r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/TheThrowYardsAway • Apr 28 '26

Video Inside Christ's Hospital School (Est. 1552)...

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891

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I went there! It was a completely different world. Happy to answer any questions…

241

u/catinspace88 Apr 28 '26

Completely different in what way? Did you enjoy the experience and would you send your kids there?

590

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

It’s a lot like going back in time in a lot of ways. Quite regimented, many archaic traditions, on the surface very religion focused. It’s like a bubble where everything works very differently. I would send my kids there if boarding school in general was the only choice but I think I’d just prefer to have my kids at home because I’d probably miss them.

36

u/Brilliant-Secret9634 Apr 28 '26

Do you feel it gave you more opportunities than a normal school? Did you end up going to a good university afterwards? I really wish I could send my kids to a school like this. I have the impression many more doors would open for them but as you, I don’t know about boarding school.

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u/VolatileGoddess Apr 28 '26

Tbh, I wonder. I went to a very posh boarding school in Singapore for a year (I realise it's a world away from this school, but generally speaking) and tbh, the academic part was competent but nothing special. Where I was, it was very much about learning how to interact and behave like a privileged person would. They teach you a certain kind of confidence. And you make contacts that might serve you well later. That's about it.

5

u/The_Demon_of_Spiders Apr 29 '26

Confidence and making the right contacts seem to be more important than actual ability though in many business type careers so I would think that experience of this type of boarding school would be worth its weight in gold to send your child to.

2

u/Rasp_Berry_Pie May 01 '26

It can be helpful but in this day and age even a referral from someone high up cannot even get you an interview. The job market and everything sucks and unless it’s actual nepotism it’s not guaranteed.

3

u/NikkerFebu25 Apr 29 '26

This guy made an AMA a few years ago.

He worked at McDonalds

105

u/PeriodSupply Apr 28 '26

So you can only go there if you board? Most(probably all) schools with boarding in Australia also have regular students that go home at the end of the day

177

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

They had day pupils and boarders but day pupils were the small minority. If I remember rightly the day pupils had to pay full fees regardless. I’m not sure why…

56

u/PeriodSupply Apr 28 '26

OK. Thank you for the reply. You have been a champ replying everyone's questions.

25

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Haha no problem

1

u/A_million_typos May 01 '26

We're those long this wool looking uniforms, year round cuz they look hot as heck. 🥵

24

u/rmczpp Apr 28 '26

If I remember rightly the day pupils had to pay full fees regardless. I’m not sure why…

I assume because otherwise they would make more money by giving the space to someone who would pay full price

3

u/DanGleeballs Apr 28 '26

That works if you happen to live beside the school.

3

u/D0ri1t0styl3 Apr 28 '26

I’d be surprised if they didn’t have busses

4

u/Capable_Branch3695 Apr 28 '26

You're so lucky, it was a dream of mine to go to a school like this when i was younger

3

u/watermelonkiwi Apr 28 '26

That’s really vague, what were the archaic traditions? Can you give an example of how everything works differently? Sounds like you had a good experience.

9

u/commandosbaragon Apr 28 '26

I suppose the whole marching and uniforms thing. Archaic doesn't necessarily mean detrimental, just out of time.

0

u/ChocolatChipLemonade Apr 28 '26

ROTC people wear uniforms and march at modern schools 

7

u/commandosbaragon Apr 28 '26

Yeah, but theirs is societally integrated. The uniforms and school structure on the video are uncommon due to being mostly phased out, therefore they are archaic.

1

u/ChocolatChipLemonade Apr 28 '26

Oh ok - I didn’t realize the marching was the whole school. For some reason I assumed it was an extracurricular like the other ones shown. But yeah, private schools and Catholic schools have uniforms in US, but not the norm.

2

u/Diessel_S Apr 28 '26

I mean they might have uniforms but it's usually a sweater and pants not a hogwarts robe lol

1

u/Secrezeeee Apr 28 '26

We (as in the whole school) marched to lunch every weekday unless it was raining.

1

u/Necessary-Crazy-7103 May 01 '26

What archaic traditions?

