Pedagogical devices as children’s social care levers: A study of social care workers’ attitudes towards boarding schools to care for and educate children in need

Abstract

It has been proposed that boarding schools in England can be used to provide a stable education and care environment for vulnerable children in need, and the government is expanding their use. However, for vulnerable children to be placed in boarding schools, social workers will need to be willing to contemplate boarding as a viable care option. In this study we interviewed N = 21 social care practitioners including directors, senior and middle managers, frontline social workers, social worker-academics and family support workers who work with vulnerable children. Using thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews, seven major themes identified a range of issues and concerns held by social care workers about placing vulnerable children in boarding schools. We present these themes and consider the issues that will have to be addressed prior to changes in policy and practice. The study concludes that many of those within the social work profession are unlikely to consider boarding as an intervention for children in need. Further research in this area is a matter of urgency.

The Psychological Impact of Sending Children Away to Boarding Schools in Britain: Is there Cause for Concern?

“…While boarding schools may now have counsellors and modern amenities, it is the separation and rejection, fear, anxiety and the increased likelihood of experiencing abuse and other traumas that are shown to have a detrimental effect on the mental health of boarding students well into adulthood (Duffell & Bassett, 2016, Faulkner, 2020. In the absence of evidence to the contrary we are left with the fact that children being separated from their families is not supported by any child development theory (Duffell & Bassett, 2016) and is considered the last resort by the social care system in Britain (Murphy et al, 2020). NOTES 1.…”

“…The substitute family could foster an intense loyalty to the school, to the team and to the house in which they lived (Morrell, 1994; Hodges, Sheffield & Ralph, 2013). For some, this provided an enduring sense of security, community, camaraderie and identity (Lambert, 1968); for others, a welcome respite from home (Murphy et al ., 2020). While not wishing to lose sight of these facts, we must also acknowledge those who were mistreated (Schaverien, 2015).…”

“…In fact, it is deemed an essential constituent of identity formation (Blau & Blau, 2021). Lacking the physical presence and safety of parental figures, children in boarding schools may experience issues with identity and a sense of belonging (Murphy et al ., 2020).…”

“…An extensive study of boarding and day students found that boarders scored modestly higher in 'meaning and purpose, life satisfaction' and 'parent relations', although also scoring higher on maladaptive motivation and emotional instability (Martin et al, 2014(Martin et al, , p. 1035. Furthermore, where a child lacks a sense of basic safety and security at home, in the case of domestic abuse for example, it is understandable that a boarding environment may provide this security (Murphy et al, 2020). However, when it comes to the psychological well-being of boarding school students, the literature is scarce and non-specific.…”

Perfectly accomplished? Biographical trajectories and the production of inequality among exclusive boarding school alumni in Germany

“…The few studies that have been conducted have suggested that the schools can 'be described as "total institutions" that provide through both formal and "hidden" curricula, a strong secondary socialisation model for students that will decisively influence their public and private adult life' (Faguer, 1991, as cited in van Zanten, 2009Gaztambide-Fernández, 2009a;Khan, 2011). In addition, a counternarrative is emerging 'concerned with the significant harm and damage done to the emotional and psychological development of some children that attend boarding schools' (Murphy et al, 2020(Murphy et al, , p. 1317cf. Schaverien, 2015).…”