Thriving at boarding school

Hockerill Anglo-European College, UK, expresses how boarding schools help students develop invaluable skills and prepare them for a bright future.

Every parent wants their child to have a sense of their place in the world, be alive to opportunity, aspirational for their future and capable of developing a better world for all. All schools will try to set students on this path, so boarding schools where students live the experience 24/7 gives them the best possible chance of developing the competencies they need to address the challenges of their future. 

UNESCO believes there are seven macro competencies that are essential for young people to have:

1. Lifelong learning – involving curiosity, creativity and critical thinking 

2. Self-Agency – involving initiative, drive, motivation, grit, resilience and responsibility 

3. Interactively using diverse tools and resources – involving responsible consumption 

4. Interacting with others – involving teamwork, collaboration and negotiation 

5. Interacting in and with the world – balancing rights and privileges, freedom and respect

6. Trans-disciplinarity – involving STEM, Humanities, Social Sciences etc., 

7. Multi-literateness – Reading, writing, Numeracy, Digital literacy etc.,

The IBE-UNESCO Framework is competence-based, combining knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, ethics, dispositions and technology-savvy. Boarding schools develop these attributes through the community, opportunity and aspiration that make up the lived experiences of every day. 

For every child to find their passion and talent, they need exposure to as many different opportunities as possible. Boarding schools naturally provide this because they are a community that lives, learns and plays together. That community of students, staff and parents includes people from all backgrounds and all parts of the world. The broad and diverse life experiences of the boarding community creates a rich tapestry of inter-cultural understanding and global exposure from which boarders learn the essential life skills of collaboration, co-operation and interacting with the world - three of UNESCOs 7 macro-competencies for a successful future.

George H, an international boarder who joined the College in Year 10 and is now in the Sixth Form, said: “Boarding has been an incredible experience for me. It has allowed me to meet people who have shared similar experiences to me from living around the world, something I had never found in any other place.” 

In a boarding school, extra and super-curricular opportunities are the norm with chances for students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their capabilities before, during and after school plus at the weekends. Success in any form, in any arena, breeds confidence and this then spills over into all other spheres of a young person’s world. If they find their passion and are given the opportunity to pursue it, experiencing excellence and success as they do, everything else benefits. A boarding school where the community is together 24/7 is the ideal context to nurture that talent and personal growth through self-agency, inter-disciplinary and lifelong learning – three more of the UNESCO macro competencies.

Student George also expressed that: “The friends I’ve made in boarding are incredible, and the experiences we’ve shared due to living together assure me that they will be friendships that will last long after we leave school.” 

The world has many challenges and young people need to be ready to tackle them, confident in their mastery of communication and working tools (the final two UNESCO competencies). With that confidence, young people can aspire to believe that anything is possible and that they can make the world a better place for all. Boarding schools provide endless opportunities for students to aspire in this way through the unique lived experiences that they offer. The UNESCO framework emphasises that the development of the seven macro-competencies should be used for individual, collective, national and global public good towards the goal of a better world for all. What better justification can there be for choosing a school environment where your child has the best chance of being part of that noble mission?

P Lee, another international boarder who joined the College in Year 7 and is now in the Sixth Form, said: “The community is very integrated and welcoming, I instantly clicked with many people even if we didn’t share common interests. It’s easy to make friends and even easier to have an enjoyable but academic experience.” 

Boarding schools offer a unique and enriching opportunity, an environment that celebrates diversity and inclusivity, and one that boasts a truly international education. Here at Hockerill we would be delighted to invite you to visit our vibrant community; please contact admissions@hockerill.com for further information.

This article first appeared in the 2024/25 edition of John Catt's Guide to International Schools, which you can read here: