Figure 1.--The children after the day boys go home often have prep, but this varies from school to school. There are also a range of activities as well as free time. Here the older children have more free time as the younger children have earlier bed times.. |
Schools generaly accept children for boarding at 7 or 8 years of age. Not all childtren begin right away as boarders, An increasing number of children begab as day students and then start boarding later. This varies from school to school, but most suggest that the boys at least begin boarding by asge 11. The situation for girls is more complicated because many girls leave for their senior schools earlier than the boys. The children mostly recall their arrval at the school and what it was like to begin boarding for the first time. Most children quickly adjust, but it is more difficult for some children than others. A lot goes on at school after the day children go home. Here the program varies from school to school. It also varies seasonally. Generally the children are allowed to stay up longer during the summer term with longer days. Of course the schools vary considerably as to the facilities available for freetime activities. There can be free time, supervised activities like a free swim, tea (evening meal), perhaps some television (usually the news), prep, and finally bed time. Some schools give more attention to free time while others place greater emphasis on prep. The children's bed-times are staggered by age so the younger children go to bed a little earlier. The amount of time in the evening depends on the child's age.
Schools generally accept children for boarding at 7 or 8 years of age. Not all childtren begin right away as boarders, An increasing number of children begab as day students and then start boarding later. This varies from school to school, but most suggest that the boys at least begin boarding by asge 11. The situation for girls is more complicated because many girls leave for their senior schools earlier than the boys. The children mostly recall their arrval at the school and what it was like to begin boarding for the first time. Most children quickly adjust, but it is more difficult for some children than others.
A school's activity program is available to both day children and boarders. The boarders of course have a lot more time to take dvanyge of the fcilities and the activities offered. A lot goes on at school after the day children go home. Here the program varies from school to school. It also varies seasonally. Generally the children are allowed to stay up longer during the summer term with longer days. Of course the schools vary considerably as to the facilities available for freetime activities. We found children at preparatory schools engaged in a wide range of activities beyond the academic program. Many activities were conducted at most schools. Other activities were conducted at only a few schools. Each school had its own unique range of activities and approasch to those activities. MOst schools scheduled days for clubs or occupations. Most schools offered some choice so the children could persue their interests, but this varied from school. The size of the school was a factor here. Also the schools generally incouraged the children to at least try new and different activities. Often children will only want to persue familiar activities or activities for which they already have some skills. For relatively small schools, most prep schools offered an impressive range of activities. A variety of factors affected the particular mix of activities offered. The interests of the children were similar at the different schools. Thus an important factor was the interests and skills of the staff.
Most schools require the children to do some preparation ("prep") or homework every day. This is scheuled at various times, normally in the afternoon or evening. Here schools vary. Generally the younger children are given little or no prep, but prep is gradualy increased as they move from form to form. Prep is much more common in thr middle and senior forms. Schools have varying attitudes toward prep, but most schools assign at least some prep. Newlands like many other other schools believes that prep is "essential for the full benefits to be derived from the instruction given". Some offer the children more free time while others insist on more prep. At some boarding schools it constitututes a major part of the evening program. More commobly schools have the older children do aboit an hour of prep and then allow them to persue free time or organized activitoies before their bed time.
Life at British prep schools tends to be very structured. With classess, games, meals, rest time, musical instrument practive prep, and other scheduled activities, the children do not have a lot of free time. Thus for many their free time is very precious. The children use it in a variety of ways, depending on the time and weather. Many younger children like free play, building forts or playing ad hoc games. There are also inside recreation. Some schools have gym for various games or other activities like rollar skating. The schools have a good supply of board gamesand chess a prenial favotite. Several schools have model railroads. This is something that is difficult for boys to do in a small house, but with interested staff some schools have wonderful lay outs. Some children take the opportunity to go to the libray or read the newspaper. Generall television is not incouraged, except for the news. And now ith the computer, there are a whole range of interesting activities.
The changing character of the schools has meant that boarding has become a more humane experience for the children than was formely the case. Some children do not like boarding. In many cases it is necessary because of of a range of family situations. Boarding is a major adjustment for the children, especially the younger children. Most schools are very atuned to this and have ways of easing the adjustment. It should not be thought that the modern boarding experience is an unhappy experience. In fact most of the boaders at these schools like their schools and are happy at them. It is probably fair to say that most younger children would not choose to board. Most children, however, adjust very quickly. And some day children choose to boad. Agaan the reasons vary. Some find the daily comute a waist of time, leavig little time to do anything at home besides going to bed. Others have most of their friends at school and feel they are missing out on many activities by going home every afternoon.
Boarding life includes a lot of planned and unplanned events besides classes and the activities program. A lot has to do with learning how to live with each other. Here boarding can play an important role beyond the academic benefits. Then there are storms and flu outbreaks. Getting to the telephone used to be a problem at some schools, but that was before eMails and cell phones.
Getting the children to bed is a major undertaking each evening. The schools have it down to a a carefully orchestrated military operation. This is all overseen my matron. The children's bed-times are staggered by age so the younger children go to bed a little earlier. Each age/class group has their set washing up and bed time. Usually there is a bell of some sort and the children know just when their bedtime is. There is rarely any fussng about it, but the younger children would prefer to stay up longer. Quite a few go to bed a good bit earlier than at home. fter a bath or wash the children are allowed a little quiet time in their dormitories before lights out.
