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The most obvious difference between boarding schools and day schools is obviously the dormitory facilities where the children sleep. Many schools we visited had rather spartan facilities. There were only a few schools that had large dormitories with rows of beds. Almost all of the schools had small group dorms. Normally this meant romms with anout 5-10 bunks, bt usually little furniture. This in part reflected the use oif old mannor houses with many rooms of different sizes. Some schools used bunk beds. Normally the boys had a chair by their bunk to help dress and lay out clean clothes for the next day. Some schools had begun to upgrade these dorms adding furniture allowing the boys drawer space. This was much more common in the senior schools. Generally the girls had more elaborate dorm rooms and this is probaly one reason why the sgools were also upgrading the boys rooms with niceties like tugs.
Improvements in the boarding facilities are some of the major changes made at the schools during the 1990s. This of course makes the schools look better to boith prospective parents and their children. Assessing the quality of the boarding facilities can be misleading in making a jugement about the schools.
The most obvious facilities characterizing a boarding school are the dormitories or sleep quarters for he children. Most British prep schools had rather spartan facilities. This certainly was the principal pattern at prep scghools before the 1980s. Early schools tended to have large rooms with just the beds for the children. By the time we visited in the 1980s, there were only a few schools that had large dormitories with rows of beds. Almost all of the schools had small group dorms, but with little furniture beyond a bunk and a chair.
The most obvious difference between the set up of a prep scool and a public (senior) school is the boarding arrangements. Senior schools tend to have boarding houses with boys from each age level at the schools. The feeling is that the younger boys will benefit by a relationship with older boys. It is a long established tradition of the public schools. This arrangement does not, however, work well at the prep schools. There the various dormitories are normally separated by age. This allows the school to meet the needs of the various age levels. Bed times are staggared by age and the younger children are afforded a higher level of supervision. Often an older boy or dorm captain will bunk with the younger boys to help supervise them. At some schools there is aseparate boarding house for the older boys.
Normally the dorm rooms had about 5-10 bunks, but usually little furniture. Often an older boy served as dorm captain. At many schools there were small rooms often made available to the older children, usually the prefects. This in part reflected the use of old mannor houses with many rooms of different sizes. Some schools used bunk beds. Normally the boys had a chair by their bunk to help dress and lay out clean clothes for the next day. These were commonly the only furniture. Some doirmitories were decorated with brightly colored posters and other interestung items. Others were more stark with onlybare painted walls. By th 1980s duvets were all the thing. These varied widely. During the winter a blanket might be added. Many children also had delighful teddies on their bunks. Some schools had begun to upgrade these dorms adding furniture allowing the boys drawer space. This was much more common in the senior schools. Generally the girls had more elaborate dorm rooms and this is probaly one reason why the shools were also upgrading the boys rooms with niceties like rugs. Improvements in the boarding facilities are some of the major changes made at the schools during the 1990s. This process has since gone quite a long way at modernn boarding schools, especially at the senior schools.
This of course makes the schools look better to both prospective parents and their children. Assessing the quality of the boarding facilities can be misleading in making a jugement about the schools. A reader tells us about a senior school that was outwardly very impressive. "Facility wise it wants for nothing. The 6th Form effectively have their own bed-sit flats (apartments). Unfortunately the management and regime were nowhere near as pleasant and the teaching provision was terrible as was the discipline issue. Having flat screen TVs in every room meant that the children rarely socialised together as in other boarding schools and there was very limited team or family ethos. I did NOT wish to be associated with the place as it is terrible - far from what it's website etc purport but I worked there for a while." In sharp contrast is a school in Suffolk we visited. The placec can only be described as STARK. No other colour but magnolia/cream on the walls, metal framed beds in rows, the most utility of bath/shower rooms I have ever encountered,
few carpeted area yet really happy kids." This not to say that such spatan facilities are a positive feature. Is does point out I think that it is the people and not the environment which makes the critical difference.
