The State Boarding Information Service (STABIS) was established some years ago because so many parents were unaware of the fact that opportunities exist for children to board in a number of maintained schools in England and Wales. As in other maintained schools, the education is provided free of charge and parents are only responsible for 'board and lodging' costs. Thus a boarding place at a maintained school can be as little as about a third of the cost of a boarding place in an Independent School, and many parents are attracted by what they see as an affordable alternative.
There are currently 39 maintained schools which offer boarding places, and a full list and description of these schools can be obtained either from:
Department for Education and Employment Publications Centre
PO Box 6927
London E3 3NZ
Telephone: 0171 510 0150
Fax: 0171 510 0196
or the General Secretary of the Boarding Schools' Association:
Mr Michael Kirk, MA
Ysgol Nant
Valley Road
Llanfairfechan
Gwynedd LL33 0ES
Telephone/Fax: 01248 680542
The size and age range of State boarding schools vary, but the only two schools which at present take Primary School age boarders are the Royal Alexandra and Albert School, Reigate (mixed) and St Brigid's, Denbighshire (girls only). Most schools take boarders between the ages of 11 and 16, and a good number also take Sixth Formers. Rutland College, Oakham and Peter Symond's Sixth Form College, Winchester are establishments just for post 16 pupils.
Parents of prospective pupils should contact schools that might suit their children to obtain a Prospectus. A preliminary visit is advisable, though this may be difficult where parents live overseas. The maintained boarding schools can only accept applications under certain categories: children who are British Citizens or at least one of whose parents is a British Citizen are of course eligible. In addition, an increasing number of boarders come from countries of the European Union, pupils of these countries having the right of free education in Britain. The schools will normally make arrangements for pupils who live abroad to be taken to the nearest airport.
The range of maintained boarding schools is wide. Although the majority has a greater number of day pupils than boarders, there is a significant group where all or most pupils are boarders. In most schools, there is the opportunity to be a weekly boarder, so that the boarder has the opportunity to spend the weekend at home, but in some schools there is a considerable number of boarders at school at the weekend, and special activities provided for the boarders.
Methods of entry vary. Some schools are classified as 'selective' and there is an Examination system for entry at 11 or 13, though the majority of schools simply have an Interview to determine the suitability of a candidate. In any case, parents are advised to apply for places in good time. For September entry in any year, it is recommended to contact the school early in the autumn term in the preceding year.
Many of the schools have since 1989 opted to become Grant maintained, which means that these schools handle their own budgets and are not under the control of their Local Authorities, but a Governing Body which includes an increased number of parent members. The Grant Maintained boarding schools therefore see themselves very much as national schools, though the majority of their pupils come from under an hour's drive from the school.
Who then are the pupils at these schools? Some are children of British expatriates; some are children from Services families though with the decline in numbers in the Headmaster Forces, there are fewer than there were. The fastest growing group, though, is probably the family where both husband and wife are working, and this is where those maintained schools which offer weekly boarding have seen a growth in numbers. It is also true that there are many families where the breadth of education offered by a boarding school is valued but the financial circumstances of the family are such that boarding in an Independent school is not feasible. These families have often found their way to a maintained boarding school in recent years, often via a preparatory School at 11 or 13. There are those pupils too where because of family circumstances, the stability of a boarding education is desirable and helpful.
In some of these cases, even with the comparatively modest boarding fees in the maintained sector, there are financial constraints on the family which make boarding impossible. In some circumstances, Local Authorities will support boarding places financially, but this is becoming less common. Social Services departments will sometimes recommend a boarding placement. Certain Charities exist to help families with financial difficulties, and advice should be sought from individual schools as to whether there is likely to be any support.
Boarding numbers in maintained schools over the last few years have held up well, and at least one Grant Maintained school has opened up boarding accommodation successfully. Those who work in our schools feel that there are many more youngsters who would benefit from the opportunities of a boarding place in a maintained school, and the diversity and choice provided by the schools should be better known to parents when they make a choice of school for their children.
About the author:
Chris Potter was educated at both boarding and day schools, graduating from Cambridge in Classics. He has been Headmaster of Old Swinford Hospital for nearly 19 years, and last year became Chairman of STABIS. Before coming to Old Swinford Hospital, he was Housemaster and Head of Classics at an independent boarding school, Ardingly College, in Sussex.