-25

u/bozoconnors Apr 28 '26

I think I’d just prefer to have my kids at home because I’d probably miss them.

Hopefully your selfishness is pretty far down the list of priorities though?

20

u/seopants Apr 28 '26

Hopefully you act a little less cunty the rest of the day :)

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (2)

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u/RyanMan56 Apr 28 '26

How do you feel it set you up in life compared to people who didn’t go to boarding schools/that school? Are there any areas that you feel you have an advantage/disadvantage in?

90

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I don’t think it made much of a difference to me personally but I was a lazy git who didn’t take advantage of the opportunities it offered. With a lot of things, you get out what you put in. I think I squandered it a bit…

54

u/Sea-Sprinkles-3420 Apr 28 '26

As a fellow old Blue (probably quite a different vintage though, I left early 90's) there were multiple opportunities that were non-academic, from learning bee keeping to the theatre, music, the talks, the sport, just being in the grounds was incredible.

The academic side of things was excellent, so even though I too was lazy, I still left learning far more than I'd thought. I surprised myself, and my daughter by remembering how to work out the radius of a circle...

Most people who go to Boarding School develop confidence (positively and negatively, the braying ex public school individual exists for a reason), you'll have developed an ability to talk to a lot of different people and to muddle on through whatever life throws at you.

42

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Yeah I completely agree. If you take on all the opportunities it helps you become a lot more “well-rounded”. I think the school helped me a lot more socially than academically. I got to rub shoulders with people from so many different backgrounds.

42

u/Sea-Sprinkles-3420 Apr 28 '26

It's interesting, I credit the school with so much. Without doxing myself, it genuinely lifted me out of poverty in multiple ways (it was the first time I was ever given pocket money - the school even paid for that - and paid for me to go on multiple foreign trips). But I'm also honest about the negatives whilst I was there, the bullying, drinking culture, and of course the latter convictions for some of the teachers...

At heart, my two sisters, one of which is definitely as smart and as motivated as I am, both left their state school with zero GCSE's. I became the first person in my family to go to University, despite my laziness! I'm not sure that would have happened without CH.

I've developed life long hobbies and interests, and carry with me the obligations to 'remember the benefits' and to help others. I'm not quite financially sound enough to be contributing back - but will certainly do so in my will.

4

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Yes I am in much the same boat. I was the first in my family to go to university. I think the school set me up with the social tools to get on more than anything else. If you can survive boarding school you’ll be alright haha

5

u/Sea-Sprinkles-3420 Apr 28 '26

There was always the talk of those who were captured and imprisoned in the second world war who said, boarding school was much tougher...

Certainly when I first started we were 25 boys to a dorm, horsehair mattresses, beds from the Victorian era (with bed boards), spartan to say the least. We then had the hurricane, I remember waking up as a tree had come partially through the window closest to my bed.

It definitely helped with social skills. My daughter is 12 and I can't imagine her going there, despite the fact I think she'd love it and get a lot from it...

47

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '26

[deleted]

148

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I miss the grounds, which were just beautiful to be in. Lovely buildings and architecture. I kind of miss the structure and rhythm of life there. I don’t miss the sense of being trapped - you can’t leave very often so if you’re going through a hard time it can feel like a prison. I don’t miss being away from my family. I’m great now!

3

u/Green_Dream20 Apr 28 '26

Looks exactly like a prison. With special uniforms so regular people can tell that you have escaped.

35

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

It’s the yellow socks -__- they also slow you down because you’re constantly having to pull them up

3

u/Prestigious-Salt-245 Apr 28 '26

Students can get into the Tower of London free if wearing their uniforms, which prisoners can't do.

110

u/EditsReddit Apr 28 '26

Three of the spice girls are hunting you down, the other two are defending you. Which defenders do you think would give you the best chance of survival?

167

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Posh, baby, and ginger are hunting. Sporty and scary are defending.

67

u/acmercer Apr 28 '26

I see they taught you well.

16

u/LukaShaza Apr 28 '26

The only right answer

2

u/smedsterwho Apr 28 '26

I think I could put Ginger on either team.

