Through The Eyes of Students, How Can International Boarding Schools Become a ‘Home Away from Home’? Exploring Lived Experiences of Boarding Students’ Transition Into an International Boarding School.

Abstract

This thesis explores the lived experiences of international boarding students at an elite boarding school in the UK and examines how such schools can become a ‘home away from home’. Existing literature is limited, often focusing on ex-boarders’ retrospective accounts, single-nationality groups, residential rather than boarding contexts or the negative consequences of boarding, with little attention to contemporary, real-time student voices. This study addresses this gap through a qualitative case study design, incorporating fifteen semi-structured interviews with students and an extensive document analysis of school policies, induction materials, handbooks, house guides, routines and government guidance. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, and findings were interpreted through Bowlby’s Attachment Theory to understand how students’ emotional and social needs are met within the boarding environment. Analysis identified four interrelated themes underpinning students’ sense of home: human attachments, time and space, prior preparation and positive attitude. Transition emerged as an ongoing process that intersects with each of these themes. Human attachments were identified as the central organising element, with the remaining themes shaping the conditions through which emotional security, belonging and resilience are developed. Document analysis revealed areas of both alignment and tension with these themes, highlighting strengths in routines and wellbeing policies alongside inconsistencies and reactive elements within some guidance. Interpreted through the lens of Attachment Theory, the findings underscore the foundational role of relational connections, with the other themes acting to support and reinforce these processes. The study concludes that international boarding schools can foster environments that feel like a ‘home away from home’ when attention is given to these interdependent themes and when school practices and policies are aligned with attachment-informed principles. The thesis offers recommendations for practice, including attachment-aware staff training, coherent induction and pre-arrival preparation, structured routines and spaces and fostering a positive attitude, making an important contribution to the contemporary debate on modern boarding education