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Boarding: a great way to hang up the keys to the taxi of Mum and Dad
We were struck when visiting a school in Kent that blends day and boarding rather well, what a liberating experience boarding is for not just the teenagers who enjoy almost 24/7 access to wonderful sporting facilities and all of their friends but the parents who otherwise in that country location with teenagers could have been spending so much of each week as the taxi of Mum and Dad. Is boarding one sure way to ensure that there will also be less temptation to fall into the lure of screen time of all kinds, we think it might be?
If boarding doesn't feel right for either you or your children at an earlier age, might it be tempting for the sixth form? After all, it's only two years until they may well be leaving home for adventures and universities. With this in mind, we round up schools with boarding who are throwing open their doors to their sixth forms this November and some dates looking further ahead into next year.
November Open Events
Ermysted's Grammar School, Skipton, North Yorkshire (Boys, State) Tuesday 8 November 2016
The Mount School (York), York (Girls, Independent) Thursday 10 November 2016, 6-8pm
Hockerill Anglo-European College, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire (Co-ed, State) Saturday 12 November 2016, from 8.30am
Whitgift School, South Croydon, London (Boys, Independent) Wednesday 16 November 2016, 6.30-9pm
The Faculty of Queen Ethelburga's, York (Co-ed, Independent) Saturday 19 November 2016, 10.30am to 3.30pm
Queen Ethelburga's College, York (Co-ed, Independent) Saturday 19 November 2016, 10.30am-3.30pm
King Edward's School Witley, Godalming, Surrey (Co-ed, Independent) Saturday 19 November 2016, 10am or Thursday 2 February 2017, 10am
Sevenoaks School, Sevenoaks, Kent (Co-ed, Independent) Saturday 26 November 2016, 9.30am-12.30pm
And Further Ahead
Reading School, Reading, Berkshire (Boys, State) Thursday 1 December 2016,6.30-8pm
Harrow School, Harrow-on-the-Hill, London (Boys, Independent) Late applicant registration by Friday 6 January 2017, contact the school to visit.
St Clare's, Oxford, Oxford (Co-ed, Independent) Saturday 14 January 2017, 10am-2pm
Headington School, Oxford (Girls, Independent) Wednesday 1 March 2017, 10am-12.30pm
Tonbridge School, Tonbridge, Kent (Boys, Independent) Next open day Saturday 11th March 2017, 10am, but for specific Sixth Form enquiries contact the Admissions Office.
Windermere School & Windermere Preparatory School, Windermere, Cumbria (Co-ed, Independent) Welcomes visits year round and can arrange lunch with a particular year group or staff in subject areas (e.g. Sports, Faculty, SEN).
Do let us know what you think @schoolhuntersuk. We are sticklers for checking out good boarding facilities. In our experience they do differ wildly. If you'd like to enlist our help in finding the right boarding school for your child please do get in touch. Email: jessica@schoolhunters.co.uk or claire@schoolhunters.co.uk.