Although boarding schools may help a child’s development, they are not for every family.<\/p>\n
Many families see boarding school as a family tradition, but new families are looking to send their children to boarding school due to the requirements of modern life, such as travel commitments.<\/p>\n
However, many parents are concerned about whether or not their children will be happy if they go to a boarding school.<\/p>\n
Somerset College provided a list of reasons why boarding could be a positive for a child., flagging four key benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the positives of boarding schools, many parents wonder if boarding school will suit their children.<\/p>\n \u201cDifferent people have different needs, and not all students naturally enjoy boarding\u201d, said Cindi van der Berg from Somerset College.<\/p>\n Some teens enjoy living on a school campus, while others prefer the immediate family environment, van der Berg said.<\/p>\n \u201cTraits in students that tend to make the adaptation to boarding easier include high levels of independence, a strong motivation to develop social skills, a drive to participate in a variety of extramurals, and the willingness to cohabit with a variety of different people,” she said.<\/p>\n Hilton Toro from Somerset said that age plays a key role in the suitability to board.<\/p>\n \u201cAt College we only provide the option to board from Grade 8 and above. While there are always exceptions, students younger than Grade 8 often crave more frequent time with their family of origin,” he said.<\/p>\n “A boarding environment can provide a valuable sense of belonging and an additional support structure to teens,” Somerset’s Tasmyn Jewell added.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is important to note, however, that with an increase in neurodiversity and extremely different abilities to integrate the sensory environment, some students find boarding overstimulating – especially at first.”<\/p>\n Cindi added that smaller hostels or boarding hoses are generally preferred, with a ratio of at least one teacher to fifteen students.<\/p>\n Tasmyn said that personal contacts are harder to maintain in larger institutions, with schools that provide boarding as an option having the advantage, as “day” students give the perks of large numbers while boarding houses remain relatively small and intimate.<\/p>\n Another concern amongst parents regards initiation processes.<\/p>\n \u201cOne should never blur the boundaries between the provision of healthy orientation and scaffolding, and outdated and highly destructive initiation practices, hazing and bullying,\u201d Tasmyn said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere should also be water-tight protocols in place, which are tirelessly implemented,\u201d Hilton added.<\/p>\n Cost\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Although boarding schools may have several benefits for students, they come with a large price tag.<\/p>\n In 2023, Hilton College is the most expensive boarding school in South Africa, with fees totalling R369,920.<\/p>\n This is significantly pricier than the most expensive day school in South Africa, Kearsney College, whose yearly fees total R224,620.<\/p>\n Although Somerset College is the 17th most expensive boarding school in South Africa, its yearly fees of R265,600 are R40,000 higher than Kearsney’s.<\/p>\n Following a fee hike in 2023, nine boarding schools in South Africa cost over R300,000 per year for boarding and tuition:<\/p>\n\n
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\n School<\/th>\n Location<\/th>\n 2022<\/th>\n 2023<\/th>\n Change<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Hilton<\/td>\n Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal<\/td>\n R343 155<\/td>\n R369 920<\/td>\n 7.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n MichaelHouse<\/td>\n Balgowan, KwaZulu-Natal<\/td>\n R328 000<\/td>\n R347 680<\/td>\n 6.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St Andrew’s College<\/td>\n Makhanda, Eastern Cape<\/td>\n R320 064<\/td>\n R340 869<\/td>\n 6.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Roedean School for Girls<\/td>\n Johannesburg, Gauteng<\/td>\n R310 994<\/td>\n R338 428<\/td>\n 8.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St John’s College<\/td>\n Johannesburg, Gauteng<\/td>\n R304 995<\/td>\n R331 091<\/td>\n 8.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Kearsney College<\/td>\n Botha’s Hill, KwaZulu-Natal<\/td>\n R303 710<\/td>\n R326 480<\/td>\n 7.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St Mary’s<\/td>\n Johannesburg, Gauteng<\/td>\n R293 050<\/td>\n R313 990<\/td>\n 7.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Bishops College<\/td>\n Cape Town, Western Cape<\/td>\n R289 700<\/td>\n R311 960<\/td>\n 7.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St Alban’s College<\/td>\n Pretoria, Gauteng<\/td>\n R287 850<\/td>\n R307 350<\/td>\n 6.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Diocesan School for Girls<\/td>\n Makhanda, Eastern Cape<\/td>\n R276 930<\/td>\n R299 100<\/td>\n 8.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St Andrew\u2019s School for Girls, Senderwood<\/td>\n Johannesburg, Gauteng<\/td>\n R287 850<\/td>\n R299 000<\/td>\n 3.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Kingswood College<\/td>\n Makhanda, Eastern Cape<\/td>\n R276 250<\/td>\n R292 710<\/td>\n 6.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St Stithians<\/td>\n Johannesburg, Gauteng<\/td>\n R277 830<\/td>\n R280 065<\/td>\n 0.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St Anne\u2019s Diocesan College<\/td>\n Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal<\/td>\n R252 420<\/td>\n R272 112<\/td>\n 7.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St David\u2019s Marist Inanda<\/td>\n Johannesburg, Gauteng<\/td>\n R259 100<\/td>\n R269 910<\/td>\n 4.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Crawford College North Coast<\/td>\n Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal<\/td>\n R248 020<\/td>\n R269 400<\/td>\n 8.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Somerset College<\/td>\n Stellenbosch, Western Cape<\/td>\n R248 300<\/td>\n R265 600<\/td>\n 7.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Bridge House<\/td>\n Franschhoek, Western Cape<\/td>\n R248 700<\/td>\n R264 600<\/td>\n 6.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Epworth High School for Girls<\/td>\n Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal<\/td>\n R224 727<\/td>\n R261 757<\/td>\n 16.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St Benedict\u2019s College<\/td>\n Johannesburg, Gauteng<\/td>\n R240 320<\/td>\n R260 670<\/td>\n 8.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Durban Girls\u2019 College<\/td>\n Durban, KwaZulu-Natal<\/td>\n R237 000<\/td>\n R255 700<\/td>\n 7.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Herschel Girls School<\/td>\n Cape Town, Western Cape<\/td>\n R237 700<\/td>\n R252 410<\/td>\n 6.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Treverton College<\/td>\n Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal<\/td>\n R234 960<\/td>\n R249 056<\/td>\n 6.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Uplands College<\/td>\n White River, Mpumalanga<\/td>\n R232 000<\/td>\n R247 500<\/td>\n 6.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St Charles College<\/td>\n Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal<\/td>\n R230 100<\/td>\n R243 900<\/td>\n 6.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n St Martin\u2019s College<\/td>\n Johannesburg, Gauteng<\/td>\n R249 210<\/td>\n R235 000<\/td>\n -5.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Woodridge College<\/td>\n Thornhill, Eastern Cape<\/td>\n R222 793<\/td>\n R229 389<\/td>\n 3.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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