What makes a good boarding school? – James Johnson, Headmaster, Taunton School

07 Apr 2025

What makes a good boarding school?

Integrity and humility, independence and ambition are just some of the qualities excellent boarding will bestow on its pupils. James Johnson, Headmaster of Taunton School, explains more.

Many key ingredients need to come together to create an excellent boarding experience. A school where students also live is at once a place of inspirational learning and a child’s second home. It is where daily classroom demands and deadlines have to be balanced with space to unwind and time to explore extracurricular interests.

That’s why boarding provides a unique educational experience. At its best, boarding gives pupils an exceptional opportunity to discover their true potential in a nurturing, supportive environment. But how can a parent assess whether a school is not only doing a great job, but is also the right one for their child? At Taunton School we have worked hard to define what it is we do well and to ensure we continue delivering the high-quality education our parents expect.

We believe there are four key ‘pillars’ underpinning everything we do and which prospective parents might find useful to ask as they search for the right school.

They are as follows:

• Does a school foster a culture of ambition?
• Does it cultivate a mindset for life?
• Do pupils feel a sense of belonging to a school community?
• Does the school embrace a global outlook?

Every boarding school is different, but essentially students will thrive academically, socially and emotionally if a school is delivering across these key categories.

At Taunton School, with its nursery, pre-prep, prep, senior and international schools on the same site, we have a large boarding community of 450 pupils with very different needs. For many of our pupils it is often the whole family’s first experience of boarding. Parents need as much regular contact and reassurance from committed house staff as their children.

Adapting to life in the UK for our international students is not just about mastering English, but getting to grips with a new culture, its quirks and traditions. Staff go the extra mile to make sure pupils do not become homesick and instead settle in to a welcoming and inclusive family, rooted in kindness and compassion.

Given that a boarding school is a pupil’s home-from-home, access to a wide choice of extra-curricular activities is imperative to fill the hours outside the classroom and allow students the freedom to find their true selves.

Whether it is on the sports pitches, on the stage, or in the music room, extracurricular activities after school and at the weekend help build a sense of belonging and develop resilience in the long term.

We have 150 extra-curricular clubs at Taunton School. This wealth of opportunities unearths passions and hidden potential, weaving strong connections across our community – connections which last long after leaving school. Whatever a child’s story and their background, boarding schools should be special places where diverse communities come together to make a greater and more powerful collective.

At their heart should be an outstanding pastoral care system. Students should feel supported by housemasters and mistresses, their teachers and counsellors in a wraparound approach. This enables them to thrive fully in the knowledge that there is always someone to turn to.

Of course, the best way to find out if a school is measuring up to the promises of its prospectus is to visit. For some parents, just walking through the front door is enough to convince them they have found the right school for their child – or not, as the case may be.

There is no doubt that an inspiring learning environment which celebrates each individual child is a compelling offer. Talking to students and observing how they interact with one another and with all staff – from the catering team to the headteacher – will tell you a lot about a school. Do the children show respect for all members of their community? Are the boarding houses warm and welcoming the teachers calm and engaged?

While schools might not be able to itemise the exact ingredients of a great boarding experience, the proof that their approach is working is in the students themselves. Integrity and humility, independence and ambition are just some of the qualities excellent boarding will bestow on its pupils, creating well-rounded individuals who make a positive impact on the world.

 

James became Headmaster of Taunton School in September 2022, having previously been Head of Senior School at Ardingly College, Sussex. He has spent more than 20 years working in boarding schools, firstly as an English teacher and boarding tutor at Cheltenham College, then as a Housemaster at Tonbridge School in Kent, before joining Ardingly in 2016.

 

Taunton School, Somerset