BOARDING DURING LOCKDOWN
“Kindness makes our House a home” Mr Mercer, Housemaster Old Vic
For a large number of our pupils, a Warminster education includes our highly regarded boarding offering. As this third lockdown came into action, Warminster had already welcomed back a number of our boarding community in preparation for the new term and plans were quickly and effectively put into place to ensure their ‘home from home’ with us remained exactly that, for however long this latest scenario is in place.
One of our many military families who are continuing to juggle working full time with deployments in and around the UK, the uncertainty of another lockdown presented them with additional concerns. Mrs Ison, shares their recent experiences, “Warminster once again supported us, the amazing boarding staff quickly planned a COVID compliant way for our children to return to their second homes, our son often calls Old Vic his other house. Knowing our child is in a safe and loving environment, with house parents who only want the best for him and can now support his virtual learning as well as his pastoral care, has prevented much heartache for all of us. I think the best way to explain why we love Warminster and know we made the right choice, is this, when I asked our son if he wanted to return to Old Vic during the lockdown, he replied, ‘Can we go today?”
Our Assistant Head Pastoral Care & Boarding, Mrs Sarah Shanks, is keen to explain our ethos, “Put simply, Warminster’s approach to boarding is that we provide a second home for our pupils, with all 5 of our Houses run by dedicated and talented staff, who truly get to know each and every child as an individual. We seek to nurture key qualities such as integrity and compassion.” This focus on kindness is at the core of our boarding community life. Mr Jonathan Mercer, Housemaster of Old Vic, explains, “The boys, their parents, and the staff all work together to look after each other and help each other. We see this kindness in everything we do, and it has never been more important than during the pandemic. Kindness makes our House a home, and has allowed the children to thrive, feel safe, and cared for, despite lockdown and being away from home. Because of this, their parents can do their essential work, helping us move past lockdown, knowing their children are nurtured and supported.”
Here at Warminster, educating and supporting our pupils whether here on campus or reaching out into the homes of families around the world, is what we do best. “Providing the best for your child is what every parent strives to do and during a worldwide pandemic that has tested everyone mentally, physically, and emotionally, at times the best has been hard to achieve,” acknowledges Mrs Ison, “Luckily, we have the great fortune of being part of the Warminster School community and are grateful for the comfort this offers in uncertain times.”