Branching out at BBSW

Gina recently participated in a virtual version of BBSW, the British Boarding Schools Workshop. Traditionally a presential conference held each spring and autumn here in the UK, since the pandemic the event has moved online to keep important lines of communication open between educational agents, like Gina, and the boarding schools they recommend.

Thanks to her 20+ years in the sector, Gina already has close relationships with a great number of Scottish, Welsh and English boarding schools but it is still important to visit, when possible, to keep up-to-date with developments. Given the time it would take to get around the nearly 300 schools she knows, however, events like BBSW are an invaluable opportunity to catch up with representatives from at least some of those schools and to find out more about others she may not know so well.

For example, at the latest event Gina was impressed by Bruton School for Girls. This small school in southwest England has just 180 pupils, giving it a true family feel. Around 40% of the girls board, the vast majority as full-boarders, making it a real home from home. The boarding community includes plenty of UK students, as the school is not yet very well-known abroad, but for the overseas boarders it does have, the school has gone out of its way to provide them with the chance to stay in school for the current half-term holidays if required due to the pandemic. One of the advantages of being a small school is that it can offer a truly tailored, individual and bespoke approach to boarding.

Academically, GCSE and A Level results are good without the school needing to be over-selective. Art and Drama are very strong in particular, and the school prides itself on enabling all the girls to thrive in their own individual field. Close monitoring of girls by academic and pastoral staff helps identify any learning difficulties that may require additional support, and there is an excellent Skills Development Unit to support anyone with additional learning needs.

It’s always good to have another option when considering the best setting for each individual child and Gina also enjoyed refreshing relationships with established contacts at BBSW.

Thanks to these relationships and knowledge of the sector as a whole, you can be confident we’ll know of the right boarding school in England, Scotland or Wales for your child. Please contact us so we can help with your search.

Photos courtesy of Bruton School for Girls