Boarding school

Ok, big decisions!

Where we are now, we are in an isolated area. So if I was to choose this option, I would recieve government funding & with the school I'm looking at its possible that would cover all costs, but I'm not sure exactly how it all works yet.

There is a high school 65 kms away that has a really bad reputation. Next closest is 130 kms away. So I'm considering boarding schools in Perth. The primary school here finishes at the end of year 7, so DD would be starting high school in year 8, at 13.

I have a few questions...

Does anyone else send their kids to boarding school? Or for those who attended?

The one I'm looking at is Catholic all girls. I'm not sure what would be the better option... all girls or co-ed. Does it matter?

How did you/do your kids handle it at that age? I only knew kids who went to the local high school, then went away in year 9 or 10. And they were only 2 or 3 hours away. Perth is 4 hours from us.

How does everyone in the situation cope? I think it would be a really good move for my kids educationally, but I'm scared of the impact it'd have on them emotionally... & on me!

We are sending our DS1 to boarding school next year if he gets selected - it's a selective Government school. I think considering your distance from school and the reputation to the one closest to you that it's a good idea you send her. Obviously becuase of distance it will be full time boarding? Yesterday DH was talking to a person he knows who sent their son to the same school this year and he said that he's (the boy) is still struggling with it a little and misses home a lot. Apparently the most of the girls and a few boys are still very homesick. He is only a weekly boarder too so he is home every weekend (as our son will be). I don't think it would necessarily matter at this stage whether you do co-ed or girls only. A woman I played netball with last year has sent both her boys away in year 9 to a school in Sydney and I asked her how they coped with it, and she said they were fine. She felt that they really needed the extra two years at home and it gave them time to mature a little kwim? But then when I spoke with the school itself, she said that they found it was an easier adjustment for the kids if they started in year 7 because all the kids in that year group was going through the same thing and they had a network of shared experiences to help them adjust, if that makes sense?

TBH, I don't know how I will cope. DS and I are very close and I will miss him like crazy. I think he will be fine though, obviously he will need time to adjust, but hes a very pragmatic type of person so he takes it all in his stride.

She would be full time, but I'll be up there ever few weeks to steal her for weekends ;)

She has a cousin who'll probably be heading up too. Might see what school they choose for him. Either way they'll have each other close.

SIL has family up there too. & her cousin is up there from here often. I should have plenty of people to check up on her if needed.

It'll be a culture shock for her, but I really do think it'd be good for her attitude etc. Though she might think I hate her even more when shes the only one out of home!

I'm going to put her on the waiting list. I really am thinking its a good idea. I'm not too far away...

Have you spoken to her about it? I can see she is 9 years old but I think the earlier you start talking about it, then the easier the transition might be.

She knows its likely. I was just looking at them & saw that with the one I liked, the enrolment process starts 2 years prior to starting, which is next year. So I think I better get serious about deciding & getting her name down if I want her to be accepted anywhere.

I went to boarding school. It was awesome fun.
It takes a while to adjust but most boarding schools have older girls supervising the younger girls (sort of like a buddy system) and they were always on hand for comfort.
We had day girls and we always felt kind of sorry for them because they missed the best bits.

I went to boarding school when my parents moved overseas for my dad's work. I really didn't enjoy it. The school I attended had day students as well as boarder's and I was envious of the girls who got to go home to their family at the end of the school day. I wanted to go home to my mum and dad. Even today, I resent the fact that my dad's job came before the ability to have me at home. I wouldn't consider boarding school for my kids, but that doesn't mean that it's not right for your family.

DD is signed up for several (so that we can keep our options open iykwim)
I went and loved and hated it. I think that an important aspect is keeping a close family tie and the communication lines open. Unfortunately my mum was like 'so long as you are doing well academically nothing else matters' it didn't matter that I was being mercilessly bullied it didn't matter that I was obviously depressed and when I came home an 'angry lazy' girl it wasn't because I was it was because I hadn't slept for 10 weeks

But I made some great friends and I did have happy times ( and if I have signed dd up it can't have been all bad!)

I longed to go to boarding school as a child - I was bullied in the local school and at home, at least at boarding school you have someone on your side in the whole building and if not you can lock the door. I would have no qualms with DS being a weekly boarder at a school from age 13, much as I adore him and we get on. If, of course, that was best for his education.

I've worked at a boarding school and a day school. Boarding school seemed more fun for the students as they were able to organise their time better and were able to chat to friends all evening, leaving class time as slightly more focussed on work rather than what they did last night - as they already knew and didn't necessarily want the teachers to hear about it!

Thanks for the replies :)

I'm going to have a better look & probably put her name down at a few places, considering we'll be bottom of the acceptance list for the Catholic one.

We may not even still be here in 3 years, but better to have it all worked out now than just wait & see, & miss out.

Hey clover,
I went to boarding school 4 hours away as a 12 year old in grade 7. I know it was such a hard decision for my parents, but it was definately the right one. I Have many great memories from boarding school and would go again if given the choice. I was probably around 9 when mum and dad started talking about it. The local high school at the time didn't really do pre tertiary subjects and was never really an option. There was a private catholic school 1 hour away and two boarding schools 4 hours away. I went to look at all three with mum and dad in about year three ( i would have been about 9). Mum and dad sort of left the decision up to me, i could get up early and travel every day to the closer one, or board at either of the other two. They would definately have been leaning to one of the schools in hindsight, but at the time as a 9, 10, 11 year old i felt like i had some control over the situation and could choose wear i went rather then feeling like i was 'being sent.' I am glad i went in grade 7 rather than 9 as there were many others in the same situation (only 1 or 2 new boarders came in grade 9). To be honest it felt like a big sleep over to start with. As Onyx said we were looked after by the older girls as well as staff. There were about 30 boys and girls boarding in our year and we generally all looked out for each other when at school (as did the older boarders).
Obviously there were harder times. I think at 15 and 16 i found it more challenging as we would look at the day kids who lived at home who were able to go out to the movies mid week etc. Our rules were pretty strict in comparison.
Myself and my 2 brothers have an awesome relationship with our parents and i think a lot of that would be due to them not having to be the disciplinarians all the time through those teenage years ( we could direct our angst to the boarding house masters =)). ALso when we did see them ( I went home most weekends and my brothers stayed up a lot more because of sport) it was really quality time.
The school was also a great move academically. We had structured time for homework each week night and were able to catch up with any of the teachers after school for extra help if we needed it.
I am so thankful mum and dad were able to send me and know they sacrificied a lot financially.
I am lucky that we have a good school locally i will be able to send my children to, but if not (and we could afford to) I would have no hesitation sending them to boarding school. I would definately start talking about it early, take them to have a look (Often the schools have such amazing art, sport, music and outdoor ed programs, your daughter will probably be more excited about it than you will after seeing it). Also try and give her a few options if possible to have some feeling of control over what happens.
Hope that helps!