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'Boarding is fun' - excerpts from an article written in the Daily Telegraph by Mrs Davies
Asked to explain what’s special about boarding, I wonder where to begin. Surrounded by articulate girls with plenty to say I thought I’d ask them for their views. One girl summed it up like this ‘ being a boarding environment allows Wycombe to become more than a school; it becomes a community.’ I was rather pleased that she had chosen that because it is a good place to start. A sense of community is quite palpable in a boarding school and no more so than in the House. A fourteen-year old described her House as, ‘like a family,’ while another added that the best thing about boarding is that ‘you’re always with your friends.’
The organisation of a School into smaller House units ensures that everyone is well known and as one girl said ’It helps you to learn to live with other people,’ a valuable skill for life. Shared activities in House bring an easy mixing of the different ages. House spirit engenders tremendous enthusiasm for sport, drama, music and debating to name but a few of the activities available. The longer day, with no time wasted on travel, not to mention the fact that weekends are included too, provides the time for plenty of individual support and encouragement. As one girl explained ’you can go to see a teacher for help anytime’ and a new sixth former once volunteered that without the daily grind of travel she had gained ten hours a week and so had been able to take up a second instrument, drama, debating and sport while still having time for study and chilling out with friends.
Boarding schools invariably have spacious grounds, many have excellent facilities, and with more staff around during the evenings and weekends it is possible to run a very full programme of activities to suit all tastes and interests. Glancing out of my study window at 8.00pm whilst sitting at my computer, there is a group playing rounders, another sprawled on the grass talking whilst others are striding past on their way to a rehearsal. A younger pupil admitted that she had become’ a lot more active’ since joining the School and another added that ‘the routine is healthier and you get more sleep.’ Fresh air, a more active lifestyle and limited TV viewing probably have something to do with this! Other girls made mention of our beautiful grounds, the sense of space and the trees – it’s heartening to find out that they really do notice!
Boarding helps pupils to develop independence and to learn how to manage their time effectively. There are plenty of opportunities for the older ones to take on leadership roles and they certainly act as superb role models for the younger ones. Asked what she thought was great about boarding one Lower Sixth student volunteered that, ‘It prepares you for university life.’ At Wycombe girls experience a real transition when they move at the end of their Lower Sixth year into Clarence, the Upper Sixth House. Here each girl has her own study bedroom and shares living facilities with a small group of eight or nine other girls. Responsible for some of their own catering and laundry, they emerge at the end of the year having learnt how to juggle study, recreation and domestic arrangements before setting off for university or exciting Gap year ventures.
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