A Home of Opportunity
Zoe Fisher, principal of Wymondham College, explores the uptake in state boarding schools
State boarding is a gem which is being discovered by a growing number of families. With costs much lower than the independent sector, plus academic results and facilities often on a par or better than independent schools, more parents are getting savvy to the incredible opportunities state boarding offers. Pair that with extensive facilities, enrichment activities combined with high academic standards and an average cost of only £5,000 per term for full boarding, state boarding delivers something unique.
The common question asked is how fees are much lower than the independent sector. Put simply, it is because education is free and only boarding is payable. Many families are surprised to hear the breadth of experiences children are offered. Highlights across a year could typically include trips to New York, Disney World Florida, Iceland, skiing in Austria, safaris in Kenya, as well as students learning to scuba dive in the on-site pool and achieving the PADI Open Water qualification overseas. This is in addition to the weekly activities including the Combined Cadet Force, Gold Duke of Edinburgh and many more from paddle boarding, kayaking, horse riding, water polo, debating to coding. The lower price isn’t a reflection of a lower offering.
Sport is also just as competitive and prestigious in the state sector. With a high calibre of sporting children, many state boarding schools compete against independent schools. Indeed, the UK’s number one U17 3,000m runner attends a state boarding school – as do the regional champions in U13 football; winners of the Norfolk-hosted Twickenham Rugby Touch 2; winners of the girls 100 Ball national cricket cup and T20 tournament; and winners of the U17s boys National Cricket Cup. Sport is celebrated at a recreational as well as competitive level, with access to elite sporting accolades.
State boarding prides itself on being a home from home with specialist staff and a culture conducive to the family dynamic. There are two prep boarding schools and a variety of senior and sixth-form boarding schools across the country – some in cities, others in the sprawling English countryside. The state sector also offers some of the smallest boarding houses to the largest in the country. Whether it is ensuring children remain with their boarding family through to year 13 or offering separate prep and senior houses with a sixth form akin to a small university campus, there is something for everyone.
State boarding schools also adhere to national standards and are rigorously inspected every three years by Ofsted. Two of these schools were recently graded ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in all nine categories across their education and boarding provision under the new Ofsted inspection frameworks. It reflects the high academic standards and achievements, with students going on to study at Oxford and Cambridge.
It is an opportunity unlike any other and no longer the best-kept secret as families recognise its impressive offering.
To learn more about state boarding, register to visit Wymondham College at wymondhamcollege.org
