Eagle-eyed parents were surprised by a familiar site on
Saturday, as Shiplake College featured in a Daily Telegraph article on the
recent resurgence of boarding in independent schools. As well as outlining our
unwavering commitment to outstanding pastoral care, the paper also decided to
use a striking photo of Skipwith House on the front cover of their education
supplement.
When our Headmaster was approached by a Daily Telegraph
reporter a few months back requesting his opinion on the benefits of boarding,
he was only too happy to oblige. Mr Davies is a strong advocate of boarding,
which he believes nurtures vital skills in teamwork, independence, leadership,
tolerance and respect.
Prior to becoming a Headmaster, Mr Davies worked for many
years as a Housemaster in Scotland, and remains in touch with many of the (not
so) young men he helped to guide through education. This, he says, is an
indication of the evolving role of a Housemaster, who nowadays play a highly
active role in boarding houses, rather than delegating key responsibilities to
House Prefects.
Helena Pozniak, the author of the piece, sourced testimonies
from parents, pupils and many other leading figures in education who were all
keen to point out the numerous benefits of boarding schools. She highlighted the
increased popularity of convenient weekly and ‘flexi’ boarding options; both of
which are offered at Shiplake to pupils in Year 9 and above. The additional
contact time can have a significant positive knock-on effect on pupils’
education, enhancing both academic and personal development.
Many pupils, particularly in senior year groups, find that boarding
on an ad-hoc basis provides welcome relief from the travel time and daily
hassles associated with commuting to and from school. This permits more time to
complete prep and make the most of the many co-curricular activities on offer.
Shiplake staff who pride themselves on the quality of their pastoral
care were unsurprisingly very pleased to see this philosophy being applauded by
national media. For those who missed it, the full article is available to
download here.