Monkton Prep School has been awarded the Supporting Junior Boarders Award at the 60th
Anniversary of the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) Supporting Excellence Awards.
This latest recognition is particularly significant following the school’s recent success in being
named Independent Boarding School of the Year 2025. Together, these honours reflect the
strength, care, and sense of community that underpin boarding life at Monkton.
The award recognises Monkton Prep’s innovative and research-led approach to boarding
induction, developed to support both pupils and their families through every stage of the
boarding journey.
At the heart of this work is Sarah Winfield, Houseparent at Monkton Prep School, who
explored boarding induction as part of her BSA Boarding Leadership Diploma action
research project. Her research identified two key findings: the importance of emotional
preparation for the whole family to ensure a successful transition to boarding, and the need
for this preparation to begin well before a child arrives and continue long afterwards.
This work has gained recognition beyond the school. Sarah Winfield has been invited to
speak at the SCiP Alliance annual conference and to contribute to Anderson Education’s
think tank, helping to develop a “Boarding Thriving Lives” handbook for families nationwide.
A huge congratulations to the Prep Boarding Team who continue to ensure that every
boarding pupil and their family feels supported and able to thrive.
