Healthcare gets five stars at private schools

Most pupils are anxious when they start a new school so introducing them to the counsellor can be very beneficial
Jackie Cox, counsellor, St Paul’s School for Girls, London 

At Haileybury school, near Hertford, a sprained ankle sustained on the rugby field or hockey pitch can be swiftly treated at the fully-equipped on-site NHS surgery, which is staffed by six nurses, a physiotherapist and male and female doctors. This is representative of a growing number of boarding schools, which have embraced the most modern approaches to physical and emotional care for their pupils and have turned the traditional image of grim matrons in cold, spartan sanatoriums into a cliché.

Haileybury is an independent school with 754 pupils, 500 of whom are boarders. Jo Newton manages the health centre and has witnessed first-hand how the welfare of pupils has moved on in recent years. 

“All the pupils have a medical when they arrive, where they can discuss health issues confidentially,” says Jo. “The health centre provides round-the-clock care and we aim to combine the values of a traditional school sanatorium with the progressive approach of a modern medical centre.

"We have ten girls' and eight boys' beds, the resident medical officer is available six days a week and any pupils who are unable to attend lessons are looked after by qualified nursing staff,” she says, adding, “With a full sports programme, we also provide a physiotherapist three afternoons per week and a sports injury consultant once a week.”

Five-star facilities

Hilary Moriarty, National Director of the Boarding Schools' Association, regularly visits the 150 member schools. “One of the best is at The Royal Hospital School, Ipswich, where there are individual rooms for youngsters who are unwell, plus others for the physiotherapist and school counsellor. But, the real star turn is the fully equipped dental surgery, which a dentist visits every week. 

“Not all schools have such extensive accommodation, but all have moved with the times,” says Hilary. “The ‘san’ has been replaced by a health centre and qualified medical staff, who can access all the local health authority's services.”

Staff at good boarding schools are highly trained and keep abreast of advances in how to address health issues. The Boarding Schools' Association offers training and advice. “Almost 150 matrons and medical staff from member schools regularly attend three-day conferences during the holidays that address various health issues. This summer we looked at normal and abnormal puberty, sexual health and appropriate counselling skills in cases of critical incidents,” says Hilary.

Children’s counsellors

While many children enjoy their time at boarding school, there’s no doubt that at some stage they may wish to discuss issues such as homesickness, exam pressure, puberty or fall-outs with friends. Many boarding schools have school counsellors who pupils can talk to in confidence.

Jackie Cox, a highly trained counsellor, has worked at Harrow school for nearly 15 years and recently joined the staff at St Paul's School for Girls in London. “Most pupils are anxious when they start a new school so introducing them to the counsellor can be very beneficial,” says Jackie.

“Their problems vary depending on their age and, with girls, are initially about friendship. Both girls and boys may find it hard to cope with the workload – my job then is to reassure them that they'll get through it. As they become adults, their problems become those of sex, sexuality or sexual identity. I think it's important that they realise that change brings crisis, but that crises represent opportunities for us to learn life skills, and coping skills are important to everyone,” she admits, cheerfully.

What happens in an emergency

Many parents worry about medical emergencies but all boarding schools follow a strict set of procedures. In general, the health centre staff make all the arrangements, such as transfer to hospital, while the housemaster, who is in loco parentis, contacts the parents and accompanies the pupil, with the resident medical officer, until they arrive.

“Schools contact the emergency services just like a parent but are in a better position because there's usually a qualified nurse on site, who can decide what's required,” says Hilary Moriarty. “The air ambulance has even been called to sporting accidents if that's the quickest way to get someone to hospital.”

If you have any doubts or concerns about your child’s welfare at boarding school, staff should be more than happy to discuss these when you visit. A tour of the facilities and meeting the nursing or welfare staff will offer the chance to discuss any specific health requirements or procedures, and should put your mind at rest.

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School counsellors

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