Choosing the right boarding school for your teen is a big decision to make, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. A range of factors can influence your decision, including cost, your child’s personality, their goals, and generally how well a boarding school’s environment matches them.
If you’re eager for your teen to experience the many wonderful benefits associated with a boarding school, such as lasting friendships, academic support, and modern facilities, here are some helpful tips for choosing a school:
Focus On Your Child
Even before you start looking at costs and funding options, such as Indigenous boarding school scholarships, focus on your child. Who they are, their strengths, and their interests can all guide decision-making.
Some teens are independent and can handle being further away from home, while others need close support to manage homesickness. You may even find that a particular interest in arts, academics, or sports means some boarding schools will cater to their needs better than others.
Review Costs and Financial Support
There may be additional costs associated with boarding schools compared to traditional public schools. As a result, each boarding school’s fees can greatly impact which school you choose to enroll your teen in.
If not listed online, don’t be afraid to contact each boarding school to ask about boarding and tuition expenses. You can also research the various scholarships and grants available that may make boarding school a more financially feasible option.
Explore Boarding Styles
There is no universal approach to boarding. Some schools offer a range of boarding options to suit different families’ needs. For example, most offer full-time boarding, where you live on campus all term, as well as weekly boarding, where you return home on weekends. Flexible boarding is also sometimes an option, where you occasionally stay on campus. If you have a younger teen who’s still unsure about the prospect of boarding, flexible or weekly boarding may be an option worth exploring.
Ensure the Right Academic Fit
You want to be sure that your teen is going to thrive in a boarding school environment – not just survive. That can start with ensuring they’re the right academic fit. Compare their subject strengths and results to the subjects and programs available. You can also research each boarding school’s learning support and tutoring opportunities.
Research Support Systems
For many teens, boarding school is the first taste of being away from home with a new level of independence. While some teens thrive, others take a while to adjust. That’s why reviewing each boarding school’s support systems is so important. You want to be sure that your teen’s well-being is taken care of.
See if they have counselling services and mentoring programs available to help them get settled in. You can also review the staff-to-student ratios and read through the anti-bullying policies. These extra steps can go a long way towards ensuring you’re providing your teen with a safe and nurturing environment while they’re away from home.
With dozens of boarding schools across Australia, you’re certainly not short of options for your children. However, don’t underestimate the value of performing significant research to ensure the right fit. Financing and scholarship options, boarding styles, support systems, and academic opportunities are just some of the many important factors that can affect your decision.