In your experience, what schools would you say have more structured environments? I realize that boarding schools, by definition, give more freedom and flexibility to students, but for younger students and students who may have a need for more built in schedules or required activities, which schools have you heard of that might fit this description? I have gone through the Schools with Support thread and gotten some good information there, but our needs are less about academic support.
Actually, I think boarding schools have more structure, as a rule. You can look for schools that have things like mandatory study times and internet shut off at night for younger kids. If you are looking for more/different types of structure you might look at therapeutic boarding schools.
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I think if you focus on smaller schools, you’ll find a more family atmosphere where your child is well known and there are lots of eyes on them. Within that subset, you should look for schools with required meals, supervised study halls, etc if that is what you’re seeking.
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If your child needs learning support, definitely look for a school with a learning support center.
Best advice we were given for boarding school:
Look for Saturday classes as a plus- much less time to flounder if less structured all weekend.
Might not be everyone’s cup of tea but is great for our kids.
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I know the Hill school is quite conservative in terms of rules. Seated meals, dress code, no boys in girls dorms and vice versa, etc. Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for though.
They also support mild learning differences.
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Hun seemed quite structured compared to others we looked at. The boarding population is relatively small as well. They have some learning support. I suspect it’d be hard to fall through the cracks.
I would def look for Saturday classes, set study hall and required meals. During my own BS experience I loved not having required meals, but we are realizing that kiddo needs a lot of structure and would have benefited this year from required meals. We are also really happy her school has a structured study hall. Her first choice, where she was waitlisted, does not have structured study hall and that would have been a disaster for her!
Also joining a sports team is incredibly important for a child who needs structure. Since kiddo is in an afternoon activity rather than a sport, she has extra free time when sports practices / games are happening on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
This is just one example but it’s one I’m very familiar with since I live close by, but small schools like Westminster may provide the structure you need. Proctored study halls for 2 hours each night, campus-wide family style lunches every weekday, Saturday classes, and three season required sports - there is little free time and with such a small student body the eyes of the faculty (most of whom live on campus) are always watching.
Again, I’m sure there are several schools that fit this description.
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This is very helpful. Thanks for the suggestion. Will look into Hill, as well.
Thank you for the suggestion. We don’t need learning support and therapeutic schools are definitely not what we’re looking for. We’re searching for mainstream boarding schools.
I agree the bs are typically more structured than alternatives. There is a common rhythm to the bs day that keeps students busy. Generally, the unstructured time is after sports/ before study hours, open class periods, and weekends. I don’t know the East Coast schools well enough, but I think the West Coast schools are surprisingly structured.
Other factors: schools that have job responsibilities for students.
If by structure you mean adult supervision, how the school runs its advisor program can vary a lot.
It can also vary a lot from school to school the protocol for going off campus. Isolated schools will be more strict.
Some schools have more flexible dining hall hours than others.
Summary of structure elements: small size, structured study hours, structured meals, structured check-in/bed routine, jobs program, tight advisory, off-campus protocol, Saturday classes, dress code, separation of girls/boy dorms, dining options, am I missing anything?
The rundown of elements to look for is very helpful. Thank you for that.
I agree that at smaller schools kids are less likely to fall through the cracks. I’ve seen a difference between 600 student schools and 300 ones. You will want to avoid schools with a “sink or swim” reputation. If you are considering the Northeast, take a look at The Millbrook School.
Thought of another thing - how much oversight is there re: academic performance. One of the things that impressed us with NMH is that the teachers, advisors, dorm heads all meet and communicate regularly about the kid, so everyone knows what is going on. If the kid is sleeping through their alarm regularly, they all know.
I can’t tell you how happy your comment made me. Older brother is headed to NMH in the fall, but I am not sure if it’s the right fit for the very different younger child. This makes me optimistic that both kids might wind up in the same place.
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I keep hearing Millbrook brought up as a very caring environment. Will definitely check it out. Thanks!
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My kids are very different from each other. The same school fits for very different reasons. It can happen.
Can you elaborate a little on why the child needs structure? Do you mean support around getting homework done and not playing video games all day or do you mean adult supervision so that kids aren’t messing around and getting into trouble.
Because I will say that at my son’s smaller school with what seems like a lot of structure there is a LOT of messing around and times when I think “thank the good lord my son does not need adult supervision!”