Choosing to send your child to a boarding school may give them an opportunity to achieve their potential academically, and receive support and guidance with their psychological, social, emotional and spiritual development.

The School Places website highlighted three key situations where boarding school might be a good solution for you and your child.

1. You live a long distance away from the educational experience you wish for your child 

Schools that offer a varied education experience and have multiple extracurricular activities might be further away.

Boarding means the child negates to need to travel long distances every day to get to school and back, and offers them a stable environment.

This may include living in a regional town and wanting to send your child to a school in an urban area, or if you live in an urban area and want them to experience a school in a remote area.

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2. Greater flexibility and convenience

Where the standard working day and school hours don’t line up, boarding may be an ideal solution.

Day boarding schools offer a suitable solution to this problem. A day boarding schedule means children return to their homes later in the evening to spend quality time with their family, making this a convenient educational option for urban families.

Weekly boarding offers the convenience of Monday to Friday boarding, with the benefits of family time at home on the weekend. 

Full-time boarding is perfect for when family or work circumstances make full-time care of your child difficult and you don’t want to disrupt their school life.

Depending on your situation, either day, weekly or full-time boarding scenarios may work, but it’s a personal decision that is about finding the right educational fit for you and your child.

3. Building your child’s independence and personal growth

A research paper by University of Adelaide’s Mathew White found evidence suggesting being a boarder helped students build independence and self-reliance.

The School Places website said boarding gives students opportunities to learn to manage themselves and their educational responsibilities without parental assistance.

They can also develop their interpersonal relationships with people outside their family in a sustained and meaningful way. White’s study showed that these interactions can be deeper and more personal than those of students who attend day school only.

Boarding allows a student time to adapt to life outside the family nest (under the watchful eye of teachers and mentors) before they make the transition to university life.

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