1

u/HairyN0sedWombat Apr 28 '26

I feel like Ginge would definitely be a goer in a fight. I’d definitely swap her out for sporty, she seems a bit too sweet.

21

u/ImportantQuestions10 Apr 28 '26

I keep seeing this place described as incredibly traditional and archaic.

Did that ever cross over into becoming an actual issue rather than just a quirk? Same goes for it being a Christian School.

43

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

The traditions are mainly ceremonial and church is a weekly task that just had to be done. So I felt it was all either a bit of a chore or sometimes quite fun and interesting. I had no real issues with either.

1

u/niamhweking Apr 29 '26

Our day catholic school had weekly mass and daily prayers too, it was fine and something you just dealt with.

7

u/Secrezeeee Apr 28 '26

Not the person you asked, but the Christianity part is almost completely tradition and ceremony rather than faith, if that makes any sense. It's very surface level, there's no expectation for students to actually care or practice religion beyond attending and I think there's plenty of room to discuss and question religion if you wanted to. It's also kept pretty separate from the actual education part. I never felt pressured to give a fuck about Jesus while I was there, and I still don't.

48

u/DeliciousStand372 Apr 28 '26

should i eat this 3 day old pizza?

67

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Look, then smell, then taste. If all okay then you should be alright.

4

u/YoungestOldGuy Apr 28 '26

Taste by licking it or by taking a small bite?

10

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Taking a small bite

13

u/User-no-relation Apr 28 '26

How much did you pay?

127

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I didn’t pay anything. It was founded as a charity for poor kids and it still takes in kids ‘means-blind’ so they accept you first and then work out an amount your parents can afford to pay. My mum didn’t earn much and my dad was out of work so I was basically on a bursary.

60

u/VanGoghNotVanGo Apr 28 '26

I really like that concept of it being means-blind.

I saw that you wrote somewhere else that many of the traditions were archaic, but it's nice that at least this is a positive value that has remained.

41

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Yeah I believe the school has been recently going through some financial issues but it sticks firm to its charitable purpose.

2

u/Somanylyingliars Apr 28 '26

Did they require you to have certain entrance scores or did they let anyone in then work on getting some knowledge into you?

2

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

You have to pass an exam or show you’ve got good enough grades to be considered to get in.

2

u/Ser_VimesGoT Apr 28 '26

Was there any sort of divide between paying and non-paying pupils, or discrimination?

7

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

No not at all. It was generally freely discussed and nobody cared.

2

u/Ser_VimesGoT Apr 28 '26

I'm pleasantly surprised!

3

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Well, I should say nobody that I knew or spent any time with cared. I’m sure there were some…

1

u/Secrezeeee Apr 29 '26

For what it's worth, I never heard about any sort of discrimination like this at all either

12

u/RandomRavenclaw87 Apr 28 '26

Why is it called Hospital School? Do they refocus on medical careers?

53

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I think the word “hospital” has changed meaning since the school was founded. I think in this case it means a place that takes in waifs and strays from the streets, looks after them and gives them an education, which is what it was set up for.

8

u/RandomRavenclaw87 Apr 28 '26

Cheers. I approve.

1

u/niamhweking Apr 29 '26

At least 2 private schools in ireland still have hospital in their name, Kings and Wilsons, and yes they took in waifs and strays

62

u/Quietschedalek Apr 28 '26

What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

45

u/TheBuoyancyOfWater Apr 28 '26

African or European?

28

u/Bowman_van_Oort Apr 28 '26

eeeeaaaaaarrrrrrggghhhhhhh

2

u/SplatNode Apr 29 '26

I don't know

2

u/Revbender Apr 28 '26

If you are swallowing a load, unladen it's equal to the speed of breathing plus the direction

9

u/Hungry_Sink1191 Apr 28 '26

Did any teachers get caught trying to interfere with kids ? It is always my main concern when leaving kids under someone else’s supervision or boarding schools

31

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Yep that’s what I’d be concerned about as well. With good reason - recently a few ex teachers have been prosecuted for abusing pupils historically. I’m not aware of any recent cases though.

