Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2008 | Page 61

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returning to the boarding
house for supper and prep.
After the quietness of prep,
the house suddenly becomes
alive with the sound of happy,
lively children. There are
many activities on offer each
evening and the camaraderie,
which is at the forefront of
any house event, is always
a pleasure to see. As the
younger members of the house
begin to prepare for bed, the
older pupils emerge from their
rooms, having completed an
often lengthy session of prep,
and head to the kitchen to
meet up for snacks and light
hearted conversation about
their day.
Maintaining good contact
with pupils and parents,
whether past or present, is a
significant and very enjoyable
part of my role, even though
one rang me on Christmas Day
to discuss beginning of term
arrangements! A testament to
the wonderful memories, which
the BBC invokes for so many
pupils, is the steady stream of
Old Boys and Girls who revisit
many years after they have
left. These long and lasting
relationships make the job
worthwhile.
As our recent Ofsted report
concluded, we provide an
'outstanding' boarding
provision for those in our care.

life

The children who are lucky
enough to attend Ryde School,
and particularly, the members
of the boarding community,
experience a wonderful
environment in which to grow
and learn; as I walked to
breakfast this morning, the sun
glistening on the sparkling sea,
I could hear in the distance
the sounds of youngsters
chattering excitedly about the
day ahead.

Nicholas Williams (Head of House)
" I joined Bembridge
boarding campus when
I was eight years old.
The first day was full
of mixed emotions, as
there was excitement,
fear, and a slight sense
of unknowing. My
first memory of the
boarding house was
going out onto the
field to play football
with two of the older
members of the
boarding community.
They made sure that

www.wightfrog.com/islandlife

I felt cheerful and
secure. They were a lot
older than I was, and it
underlines the sense of
community in the way
I was accepted and
made to feel welcome.
I am now in my ninth
year at the boarding
house, and I still
enjoy every day. The
sense of community is
colossal and the pupil
staff relationships
are excellent. There is
always somebody to

talk to if it has not been
the best of days, as well
as someone with whom
to share achievement