How Day Students are benefitting from life in our vibrant School.

Director of Day House Strategy, Andrew Chessell, shared his insights on the importance of fully integrating Day Students into the vibrant life of our Secondary School. The article was shared on LinkedIn and can be found here.

I have a question. How have you ensured your day students have truly ‘belonged’ and have benefitted from engaging in the richer, wider life of the boarding school environment?

The joy of overseeing day students in a boarding school environment is watching them thrive as they benefit from all the facilities and resources that such communities can bring to bear for the students in their charge. Only this week I have had the pleasure of watching day students fiercely compete in the inter-house football competition at Kolej Tuanku Ja'afar (KTJ). Last Saturday the junior day students hosted their parents, played outdoor games (the parents were amongst the most fiercely competitive) whilst enjoying great Mexican food served from a curb side canteen. At the same time the Senior Day students bonded over team building exercises in the sports hall before snacking on popcorn as they watched Top Gun in the school auditorium. Their choice, much to my delight.

A couple of weeks earlier in the term we had the House Singing Competition, a fun-packed evening of entertainment, the likes of which I know is enjoyed in schools the world over and certainly in my last school, Rugby School, UK, where I was lucky enough to be the Housemaster of their wonderful boys’ Day House for seven years, during a time when a new facility was planned and delivered, and the house grew in size from 65 to 115 students.

But the question I have often been asked is, ‘How can day students really be a part of such a school. They go home when all the fun starts, don’t they?’ Well, I believe they can if our messaging is clear and if we provide the right support, systems and facilities. It is something we are thinking very hard about at KTJ. Everything the boarders have but the beds is the goal.

Of course, being a day student in a busy, bustling environment does have its challenges. Sometimes staff in boarding schools (and I certainly used to be guilty of this myself in a former life when I was an Artistic Director) decide to make a last-minute change to the schedule. Easy if you are walking from your school house, five minutes away. More difficult if home is a 45-minute drive. Start times and finish times, of no import when you live on site, but vital intel if you are a harassed parent who needs to know if they can finish that food shop before getting to the school, can be easily overlooked and not put in the calendar. Small things in themselves, but they can quickly add up and risk alienating an important element of a school community if overlooked.

If you work in a boarding school with a day element, I wonder how you have ensured your day students have truly ‘belonged’ and have really benefited from engaging in the wider life of the school?  What changes have you made to shapes of the day, transport, communications, websites? And have you had initiatives that have reaped true reward?

With a newly established Day House this year at KTJ, we have started with a dedicated tutor team that keeps the house open from early to late, encouraging students to stay. The message is; 'Our doors are open'. Day students can now also benefit from three meals a day as part of their offer, just like the boarders (starting by feeding them first seemed a good plan!). We are also seeking to deepen parental engagement, too. In addition to the aforementioned parent event, we recently held coffee mornings to meet and greet and above all listen to their experience of the school as KTJ day parents. There is much to learn from them. For me it was the beginning of a parent partnership that I know is all important if we are to ensure this venture is a success.

Please do share your views on the challenges of providing for the needs of day students in a boarding context. I am sure we could all learn from each other. I would love to hear about your experiences, and I would happily answer any questions you may have for me in my role as Director of Day Strategy at KTJ.

Written by Andrew Chessell, Director of Day House Strategy