There are 42 international boarders at Fyling Hall, but what actually happens to them over the holidays? Well, would you believe that many are not travelling home for the holiday? For some students home is over 13 hours away, and the expense of travelling home for only a few days is too much. Mr Mayne, who may actually have the furthest to travel home, tells us that it takes him around 2 days to get home to his family in Australia. By the time he got there it would be time to come back again! As a result, many students are looking forward to mini breaks right here in the UK or visiting friends and family closer to school.

Stephanie is meeting her dad in London, for some shopping and maybe an educational trip. It won’t be until Easter that she goes home to China, which doesn’t really bother her except she is missing traditional Chinese noodles. The opportunity to go to London is exciting as there is a fantastic Chinatown and she says she will spend all of her time there easting noodles and stocking up on her favourites.

It is also lovely to hear that some new friends are going away together over the half term break, taking trips to London together or visiting each other’s families too.

Samuel is looking forward to joining a rugby club in Liverpool where he is visiting for half term with a guardian. He has already picked out a gym to train at too. Samuel tells me that Keith, his guardian, is a Scouser, and they often laugh about the Yorkshire accent Samuel is developing.

Anisia is meeting her parents in Malta to go swimming and enjoy some hotter weather! Originally from the Ukraine, Anisia’s family are using the English half term to enjoy some relaxing time together. We are also welcoming some of our international parents to the UK as some families come to collect their children and use the week to explore the local area and enjoy the historical sites.

One student who is travelling home is Giorgi, who will travel via Germany to Georgia. He wants to spend as much time as possible with his family, enjoying home cooked food and catching up after 8 weeks away.

Whatever our boarders are doing, we are all excited for the half term. Safe travels to all our pupils and we look forward to seeing you all back in November!

Lizzie Jeeves

Head of Drama and English as a Second Language