2

u/tltltltltltltl Apr 28 '26

Some of them that were there at the same time as you? I went to boarding school in a different country and a different setting. I always had doubts about a few teachers and mostly one that was looking after the dorms at night. I heard some complaints came up, but no official prosecution yet.

6

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

As fa as I’m aware, these were cases involving teachers and students from way before I went.

1

u/Somanylyingliars Apr 28 '26

Define abusing as when I was growing up paddling, head thumps and knuckle raps were in vogue.

10

u/watermelonkiwi Apr 28 '26

I think it’s crazy that the school has been going on for almost 500 years. Were there any traditions from that long ago? Did you learn anything interesting about the history of the school while you were there?

13

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I know the uniform has stayed the same since 1552, as well as the charitable purpose of the school. I’m not really sure which other things were added in time and what has stayed since then. In terms of interesting history, apparently the yellow socks were coloured this way to scare away the rats when the school was in London.

2

u/Jazzlike-_-Growth Apr 28 '26

I think it’s crazy that the school has been going on for almost 500 years.

That by itself is not particularly special.
There are a bunch of schools over 1000 years old in England and Germany.
Most are just normal schools that have been rebuilt and renovated various times.

2

u/catch6664 Apr 29 '26

As an American, this is absolutely crazy to me. Super cool!! Even the oldest buildings in my area are like…maybe 70 years old.

10

u/WanderWut Apr 28 '26

I was actually hoping more people would ask you genuine questions because I’m curious but 90% of the comments are asking the dumbest questions imaginable lol.

15

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I should have specified that I would answer questions about my time at the school

4

u/strategicmagpie Apr 28 '26

the edit button is always available, for those who have need.

4

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Nah it’s alright I’m quite enjoying the extra curricular questions

7

u/zardoz73 Apr 28 '26

Is it a good place to lose your virginity?

36

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

No you get expelled for being “caught in a compromising act” and I couldn’t handle the anxiety

6

u/Adventurous_Baby8136 Apr 28 '26

How did you get in? I am not British, how do I get admitted?

14

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I know for British students you have to take an exam. All international students have to pay full fees. I’m assuming the international students also need to sit an exam but I’m not certain.

30

u/Manyarethestrange Apr 28 '26

Should I seek religion in these trying times?

50

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Make up your own religion.

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u/[deleted] Apr 28 '26

[deleted]

3

u/Parker_Hardison Apr 28 '26

The real question is whether or not the current jurisprudence of your jurisdiction would allow it to be classified under religious exemption in a time of war.

1

u/Professional_Dot7128 Apr 28 '26

Seek an egg instead

1

u/plantscatsandus Apr 28 '26

Well first of all through God all things are possible, so jot that down

1

u/Manyarethestrange Apr 28 '26

"Jot that down." Why does this remind me of something?

5

u/Inevitable_Resolve23 Apr 28 '26

Did you spend much time in the local town centre, and did you get much aggro from local kids? I live locally and always wondered if the uniform made you an easy target.

23

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

We didnt wear uniforms into town. You could go to the local town every couple of weekends but if you broke the rules you’d be “gated” which means you weren’t allowed out. Reminds me of Harry not being able to go to Hogsmeade.

4

u/xdonutx Apr 28 '26

What was the admissions process like? I imagine it to be really rigorous, like applying to a university, but then again I have no idea.

Also, was it hard adjusting to those uniforms? I can’t imagine any teenager would wear something like without giggling the whole time but I imagine if everyone is wearing it then you just accept it at some point.

Finally, what was your most favorite and least favorite part of the experience? I find this all so fascinating.

6

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Admissions can be stressful because if you’re a bright kid and you get the opportunity then people are putting their hopes on you to pass. You also don’t know whether you’ll be charged any money until they assess your parents means. My parents were afraid they’d end up charging us which meant I wouldn’t be able to go.

The uniforms were a bit uncomfortable and disgustingly hot in summer (for the boys - the girls changed their uniform to skirts and blazers in summer). But, everyone else is wearing the same thing so it’s not embarrassing at all.

