to make a demarcation as you cross the threshold into the boarding house,’ he says. ‘My persona is different in my teaching role to how it is in my boarding house role. Mr Davidson the teacher is different to Mr Davidson the housemaster, and I show my softer side more in the house.’ (I feel it is necessary to add that Mr Davidson is one of the least scary teachers I have ever come across so I find this statement slightly humorous.) He clarifies by saying that ‘you understand that the boarders under your care need to speak to you about personal and emotional matters, and as a housemaster you have to inhabit that sort of role. The boys need to feel that the house is their home, and not just another building in the school.’ Moving to the UK for the first time and living without your parents is difficult, and the housemasters believe it is of the utmost importance that they feel comfortable and settled as quickly as possible. Mr Davidson tells me: ‘When they first arrive, we have an induction programme that hopefully helps them settle in very quickly. This in- volves a number of trips. For example, we visit Go Ape at Leeds Castle, which is a good team-bonding experience. We also have a trip to the London Eye and a river cruise on the Thames as well as more low-key in-house events where they can mix and mingle with each other.’ He tells me about the prefect body who help mentor the new boys and provide pastoral and emotional support. ‘We also have a system where we partner new boarders up with a day boy in their form, which helps them integrate into the day school side of things.’ He understands that there is a temptation to keep yourself to yourself when in an unfa- miliar environment, so a lot is done to get the boys out of their rooms and into each others’ company. Getting used to boarding is bound to be a rocky process, but I believe that the school does an exemplary job in making the lives of new boarders as comfortable and happy as possible. Boarders live in a nurturing environ- ment, run by kind people whose aim is to help them de- velop a sense of shared belonging, while, equally, being afforded a great sense of independence. Mr Davidson notes that boarders often have more freedom than day boys, and are not confined to the house, being allowed to explore Dulwich and London more widely. My exploration of boarding has proved to be much more enlightening than I could have ever imagined, and I come out of it with a newfound appreciation for everyone in the boarding house who works hard to make the lives of boarders as happy and fulfilling as possible. ◉
I ask Michael how he settled in. He tells me: ‘At first I was worried because boarding was new to me but the housemasters gave a very welcoming impression. Also, my friends helped me to settle in and quickly I became a typical boarding guy.’ I go on to ask him about life in the boarding house. ‘Every night we go to the gym and play table tennis in the Link, and that’s the most fun part,’ he replies. The boarding houses contain communal areas aplenty. Each house has a TV room, with Blew even having a PS5. (Michael tells me they enjoy a good mix of fun and competition playing NBA 2K.) He also tells me about the numerous trips avail- able for the boarders: ‘I like to participate in most trips. After the half term, there will be a tourist trip of London which helps me learn more about the city.’
It is clear to me that boarders are not bored
It is clear to me that boarders are not bored (excuse the pun) and can take part in many activities inside and out- side the house. There is also a great sense of camaraderie (nearly all the boarders I see are talking or playing games with each other) and they are given a sense of collective responsibility: they are allowed, for example, to cook their own meals in the boarding house kitchens. Mr Davidson is the housemaster of Blew. He is also my Geography teacher (nepotism always works) and I manage to interview him at the departure gate for our homeward-bound flight from Vienna (we are coming back from the joint day boy–boarders’ ski trip). Mimicking TikTok’s finest reporters I ask him to describe Blew House in two sentences. ‘A happy home from home,’ he answers (someone’s been studying the prospectus) and ‘a place that embraces this international side of the College. It really contributes to the rich tapestry of Dulwich life.’ He tells me that, personally, he enjoys the feeling of having an extended family. ‘I have an eight-year-old and a ten- year-old and it’s like they have 40 older brothers who they get to know. That contributes to our family life and the upbringing of both my family and theirs as well.’ He is also quick to add that the boarding house is ‘not a bed and breakfast’ and is rather ‘an experience that helps them embrace the culture of the UK and our education system’. I was interested in how he manages to maintain a balance between home life and school life. ‘We try
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