In early January, as the snow around school buildings nationwide began to thaw, with roads at last getting back to normal, thousands of schools around the UK were re-opening, with teenagers returning to their textbooks and spring examinations. At Kent College, however, filled with booted, laughing young women, sharing Christmas stories and flinging the last few snowballs of the cold spell, they never closed.

Choosing a boarding school for aspiring children means choosing a 24/7 community and an extended family; even if a student is a day pupil.

While other schools left the answer phone on and had an extended holiday – albeit enforced and unwanted – the resident staff and pupils at Kent College enjoyed a really special time together. Sixth formers set quizzes for the younger girls, the small children of the on-site families had snowball battles with prefects and, at one point, the Housemistress with the most reliable four by four was dispatched for Chinese take-away for almost 100 people, though not because the catering staff were unavailable, they had been working all week, but because that’s the kind of treat any family might have on a Sunday evening.

At Kent College only a quarter of the girls board but their mission statement places boarding at the heart of their ethos. Having resident heads for both the prep and senior school, a resident bursar, and families running the boarding houses, not only adds to the community feel of the school, but also means that they are together to make decisions in times of difficulty and have resources to support day students that non-boarding schools may lack. Like many boarding schools, girls taking public exams were able to sleep in at Kent College rather than risk being late and A-level biology was taught on a Sunday afternoon for anyone who was unavailable during lesson time; there are always staff here and opening up is never a problem.

In their last term, Ofsted inspectors awarded boarding at Kent College with an overall grade of ‘outstanding’. It is challenging enough to meet the necessary standards in one category, so to achieve such inspection results overall is a real achievement.

Ofsted wrote of ‘excellent support whereby the young people can develop as individuals’ and that ‘boarding has a high priority within the school,’ Headmistress Sally-Anne Huang’s most proud moment of her time at the helm.

Kent College, Old Church Road, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4AX; Tel: +44 (0) 1892 822006; Email: seniorschool@kentcollege.kent.sch.uk