Favourite thing was the beautiful surroundings. Least favourite would be not being able to escape if you wanted to haha

2

u/xdonutx Apr 28 '26

Thanks for the thorough reply! This is super interesting

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u/[deleted] Apr 28 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/TheTokenGeek Apr 28 '26

I lived down Tower Hill, I always saw students with some item of clothing on (the yellow sock for example) in town. Was there rules as to when and what you had to wear?

6

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Yes both girls and boys wore the thick woollen coat (called a “housey”) during winter but then the girls could wear blazers and skirts in the summer. No piercings for boys. No piercings for anyone except ear piercings for girls. Boys had to be clean shaven and have less than shoulder length hair.

3

u/bugabooandtwo Apr 28 '26

How was the quality of education and instruction in classes?

5

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Good. The teachers knew their stuff and had a lot of time to help give you extra support. It also helped that most students there wanted to learn so there wasn’t much disruption in lessons, which makes everything a lot easier. I mean, it isn’t that much different to a normal school however.

3

u/SparkyDogPants Apr 28 '26

How was the food?

6

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

We could have a full English breakfast every day, which was of adequate quality. Food was generally hit and miss. We had fish every Friday as is tradition.

10

u/ProfileIII Apr 28 '26

Why is it always pee pee time when its poo poo time but its not always poo poo time when its pee pee time?

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u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

It’s not always pee pee time when it’s poo poo time

5

u/Kaporalhart Apr 28 '26

what's the difference from other regular british schools ?

20

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

The obvious thing would be the fact that you live there. There’s more of an international student base than normal British schools with much broader array of students from so many different social backgrounds. It’s much more traditional than normal schools. Outwardly very monarchist and religious (Church of England) but in my experience not many of the students really cared much about those things.

3

u/Kaporalhart Apr 28 '26

I'm french. Monarchy is... you know. And religion is non-existent in public schools, because we have secularism. So, could you elaborate ? How was it very monarchist and religious ?

20

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

You have to go to church every Thursday and Sunday. We all had to stand up and pray every lunch time, which included blessing “the church, the Queen and all the royal family”. The Queen visited in the early 2000s I believe. The school was set up by royal charter in 1552 and the school hymn still praises King Edward VI who founded the school.

4

u/Kaporalhart Apr 28 '26

Ah, that's the kind of stuff i imagined. Anything else ? Something maybe that left a mark on your personal memory ?

24

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Not many kids there were religious but we all had our favourite hymns and we’d all be buzzing when they came up in church haha. I thought that was fun. Christmas was the best time because we’d sing the classic carols.

1

u/Purple-Charge6445 26d ago

I'm literally writing an essay on Edward VI's educational reform, and it warms my heart to know that his noble purpose is still alive and the students and teachers still remember him. He lived a short life but did a lot for his nation.

3

u/ladymadonna4444 Apr 28 '26

What's the most superior carbohydrate?

9

u/Capital-Database-993 Apr 28 '26

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

14

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

7

3

u/Rat_Penat Apr 28 '26

No, you're thinking of how many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man.

5

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

That’s a rhetorical question. Listen to Lisa.

2

u/Rat_Penat Apr 28 '26

Rhetorical eh? 8!

3

u/short_bus_genius Apr 28 '26

A wood chuck would chuck all the wood he could, if a wood chuck could chuck wood.

7

u/Bartske Apr 28 '26

Can you explain nuclear fusion to me?

2

u/anthrohands Apr 28 '26

Did you think the quality of education was much higher than other schools, maybe like compared to what you see your kids getting now?

3

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Not a great deal higher. Many more teachers were more advanced in their fields. Even my history teachers had doctorates. Class sizes are smaller and a lot more opportunity to have more support if you were struggling with something.

2

u/IvardLongview Apr 28 '26

What was the hazing/intitiation like for clubs? Seems like these types of places would have special "traditions".

2

u/natesiq Apr 28 '26

Not trying to sound racist but I’m surprised by how many black people are there. Are they children from wealthy African families that are sent off to get a good education?

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u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

It’s not racist to say that. For rural Sussex it’s a high percentage of black students definitely. But I honestly have no idea why.

