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There are both day and boarding preparatory schools. During the school day the schools look much alike. It is in the afternoon and evening that the differences become more pparent. Several boarding schools in recent years have shifted to day schools or experienced a decline in the demand for boarding accomodations. After World War II public attitudes toward boarding younger children began to change in Britain. We also note changes in the atmosphere and amenities at boarding schools. Changing public attitudes toward boarding as well as the increasing popularity of coeducation were probably factors here. Many schools encourage the children, especially the older chilkdren to board. Another development in recent years has been the development of a number of more flexible approches to boarding such as weekly boarding. We are not sure what impact these variations have had on the schools. When we visited in the 1980s these more flexible boarding systems were just beginning to appear.
There are both day and boarding preparatory schools. During the school day the schools look much alike. It is in the afternoon and evening that the differences become more pparent. Several boarding schools in recent years have shifted to day schools or experienced a decline in the demand for boarding accomodations. Earlier there were both day and boarding schools, but relatively few mixed schools. It was generaly thought that day children would dusrupt a boarding school. Economic pressure seems to have resolved that comcern. Thus there are many schools in Britain that have service both day and boarding children.
Boarders and day-boys are accepted in roughly even numbers, so that neither section forms a minority and equal consideration must be given to the needs of both. By preparatory standards Clifton is a big school, but the greatest possible emphasis is laid on the importance of caring for each boy as an individual and helping hin to develop his own gifts and personality. The size of the units in which boys aperate is considered to be of greatr significance than the size of the School as a whole.
Clifton College Preparatory School Prospectus
The traditional preparatory school was a boarding school set in a rural area. But from an early point there were also day schools. The day schools did not have the prestige of the boarding schools. It was felt that boarding was an essential part of the educational program. The day schools were genererally set in urban areas. Some parents did not want to send their younger children off to dschool. In addition, boarding fees were substantially more expensive than fees at day schools. As attitides toward boarding younger children have shifted, there has been a greatly expanding demand or day education. Many schools once located in rural areas have been ebveloped by suburban sprawl. Quite a number of boarding schools located near urban areas have discontinued their boarding sections.
Most early prep schools were founded as boarding schools. Boarding was seen as an important part of the overall educational program. This was not based on any real educational analysis of the needs of prep-school age children. Rather because the primary purpose of the schools was to care for younger children destined for the public schools, which were mostly boarding schools, the prep schools defacto were largely organized as bording schools. In addition, most early headmasters set out to recreate a public school on a small scale, agian the natural tendency was to follow the boarding approach of the public schools. Day schools were also created in the larger cities, but they generally did not have the same cachet as the boarding schools. Some boarding schools accepted a few day boys, but often the location of the schools limited the numbers. Other schools decided not to accept day children, seeing it as an uneeded complication or even distrupting the operations of the school. For many children, especially the younger children, boarding was an unpleasant experience. Sone adjusted better than others. The boarding orinentation largely continued until after World War II. By the 1960s parental attitudes began to change. Many parents, especially mothers began to reconsider the almost automatic decession to board younger children. As a result, most boarding schools have either accept an increasing number of day children and devised more flexible boarding arrangements. In addtion improved transportation, especially personal cars has meant that parental visits to school and flexible boarding is now far more acceptasble. In addition, the changing character of the schools has meant that boarding has become a more humane experience for the children than was formely the case. We also note changes in the atmosphere and amenities at boarding schools. Changing public attitudes toward boarding as well as the increasing popularity of coeducation were probably factors here. Many schools encourage the children, especially the older chilkdren to board. Another development in recent years has been the development of a number of more flexible approches to boarding such as weekly boarding. We are not sure what impact these variations have had on the schools. When we visited in the 1980s these more flexible boarding systems were just beginning to appear.
