The best boarding schools for your daughter are the ones which give the students the ideal opportunities they need and want. Sending a girl to the ‘wrong’ school is never a good idea. Just as there are so many different needs, goals and personalities, so too there are a variety of types of boarding schools. Let’s look at a few examples.
If academic excellence is the ideal for your daughter then there are many boarding schools which concentrate on this part of the students’ education. But beware of certain things. This type of school will have a reputation to protect. They will have an enviable record in graduation results and will have placed many, even all of their students in a sought-after college or university. In addition this type of school will have prerequisite academic standards and may even require prospective students to take a test or tests. Make sure your daughter is well prepared for any entrance exam, don’t delay as there may be a waiting list and be sure your daughter wants and is suited to an academic emphasis in their education.
Therapy-strong boarding schools are for girls who have been in trouble. It might involve drugs, alcohol, boys, poor self-image and such. If your daughter is in the at-risk or troubled category then a boarding school with an emphasis on therapy may be ideal for your child. Doing well academically is always important but first they must have self-confidence and a high self-esteem. Remember that there are different programs in each school so you need to know specifically what your daughter requires. Obviously you will then investigate only these schools which can deal with your child’s problems.
Finally there is the once-called tomboy type student who revels in the great outdoors. There are boarding schools with a wide range of outdoor activities such as hiking, bush-walking, climbing and sailing. It may also include the care of animals. A girl who loves this type of environment may thrive and, as a consequence, do much better academically than they would if in a city-based boarding school.
There are two important facts to follow up on in choosing the right school. (a) The parent has to do the work in researching the schools and (b) there may well be no such thing as the perfect boarding school.
Schools have their web site which provides a great deal of information. Feel free to read their prospectus, make a list of questions and contact the schools you think might be appropriate. If possible make contact with parents who already have a daughter in that school. An unbiased opinion could be extremely valuable.
Know that while schools do specialize and you can find a school which will cater for the needs of your daughter, it may not be perfect. In other words, don’t set your goals so high that nothing seems to suit your child. There are many wonderful boarding schools and they do offer a different emphasis and range of programs. Find the one which best suits your daughter and you are giving a young woman one of the best possible starts in life.