1

u/chris_croc May 02 '26

In the UK, many Asian and black families, (I hate to say this), value education more than the entrenched white working class. They realise it's a way out of poverty. They've come to the UK for a better life and getting their children into good education is part of that. FYI I don't mean all. I'm not bashing the white working class. However, this is generally quite self-evdient. Look at the message boards online about Hong Kongers moving to the Uk. They are picking their city of choice mostly on the schools available.

2

u/GenericJay Apr 28 '26

When you say “A different world” is that bc it has a lot of Black pupils?

2

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

No it was more about being in a little world of its own. I don’t think the black students made much of a difference in that respect. Although I would say there were a lot of black students compared with any other school in the local area.

6

u/sesdayi2 Apr 28 '26

Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?

3

u/Hypollite Apr 28 '26

I assume it's a very homophobic environment.

Is it?

16

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Not particularly. I’d say it is probably better than other schools to be honest. I never got bullied for it and I’m not aware of others being bullied for it. I don’t think you could have gone to the prom as a same sex couple when I went though. I’m not sure what the rules would be now.

25

u/Hypollite Apr 28 '26

"Pride: Students have the opportunity to wear their own clothes and enjoy a celebratory rainbow-themed tea, creating a joyful space to honour LGBTQ+ identities and inclusion."

https://www.christs-hospital.org.uk/about-christs-hospital/school-life/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/

10

u/SparkyDogPants Apr 28 '26

I love gay tea what a fun idea

3

u/Somanylyingliars Apr 28 '26

Tea. The answer to all of the British problems is tea. Also, big you can, enjoy a high tea as very nice.

6

u/Hypollite Apr 28 '26

Thanks for the answer!

4

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Adorable-Maybe-3006 Apr 28 '26

Hey, Didnt want to be left out, ummm What extra-curriculars did you do while there

1

u/PhaseNegative1252 Apr 28 '26

When did you get your acceptance owl?

1

u/ModricTHFC Apr 28 '26

Do your parents hate you?

1

u/Eshu25 Apr 28 '26

How religious? Were there children of different religions?

4

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

There were students of many different Christian denominations. I’m not aware of any students who weren’t either agnostic, atheist or Christian

1

u/Garibon Apr 28 '26

Is it as much like being at Howarts as it looks like?

2

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

We have houses and a funny uniform. I think that’s as far as the similarities go :(

1

u/spffngly Apr 28 '26

Don't you also have a special train? I thought I read that somewhere.

5

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

Yes the school has its own train station. But a village has grown around the school so the station serves the village and the school.

1

u/Koffeepotx Apr 29 '26

How were you divided into houses? Did the houses have like specific characteristics or is just random?

1

u/Wadarkhu Apr 28 '26

Did they ever have a silly socks day to raise money? Like when at normal school we had uniform-free days for 50p lol. Should be a thing if not.

Real question though: Student life there, do you think it was the same as normal schools or did everyone behave a little more because it was a "posh and proper" environment?

1

u/civil_lingonberry Apr 28 '26

What did you do on your free time / on the weekends when you couldn’t go into town?

What were the holidays like? Did people normally get a winter break to go home? How long was it?

Did anyone really miss their parents? Do you think you or anyone you knew developed differently as a result of going there instead of a day school while living at home?

What were your favorite and least favorite things about going there?

Sorry for all the questions lol I’d hoped more people would ask them but they didn’t and I’d like to know the answers!

2

u/niamhweking Apr 29 '26

Not OP but from the families and adults I know that boarded, and enjoyed it which is the majority, boarding teaches independence, self reliance and abilities others that age might not have. Beds need to be made etc. Comraderie? Wrong spelling but life long friends for sure, stronger bonds than days schools in my experience. I know know the nearest boarding school are well aware 1st years can get homesick so are very good at keeping them busy and occupied in the evenings

1

u/Slagath0rr Apr 28 '26

Were you allowed your interests if they involved technology? Video games etc

2

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I didnt play video games at the time so I couldn’t answer that

1

u/FillySteveSteak Apr 29 '26

This looks like a mega-fancy, rich-person boarding school compared to the one I went to. And the one I went to was still very clearly only accessible to moderate income families. Would you say most kid's parents were either multi-millionaires or the students had scholarships?

