Boarding School Students: Visiting Home When Parents Visit

Boarding schools present unique challenges and opportunities for students, particularly when it comes to family visits. Parent visits are a crucial part of educational experiences and allow students to reconnect with their families. However, the process and frequency of these visits can vary significantly from school to school. In general, boarding schools often have strict policies to ensure students remain on campus, while also recognizing the importance of family connections.

Policy Variations in Boarding Schools

It's important to note that policies can greatly differ between boarding schools. For example, at my own boarding school, 40 years ago, the administration strictly adhered to a policy that emphasized campus presence. Each student was allotted a limited number of weekend units for home visits, and each day away from campus cost one unit. The overall number of units was generous, and every five or six weeks, a “month-end” period allowed students to return home without using any units.

Practical Visiting Schedule

In practice, this intricate system meant that students like myself were able to visit home about every four or five weeks. This frequency, combined with regular holiday breaks such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, scheduled vacations (such as late January and early February during the semester break), and of course spring break and summer vacation, allowed for ample family time. The breaks were plentiful, and I always looked forward to returning to my family by Sunday afternoon.

Exceptional Cases

However, the system also had its exceptions. Parental approval was ultimately the deciding factor. Some students were allowed more frequent visits due to their parents' wishes. A close friend of mine, for instance, was required to return home via Greyhound every weekend. This underscores the adaptability of these policies to accommodate individual family needs.

Visiting Home During Parent Visits: Real-Life Examples

Not all boarding schools follow the same strict policies. Another school where I taught had a stipulation that parents had to visit their children at least every five years. This policy is a testament to the importance of parental involvement and the availability of home visits as a critical bonding experience.

Typically, students can get three long holidays a year to visit home, assuming the family lives in a reasonably close proximity. For more distant homes, or in cases where family issues might affect a visit, students might receive an exeat allowing them to leave school for a day or two mid-term. In more challenging scenarios, where home visits are not practical, students may go to a friend's home to spend time with family.

Occasionally, parents might take their child out of school for a day during holidays as a special treat, though the student must still return to the boarding school on that day. Additionally, in some cases, students are allowed to stay on campus, but are occasionally taken out by parents for fun activities such as trips to the funfair or similar excursions.

Weekly boarding students often find themselves returning home every weekend, and it’s worth noting that some schools cater to this scenario with flexible weekend schedules. This flexibility underscores the importance of balancing school requirements with familial connections.

In conclusion, while policies can differ widely, the underlying goal of boarding school policies for parent visits is to ensure a positive and enriching experience for both the students and their families.