Ever considered Boarding School for your family? Now is your opportunity to meet leading Boarding Schools both local and interstate, and all in one location.
The Boarding Schools Expo is coming to Narrabri for a two-day event at the Crossing Theatre on the 21st and 22nd July.
“The expo provides families with the opportunity to meet schools closer to where they call home,” said Amanda Ferrari, Director of Boarding Schools Expo Australia.
“We have families travel hundreds of kilometres to meet the school representatives face-to-face and it saves them from driving to the cities and larger regional centres, it’s a really good opportunity for them to get an overview of their options, what opportunities are available and discuss scholarships.”
The Boarding Schools expo visits the region every second year and has done so for the past 19 years.
This year 37 boarding schools across NSW and QLD will gather to showcase what is on offer.
“We will be hosting Farrer and Calrossy, along with The Armidale School, PLC, NEGS, and all of your government agricultural high schools will be there,” said Ms Ferrari.
“We have a number of schools coming from Queensland, from Toowoomba and Brisbane, and then from Sydney and Orange, so really from all over the place.”
Whether Boarding School is a necessity or a choice, the event provides important information on selecting your children’s potential future education pathway.
“We all know meeting people face-to-face is always better and for many country people sometimes their only option is boarding school,” said Ms Ferrari.
“They may live too far out of town and they want to reduce the time kids sit on busses to get to and from school every day.”
The number one deterrent for boarding school is the cost, but organisers say there are boarding schools for all budgets.
“Boarding school is expensive but there are schools cheaper than others, they are all good schools.”
Families are encouraged to pre-register for this free event online and go in the draw to win a prize.
“We do have a competition, for those families who do preregister and attend you go into the draw to win a $400 e-voucher from Buy from the Bush, with so many bush businesses.”
And don’t leave it to the last minute, arrive early and make the most of your time.
“Many people arrive close to finishing time and it’s not long enough,” said Ms Ferrari.
“Our advice is to go and pre-register and check out the schools that will be there and see which one’s interest you and make a short list.”
Even if your kids are in Kindergarten or Year 3, organisers say it’s never too early to start the conversation on their future schooling education.
“Come, have a chat, get a feel for what boarding school is all about.”
“If you know nothing about boarding schools this is your opportunity to come and learn.”
“Don’t leave it to Year 5 and 6, boarding schools have limited number of beds and you need time to prepare your child.”
Boarding school can be a big step for a young mind and this expo could be their first look inside this new world.
“If you are considering boarding school, this is a getting to know you event and the sooner you expose your family as a whole, they get to know the schools and then they can decide if this is something they want to pursue.,” said Ms Ferrari.
“If boarding school is something that you have dreamt of or something you want to know more about then we do really encourage families to come along, we are not asking you to commit to anything, just say hello.”
The event will be open Friday 21st July from 12:30pm to 6pm and Saturday 22nd July 9:30am to 2:30pm at the Crossing Theatre in Narrabri.
You can pre-register here: Boarding Schools Expo | A guide to Australian Boarding Schools (boardingexpo.com.au)
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