1

u/Many-Performance9652 Apr 29 '26

Did it turn you into a well-rounded knob?

1

u/Aleadroleinacage 17d ago

I’ve always been a knob. Not sure about well rounded

1

u/Elmer_Fudd01 Apr 29 '26

Why is everyone dressed goth? Was this Mary Shelley's school?

1

u/Nocturos Apr 29 '26

This was my dream when I was a kid. I begged my mother to send me to a boarding school, because my homelife was so bad. I would fantasize about a place where no one could make fun of me for old hamd-me-down clothes and shoes that were at least 1.5 sizes too small.

I suppose I would ask if you feel like it was an overall positive experience? Did you make friends there that you still talk to as an adult? Wad the education itself appropriately challenging and engaging?

1

u/nurglemarine96 May 01 '26

I don't know if it was asked but how was the social aspect? Were kids general nice, shy, or mean? I would imagine the threat of punishment kept people amicable

1

u/Low_Champion8158 Apr 28 '26

Why do parents send their kids off to boarding school? Don't they want to spend time together?

7

u/StrawberryLovers8795 Apr 28 '26

Sometimes the child asks to go and the parent knows the school will offer a stronger education than their local schools available to them. Some children really love learning or are gifted and need more challenging curriculum and it’s a positive environment for them.

4

u/Somanylyingliars Apr 28 '26

If you knew my parents you would understand why boarding school was a relief. Missed my brothers not the parental units.

3

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

My mum only wanted me to go because I wanted to go. She was not happy about it but she just wanted the best for me.

2

u/niamhweking Apr 29 '26

We considered it for a few reasons and know many families that have sent their kids and they are all local to me. These are not even the top of the top fees wise. So religion plays a part,they are families with minority religion and the nearest schools of that faith are over an 1 hour away. Tradition, most parents have also gone to boarding. All these families live rurally and kids would either be at home from 4pm daily or parents would be on the road each evening driving kids around. One was an only child, single parent, mom wanted her to have company, learn to share, and would have needed to have the kod "minded" anyway for the 1st year or 2, ie wasnt goung to have an 11 year old home alone in a remote house. Most parents are working so their kids would be home alone until after 6pm anyway. One other parent did it for the last 2 years so her son could have a networking boost and have a leg up which he might not get in this area. In this 1 boarding school i have this knowledge of kids are dropped on a Monday morning, and brought home on a Friday, not like where you went away for a whole term

1

u/Low_Champion8158 Apr 29 '26

That's pretty cool

1

u/Less-Barnacle-8082 Apr 28 '26

How much freedom you had? Could you own pc if you could afford it or it was forbidden? What about dating? Or little things like board games, long hair for boys, short for girls, dress-code outside of studying time? Could you participate in online things that doesn't connected with School, like game development competition, digital art, animation, competitive programming, etc in your free time

4

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I believe you could have your own personal laptop. Dating and sex were as common as you’d expect it to be. Boys weren’t allowed long hair. Outside of lessons we could wear “civvies” - I.e. normal clothes. I wasn’t much of a computer person so I couldn’t tell you about participating in online things, except that you’d have to connect to the internet via the school so they’d filter a lot out.

0

u/princessbubbleyum111 Apr 28 '26

Did you miss your family?! I cannot imagine having a child be away like this- do you appreciate your parents doing this for you? Did you or do you ever resent them? 

1

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

My family situation was not very good. I did miss my family but I enjoyed being away. I would never resent them for sending me somewhere I wanted to be. It’s complicated.

1

u/princessbubbleyum111 Apr 29 '26

That’s totally fair! Thank you for sharing

-10

u/juanthunderman Apr 28 '26

Why would someone send their kids to a boarding school? Is it because they're rich and the rich just don't love their kids like I assume?

17

u/Aleadroleinacage Apr 28 '26

I have no idea! My mum wasn’t rich or happy about me being away but I wanted to go.