Q&A fact file Flying Hall School
What percentage of the total on roll are boarders?
Approximately one third of Fyling Hall’s student body are boarders. As you might imagine, boarding has changed over the years, but the majority of our boarder are still international students from countries including China, South Korea, Russia, Nigeria and across Europe. A number of our boarders are British who board on a full-time basis or what has become known as flexi boarding. Regardless of how much time they spend in our boarding houses, our boarders form strong relationships not only with each other, but also with our daily students. “Throughout the boarding community there are strong relationships, between pupils themselves and with both the boarding and academic staff. Boarders enjoy the company of others and have a strong sense of family, feeling like ‘sisters and brothers’ in a house with a real sense of belonging” (ISI Inspection)
My child is particularly good at a sport what support will they get?
As part of the school curriculum Fyling Hall pupils take part in two Physical Education lessons per week which are 1 hour and 30 minutes in length. In addition, there are numerous afterschool clubs for pupils to attend which include, hockey, football, badminton. For pupils who are keen to expand the interests we have links to local clubs, such as Whitby Hockey club, Local rugby clubs and football clubs. Fyling Hall pupils have followed county pathways to represent regional areas of the country. Alongside this, as part of our PE with a Difference programme, we aim to include as many pupils as possible in physical activities which may not necessarily be competitive such as mountain biking. At the same time be offer the Duke of Edinburgh award, in which we have groups successfully completed all levels up to and including gold.
I think my child is dyslexic, can you test them and support their needs?
Dyslexia need not a barrier to doing well, and at Fyling Hall staff are very aware of our students with additional needs. We use dyslexia friendly strategies in lessons, and if there are additional needs related to dyslexia (such as poor comprehension skills or the speed of handwriting) it may be that additional time for exams are put into place. If necessary, we are able to complete a dyslexia screener for students in school. This is an online assessment which gives an accurate indication as to whether there are any signs of dyslexia. We are also able to conduct a screening test for dyscalculia. Both tests provide a printed summary for parents and teachers. If there is a strong indication of dyslexia or dyscalculia, we suggest a full assessment which a dyslexia specialist would carry out. We have two dyslexia specialists with whom we work closely that we can recommend to carry out these tests.
Who looks after their clothes and sports kit?
Our residential staff at Fyling Hall create a supportive atmosphere for boarders and encourage independent learning. This extends to domestic duties. Therefore, initially the child looks after their clothes and sports kit as they will have it put away in their drawers in the dormitory. Items must be labelled, as clothes are laundered at the school. Any delicate items can be washed at specific temps if they ask. Anything that may require dry cleaning can also be arranged, again if requested. Further information can be found in our boarders’ handbook.
Who would be the first point of contact if I have a concern about my child?
Who you contact really depends upon the nature of your question and would either be the matron or tutor. In general, anything boarding related should be addressed to the house staff and anything academic to the tutor. That said, being a small school we all work closely together and are happy to address any concerns you might have, referring you if necessary.
What makes your school special?
You get the Fyling Hall wow factor about half a mile from the school. It comes at the precise moment you drive over the brow of the hill – and there stretched out below you is the most wondrous sight, a stunning advert for the Yorkshire Coast. It’s the sweep of land from Robin Hood’s Bay round to Ravenscar – of fond memory. If the great American educational freethinker, Henry David Thoreau, in his seminal book Walden, was right that we learn best in beautiful surroundings, then Fyling Hall must be a prime place to study.
Fyling Hall, less than two hours and a half from Manchester by car, is a very special place to live and study. Set in an idyllic environment, 45 acres of wooded grounds overlooking the sea, we are a co-educational boarding school, with around 170 pupils aged 4-18 years old.
Our latest inspection recognised our firm commitment to strong academic achievement, but the school also has enviable sporting tradition and enjoys conspicuous success in Music, Art, Drama and other fields. Our aim is to nurture your child’s confidence and self-esteem, enabling them to maximise all aspects of their potential through our very special commitment to the educational, pastoral and co-curricular aspects of modern education, embracing the full range of academic, cultural, sporting and social interests.
We can do all this because we are large enough to have some top-class facilities but sufficiently small for everyone to flourish as part of one big family. Our dedicated, highly qualified teaching staff and our equally dedicated support staff know all the pupils in the school, with relationships built on trust, mutual respect and a determination to succeed.
Founded in 1923 by an inspirational teacher called Mab Bradley, she believed that children learn best when they are happy and educated in a family-like atmosphere. She gave us our motto, “The days that make us happy make us wise”. We continue to uphold this, and provide much, much more.
Answered by
Steven Allen, Headmaster; Marcus Coates, Head of Games; Helen English, Senco; Emma Anders, Head Matron; and Angelique Russell, Marketing
