This session discusses the myriad of options when it comes to bursaries and scholarships at Australian boarding schools. If there’s one theme that runs as a constant through any discussion on boarding school education, it’s how on earth do we pay for this? No-one likes talking about the financial side of things, but it’s one of the most important investments a family can make so it’s a vital conversation. Today, we’re going to take a deeper dive into scholarships and bursaries – the options, as well as who and importantly, how to approach.

• How do parents best approach schools? Do parents decide the shortlist of schools first, or is whoever offers the best deal?
• How do schools ensure that scholarships and bursaries reach the most deserving of students?
• Let’s be real… what are the ongoing expectations on the awardee when it comes to scholarships.
• Is there scope for schools to increase the breadth of scholarship and bursary options for our country students?
• Ensuring we explore ALL the options: ICPA, Federal Government

Panellists

• Myfanwy Stanfield, Ascham School (Sydney, NSW) Director Community Engagement & Senior Leadership
• Kate Kennedy, current parent of boarding student (Western Plains, NSW)
• Hon. Fiona Nash, Regional Education Commissioner
• Peter Horton, ex boarder parent (Central West NSW)
• Jennifer Cowley OAM, Facilitator

Ruby Riethmuller hosts a student panel and asks the following questions:

• Does the student feel the responsibility to recognise the opportunity the scholarship provides without having unrealistic expectations put on them?
• Do they have a commitment (or sense of) wanting to ‘give back’ through involvement in their school community or externally?
• Are they proud of their scholarship or bursary and being a country boarder at their school?

Panellists:

• Ruby Riethmuller, Founder & Director of Womn-Kind (Facilitator)
• Ned Kennedy, The King’s School, (Sydney NSW)
• Fiona Martin, former student, Kincoppal – Rose Bay School (Sydney NSW)

In this discussion, we’ll explore the concerns many potential boarding school parents and students have when faced with the question of coping in a new academic environment. There is often a concern, particularly when a student is coming from a remote school situation where perhaps academic exercise isn’t as rigorous – will they be able to keep up? Will they be able to cope? What are the expectations? What will be the emotional impact? Are those concerns really warranted?

• Is parental concern warranted? Just how important is academic prowess to the emotional wellbeing of a new boarder?
• What support mechanisms are in place at boarding schools to lift our country students once they arrive?
• How best can parents prepare their child for the big step that is secondary education at boarding school?
• How do schools best identify what a student is capable of academically?
• How do schools and parents work together to give a student a love of learning?

Panellists:

• Jasmine Palmer, Abbotsleigh (Sydney, NSW), Acting Head of Boarding, Director of Co-Curricular
• Lisa Chalmers, Barker College (Sydney, NSW) Director of Health & Wellbeing
• Dr Lisa Fahey OAM, Psychologist and founding director of Quovus
• Ruby Riethmuller, Founder & Director of Womn-Kind
• Jennifer Cowley OAM, Facilitator

Ruby Riethmuller hosts a student panel and asks the following questions:

• Describe the feeling of going to boarding school (fear?) when you’re in primary school – did they have a sense of overwhelm at the thought?

• Have they any advice for parents to help them manage that weight of trepidation in the lead up to going to boarding school?

• What can schools do to best support new country boarders both academically and emotionally?

Panellists:

• Ruby Riethmuller, Founder & Director of Womn-Kind (Facilitator)
• Nell Owen, Abbotsleigh (Sydney, NSW)
• Genevieve Smith, Abbotsleigh (Sydney, NSW)
• Jasper Brooker, Haileybury Rendall School (Darwin, NT)
• Daisy Timmins-Bartlett, Calrossy Anglican School, (Tamworth, NSW)

In this discussion, we’re going to be exploring whether indeed size does actually matter when it comes to boarding schools – and we’re including this topic because we so often hear perceptions of whether big is better, or whether good things come in small packages in terms of boarding cohorts. And often, those opinions are misconceptions based on what others’ experiences have been. So this session is about mythbusting to a degree.

• Benefits of both ? Big boarding vs smaller boarding cohorts.
• Dispelling some of the myths about small boarding numbers.
• How does a parent best identify what their child is best suited to ? Big or small ?
• The tools that staff have in their training to support their cohorts of boarders.

Panellists:

• Richard Stokes, Australian Boarding Schools Association CEO, (Brisbane, QLD)
• Nonie Ayling, Wenona School (Sydney, NSW)Head of Boarding
• Kyle Thompson, Principal, Scots PGC College (Warwick, QLD)
• Rebecca Heath, Current Boarder Parent from Loreto Normanhurst
• Jennifer Cowley OAM, Facilitator