BOARDING

Why choose boarding?

In your boarding school research, you’ll likely hear that “boarding school is an education in and of itself.” The phrase is true – living in a boarding school community leads to learning that is just as (or more) valuable than the education you get strictly in a classroom. Some unique features of a boarding environment include:

• Having a lot of fun and forming intense friendships – boarding school can be a lot of fun. Imagine living in a house with a bunch of your best friends. It’s common in boarding school for your dorm mates to become your closest friends and support network. The friendships that you make in this environment will be ones you will remember for life. 

• Making choices that matter and taking responsibility for yourself – living on your own isn’t always easy. There is, of course, plenty of support from staff, tutors, and peers. But still, you need to take care of yourself and take responsibility for your own actions to a much greater degree than if you were living at home. While there is definitely structure within the boarding school day, you still need to make choices around how you spend your time, what activities and opportunities to take, and how to create a reasonable balance between work and play. You’ll be able to make choices that have a direct impact on the things you learn and the life you lead at boarding school. For parents: this roughly translates to increased maturity, greater self-sufficiency, and superior preparation for University.

• Being in an environment where trying new things is encouraged – going to boarding school means venturing into something unfamiliar. Going to boarding school, like any new adventure, means taking a risk because you think the reward will be worthwhile. The good news is that everyone else who goes to boarding school is also taking that risk. You’ll be part of a community where the willingness to explore new things is inherent in the student body, and where lots of people will also be trying new things. You’ll meet new types of people, find your place in a new community, learn new skills and subjects, and challenge yourself to a higher academic standard. With every little challenge that boarding school presents, you learn a little bit more about yourself and become a little bit more comfortable with yourself. For parents: this means that students often experience a lot of personal growth and increased self-confidence. 

• Having a wide range of friends – boarding schools actively aim to recruit students from a wide range of geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Dale College has students from all over South Africa. You will be exposed to a wide range of individuals and cultures. 

• Being part of a proud community – boarding school alumni are generally very enthusiastic and proud of their boarding school alma maters, The traditions and history behind Dale drives the character of the school, and influences every boy who goes there. The shared experience of this tradition and history creates a strong network of people and a feeling of community that lasts for life.