As we continue travelling throughout regional New South Wales and Queensland for our Boarding Schools Expo events, we’re revisiting some of the conversations from the vault that continue to resonate deeply with families researching boarding school.
This week’s episode with Amy Clark is one of those conversations.
Amy is a rural mum of three boys living between Walcha and Bendemeer in northern NSW. But unlike many boarding school families, Amy did not grow up in the boarding world herself. She grew up in Sydney before agriculture, nursing and family life led her to rural Australia.
What unfolds in this episode is such an honest reflection of the questions many rural and regional parents quietly wrestle with.
What happens when there actually is a local high school nearby… but you still wonder whether your children might need broader opportunities? How do you weigh up community loyalty, logistics, sport, subject choices, friendships and future pathways? And how do you navigate a boarding school system when you have no lived experience of it yourself?
Amy speaks openly about the research process, attending boarding school expos, touring schools, trying to find the right fit for three very different boys, and the importance of connection, belonging and community within a school environment.
She also touches on something many rural families understand deeply – the juggle of parenting largely solo during busy farming seasons, the exhaustion of long-distance logistics, and the reality that sometimes boarding school becomes less about prestige and more about sustainability for the whole family.
This is a warm, thoughtful and incredibly reassuring conversation for families currently exploring their options. Especially those wondering if it’s okay to consider boarding school even when a local option exists.
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