Private School News

Independent school toughs it out

In a week when local authorities and thousands of schools have been criticised for closing in the face of slippery playgrounds, students at Kingham hill School in the Cotswolds built igloos and slept in them overnight.

Although some day students were unable to reach the rural boarding school near Stow-in-the-Wold, those that did and all the boarders went about school life as usual. However, when lessons were over, and with the help of one of the house masters, Paul Parmenter, they built an igloo village.

Sixteen 11, 12 and 13-year olds wrapped up warm, slid into their sleeping bags and made the most of an opportunity only possible at an independent school.

Not all stuck with the plan until the morning. However, most got a good few hours sleep and there was much banter and bragging at breakfast. Toby, who had to be coaxed out as morning arrived, claimed: “It was definitely a bit cold but it was brilliant fun!”

Headmaster, Nick Seward, commented: “This is precisely the sort of thing that a school like Kingham Hill can offer – genuine adventure, albeit it carefully supervised. This is the sort of experience that these lads will learn from and talk about for years to come.”

And spare a thought for the plucky housemaster who spent the night sleeping in the open to keep an eye on his charges!