Every September, thousands of young people arrive at boarding schools across the UK carrying far more than suitcases. They leave behind families, friends, familiar routines, language, culture and, for many, everything they have ever known. They arrive excited about the opportunities ahead, but also uncertain about what life will feel like in a new country, a new school and a new community.
As educators, we often focus on helping students settle into their lessons, understand the timetable and prepare academically for the year ahead. In my experience, we should first be asking a different question.
Do they feel that they belong?
Over the past few years, my postgraduate research into homesickness has challenged some of my own assumptions about how young people experience transition. Like many educators, I had always seen homesickness as something to respond to when it appeared.
My research led me to think differently.
Homesickness is not simply an emotional reaction to being away from home. It is often rooted in uncertainty, a loss of familiarity and a lack of connection. If we wait until students tell us they are struggling, we have already missed an important opportunity. Instead, we should be designing school communities that help students feel safe, understood and connected from the moment they arrive.
At King’s School Canterbury International College, this philosophy underpins everything we do. Our approach has been deliberately shaped around one simple belief: Belonging comes before achievement.
That belief influences every aspect of the student experience, from our induction programme to boarding life, pastoral care and academic support. Before students even arrive, we begin preparing them for life in the UK. We share practical guidance, advice from former students and honest conversations about homesickness, reassuring them that feeling unsettled is entirely normal and, importantly, manageable.
Rather than avoiding difficult conversations, we encourage them because understanding what to expect often reduces anxiety before it has the chance to grow.
From their first day, every student becomes part of a small tutor group supported by tutors, boarding staff, counsellors and specialist teachers who work together to ensure that no student feels anonymous. Alongside this, our Buddy Programme pairs new arrivals with experienced students who help them navigate everyday life, from finding classrooms to sharing lunch and building friendships. These seemingly simple interactions often have the greatest impact.
One student described the experience perfectly:
“The Buddy Programme made all the difference. On my first day I already had someone to eat lunch with and ask questions. It helped King’s feel like home much sooner than I expected.”
Parents notice the difference too.
One family reflected:
“We expected our daughter to struggle being so far from home, but within weeks she was talking about her friends, teachers and boarding house as though she had been there for years.”
These stories reinforce something that data alone cannot fully capture. When students feel that they belong, they become more confident, more resilient and more willing to embrace the opportunities around them.
That sense of belonging extends beyond the boarding house. Through sport, music, performances, charity work and student leadership opportunities, young people become active members of a wider community rather than visitors passing through it. The International College acts as a bridge, providing the security of a close-knit environment while gradually building the confidence to thrive within one of the UK’s leading schools.
Of course, every student is different. There is no single programme or initiative that guarantees success. But I believe every boarding school should ask itself one important question: Are we helping students settle, or are we helping them belong?
The distinction matters.
Students who feel they belong are more likely to engage in lessons, participate in activities, build friendships and seek help when they need it. Academic success often follows, not because achievement was the starting point, but because belonging created the conditions for it. Our own experience has shown fewer cases of significant homesickness and transition-related anxiety requiring pastoral intervention following our enhanced induction approach, while ongoing student feedback continues to shape and strengthen the experience for future cohorts.
As educators, our role extends far beyond preparing young people for examinations. We are preparing them for life. And in my experience, the first step is helping every student feel that they belong.
Author: Dr Carl Lyon, Co-Head (Pastoral), King’s School Canterbury International College
Dr Carl Lyon is Co-Head (Pastoral) at King’s School Canterbury International College. His postgraduate research into homesickness has informed the College’s research-led approach to induction, pastoral care and student wellbeing, helping international students build confidence, resilience and a genuine sense of belonging as they begin their educational journey in the UK.
Categories: Blogs The King's School Canterbury
