Sending a child back to boarding school at the end of the summer holidays requires specific preparation that goes beyond a standard back to school checklist. There is more to organise, more to think through emotionally and, for many families, more to say in the days before departure.
Whether your child is returning to boarding for another year or starting for the first time, the steps below make the transition smoother for everyone.
Boarding packing lists are long, and the things that get forgotten are almost always the practical ones: the right charger, the spare pair of trainers, the medication that needs to be handed to the nurse on arrival. Go through the school's packing list carefully, tick everything off, and pack at least two or three days before departure.
Label everything. This detail is crucial. Boarding house laundry systems are efficient, but only if the personal items going in are clearly marked with your child's name.
For children boarding for the first time, add a few personal touches to the packing. A photo from home, a favourite book, something familiar from their bedroom. The first night in a boarding house is easier when the space around a child feels a bit like home.
Children cope better with the start of term when they know what to expect. Go through the induction schedule together. Identify the names of the house parents and boarding staff. Talk through where meals happen, what a typical evening looks like and how communication between school and home works during term.
For returning boarders, this is a quick conversation. For first-timers, it’s especially important to spend time on reviewing these details together. The more familiar the structure feels before arrival, the less daunting day one becomes. Our boarding daily life page gives a useful picture of what a typical week looks like.
Saying goodbye at the start of term is emotional, even for families who have done it many times. It is fine for both parents and children to acknowledge that. What matters is how you frame the departure.
Avoid drawn-out goodbyes at the school gate. Children tend to settle faster once parents have left, and a goodbye that goes on too long can make the separation harder. Say a warm, calm goodbye, express your confidence in your child and let the school take it from there.
If your child is anxious, validate the feeling without amplifying it. "It is normal to feel a bit nervous, and you are going to be fine" is far more useful than either dismissing the anxiety or dwelling on it.
Know before term starts when and how you will be in touch. Most boarding schools have clear guidelines about phone and messaging contact, particularly in the first weeks. Follow them, even if it feels restrictive. The routines are designed to help children settle, and constant contact in the early days can make it harder for a child to adapt to their new environment.
Agree on a regular call time that works for both your schedule and the school's evening routine. Knowing when they will speak to you gives children something to look forward to and reduces the background anxiety of not knowing when contact will happen.
A good boarding school has pastoral care structures that are ready to step in if your child is struggling with anything. At Champittet, our health and wellbeing team, which includes a dedicated psychologist and school nurse, monitors every boarder closely in the early weeks of term.
If you have concerns about your child's wellbeing in the first weeks, contact the boarding house directly rather than waiting. The pastoral team would always rather hear from a parent early than find out weeks later that your child was facing difficulties.
Something to look forward to makes the first stretch of term much more manageable. Before your child goes back, agree a plan for the first home visit or half-term break. It does not need to be elaborate. What matters is that your child can look forward to an upcoming visit on the calendar.
For younger boarders especially, knowing exactly when they will be home again is one of the most reassuring things a parent can offer. Check the school calendar for confirmed exeat and half term dates before term begins.
The first term in boarding is an adjustment unlike anything else, and it’s healthy for both parents and students to be realistic. Most children feel homesick at some point in the first few weeks. This is completely normal and almost always passes.
Children who struggle most in the early weeks are usually those who have not had much experience of being away from home. If this is your child, short stays with friends or family in the months before term begins can help build the confidence and independence that makes the first boarding nights easier.
The children who thrive in boarding tend to be those with a sense of curiosity, a willingness to be part of a community and the knowledge that their parents are confident in the decision. That last part matters more than parents often realise.
At Collège Champittet, boarding is available from age ten at our Pully campus, where students from over fifty nationalities live and learn together within a four-hectare site between Lake Geneva and the Alps. Our boarding community is deliberately small, which means every student is known well and supported closely.
Our house parents and health and wellbeing team, including a resident psychologist and nurse, work with each boarder individually. We monitor wellbeing closely in the first weeks of every term and communicate proactively with families.
Whether your child is joining us as a new boarder or returning for another year, we want the start of term to feel like a beginning rather than a goodbye.
Get in touch with our admissions team to find out more about boarding at Collège Champittet, or read our back to school checklist for a full guide to preparing for the new term. You can also book a visit to see our boarding facilities in person.
What age can children start boarding in Switzerland?
This varies by school. At Collège Champittet, boarding is available from age ten. Many Swiss boarding schools accept students from secondary school age, typically eleven or twelve upwards.
How do boarding schools handle homesickness?
Good boarding schools have structured pastoral care teams specifically trained to support homesick students. At Champittet, our health and wellbeing team monitors children closely in the first weeks of term and communicates with parents proactively if they have concerns. Most children find homesickness eases significantly within the first two to three weeks.
How often can boarding students go home during term time?
This depends on the school's calendar and boarding model. Most Swiss boarding schools have scheduled home visits and half-term breaks built into the term structure. Check the Champittet school calendar for confirmed dates.
What should I pack for a boarding school?
Follow the school's official packing list carefully and label everything clearly. Beyond the essentials, personal items from home make the first nights easier. Medication should be handed to the school nurse or boarding staff on arrival with clear written instructions.
