Everyone who works at Fyling Hall realistically has only one job: to make the pupils in their care feel comfortable and happy. After all, ‘the days that make us happy make us wise.’ While this goal can be achieved in our classrooms, during breaktime and through afterschool activities, the pupils who are at the heart of our school are our boarders. They are the lifeblood of Fyling Hall because they never clock off, they are the pupils who embrace every facet of school life. When I was at boarding school the head of boarding always said that: ‘boarders are the heart of the school, so when the boarding community is happy the school is in good stead.’ I believe this is the case for a majority of boarding schools worldwide, and Fyling Hall is no exception.

But the question ‘what makes a boarder happy’ is a tough one. A lot of people may say it’s all about facilities- a comfortable bed, hot showers and good food. These are a given at boarding schools, but I don’t think they are what make people truly happy, because if that was the case, no one would ever enjoy camping. I think at Fyling Hall, what makes our boarders happy above all things is the internal sense of belonging, the feeling that they are a part of one massive family and the knowledge that they can call this incredible school home.

I remember very vividly the first time I laid back on my bed at boarding school and thought ‘this is home.’ Each and every pupil who attends Fyling Hall as a boarder faces different challenges and takes their own time to feel truly at home. With this feeling of belonging comes a deeper, truer happiness from within. It is a feeling that I believe all of our boarders have already come across this year. This unanimous feeling of happiness that is created and fostered in the boarding community can be attributed to the hard work of all the staff involved boarding life. It also speaks volumes for the type of pupils we have in boarding this year, hailing from more than twelve countries across the globe. They represent a multitude ethnicities, cultures and religions. Yet they are united by one thing above all else: they call Fyling Hall home, and they are happy.

Mr Mayne (House Master)