prepare the younger boys for public school life and the public schools were boarding schools. In some cases boarding was necessary because parents were borad or for other reasons such as living abroad with imperial postings. More importantly boarding at the public schools was seen as a beneficial educational approach. And as the the prep schools were created to prepare children for the public schools, the prep schools also were organized as boarding schools. Boarding wass widely seen as beneficial, even for younger boys. As a result, many prep schools were founded in remote rural locations where large houses with surronding land could be inexpensively purchased.
Generally this began at 7 or 8 years of age, although younger boys might board, depending on family circumstances. An older brother was also a factor. Over time 8 years of age became the standard time to begin prep school. The prep scool program worked with the children throygh 12-13 years of age. This was the age that began the standard for public school acceptance. This convention was less accepted for girls.
The program developed for the prep schools was essentially the recreation of a public school on a smaller scale. The people who founded the prep schools mostly had public school backgrounds, in manny cases with clerical training. They created schools with the same ethos as the public schools. While they created effectively small public schools, there were appropriate adjustment for the younger age of the children. The academic program was developed to prepare the children to enter the public schools. Games wee made an important part of the program so that the children were prepared to enter the games program at the public schools. Boarding as a younger child meant that the children were accutimed to boarding when they entered the public school. One of the few fundamental differnces between the prep schools and the public schools was that the boarding arrangements were organized differently.
Thus the educational experience for well to do boys in Britain was very different than that of the less affluent children attending state schools.
