Attending a military boarding school has many benefits and is one of the most effective ways to gain essential leadership skills and qualities which help prepare children for life beyond the classroom. Taunton School has a long and proud history of supporting military families and understanding and empathising with their specific circumstances and requirements
In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits Taunton School can offer to military families and how military boarding schools can help develop leadership skills and interpersonal skills.
What are the benefits of my child attending a military boarding school?
As military families often find themselves regularly moving or traveling, children can be faced with lots of disruption to their lives. Boarding schools for military families offer children a consistent and stable environment to make friends and learn. This often leads to better academic results in our broad curriculum. With access to highly qualified teachers and facilities, military boarders do not have to worry about exam seasons and curriculums being disrupted by frequent movement between schools.
At Taunton School, we pride ourselves on our wraparound pastoral care and understand how important this is for military families. Your child will be supported throughout their transition into boarding and their whole time with us, so parents can rest in the knowledge that their child is safe and happy.
We have a long history of providing a home-from-home for military children and are located near RM Norton Manor (2 miles away) and RNAS Yeovilton (27 miles away), and a short drive from the military bases near Salisbury.
Discover more of the benefits of military boarding >
How can a military boarding school help develop leadership skills in my child?
At Taunton School, we challenge and support our students every day to be the best versions of themselves by encouraging and developing their skills. Leadership is one of the key areas that we help to develop as we believe students will use these skills for the rest of their lives.
We have a long-established Combined Cadet Force (CCF) programme at the school which is compulsory for Year 10 students and optional for Year 12 and 13. The primary aim of CCF is to enable students to develop qualities of leadership, discipline, and organisation which will stand them in good stead for higher education and beyond. The provision also offers unique experiences such as learning to sail or gaining a flying qualification.
Learn more about the Combined Cadet Force at Taunton School >
We have more than 100 teams across 20 sports at the school, including cricket, netball, tennis, hockey, squash, swimming, rugby, and more. Being part of a sports team naturally lends itself to leadership development and the level of commitment and skill our teams possess echoes this even further.
From their first day at Taunton School, pupils are taught that it’s okay to speak their minds, to be themselves and to be curious. When students are surrounded by the same group of peers throughout their school journey, it makes it easier for them to feel comfortable to do this.
How can a military boarding school help develop soft or interpersonal skills in my child?
Soft skills, or interpersonal skills, are just as important as leadership skills in our opinion. These include communication, adaptability, decision-making, creativity, persuasion, and emotional intelligence, all important qualities to take into higher education and adult life.
As well as the CCF, we have more than 150 co-curricular clubs for students to enjoy, including debating, philosophy, computer programming, volunteering, green power, Dungeons & Dragons, orchestra, rock band, and many, many more. Each of these clubs help to foster difficult skillsets with many of these being soft skills, including teamwork, empathy, and patience.
Being part of a boarding school, students have more time to spend taking part in co-curricular activities which also means they can gain more from them. The lack of change and disruption to their lives means students can be part of a club or society for as long as they like, helping them to really get to know the topic and feel comfortable voicing their opinions and ideas which will naturally increase their confidence in other environments, including the classroom and their school house.
Military boarding options at Taunton School
While the majority of our military boarders are with us on a full-time basis, we also offer flexible options to accommodate different requirements such as weekly boarding and flexiboarding. We offer substantial support to families in receipt of Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) looking for full-time boarding.
Learn more about the continuity of education allowance >
Across our 56-acre campus, we have six boarding houses (five for senior students and one for prep pupils) which provide a homely environment for children aged 7-18 all on one campus (meaning boarding siblings can see each other every day), plus modern facilities including two swimming pools, sports pitches, a theatre, a dance studio, ICT suites, libraries, nutritious and delicious daily meals using local produce wherever possible plus provisions for different dietary needs, and much more.
At Taunton School, we offer a range of boarding options:
- Flexible boarding – on a nightly, ad-hoc basis
- Weekly boarding – students board during the week and then go home for the weekend
- Full-time boarding – students board every night during term time, including weekends
All boarding and day students are given a house for their whole educational journey, split by gender and age, ensuring a real sense of belonging that offers the familiarity, consistency, support and care of a family environment. Our unique house system means students can quickly form natural bonds with one another that often last a lifetime.
Attending a military boarding school offers a wide range of benefits and is often the best choice for you and your child. Please get in touch with our admissions team at registrar@tauntonschool.co.uk or learn more about boarding at Taunton School. If you would like to see our campus for yourself, we warmly invite you to book a visit.
Read Next:
The benefits of attending a boarding school >
What to expect at an independent school open day >
