‘By offering a flexible boarding scheme, parents can be reassured that they can bank personal time, be it for work or leisure, knowing that their children will share in an amazing extended family experience and make life-long friends.’ Says Headmaster Ian Murphy

Great British Life:

The harsh reality of modern life is that we constantly have to juggle our wants and needs, and more often than not, we end up feeling that if we’re very lucky, we have managed to displease everyone equally. We want the dream home and country idyll, yet we want the social and cultural opportunities that city-life bring. We want the children to learn the piano, have the horse-riding lessons and achieve academically, yet we don’t need the endless taxi servicing, the interviewing nannies and trawling through school league tables. We want to be personally fulfilled in our careers and relationships and be the best parents we can be, yet we need to invest in our workselves to make much of that happen.

So what if the nanny could be swapped for not just one, but a whole community of experienced resident professionals, who can teach the violin, take your children horse-riding and educate them? What if when that meeting runs into the evening, or you need to spend quality time with your best beloved, you could, with a simple phone call, give your children all the wonderful experiences you wish for them, with friends, for less than a two week activity holiday?

Nestling between Bath and Bristol, there is such a place. Al Hallows Preparatory School is long established as a day and boarding school. It sits in beautiful grounds high in the Mendip Hills – rural idyll – check! Castle Cary station a convenient ten minutes drive away means an easy commute to London – check! An incredible place for your child to learn, laugh and live – check! And All Hallows is encouraging parents to take a very fresh look at boarding and the benefits and flexibility it now brings.

All Hallows has been through many metamorphoses in its time. Originally a private family home, it has been a war time hospital, a maternity unit, and now nurtures the future by offering families the chance to juggle fewer balls and enjoy the good things in life in a way that supports not only the children but also the families. By offering a flexible boarding scheme, parents can be reassured that they can bank personal time, be it for work or leisure, knowing that their children will share in an amazing extended family experience and make life-long friends. Because the resident staff and their families live in the Manor House all year, the school is home, first, last and always. When the pressures of work lead us further afield, the stability of familiar faces and surroundings is invaluable to keep children settled and happy children learn better – check!

As Headmaster Ian Murphy explains, “All Hallows is a vibrant, thriving community and a wonderful pace to learn, live, love and grow, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” (And he should know - he and his family live there too). “By offering parents an affordable, flexible boarding solution, All Hallows can harmonise parents’ best interests for their children with the needs of a Twenty-first Century education.

Many families are already benefitting from this flexible approach – dipping in and out of boarding as their lifestyle and family needs dictates.

So, is there another way? All Hallows thinks so…

This article appeared in the Spring issue of the A+ Education Guide South West. Click here to see the whole magazine.