Canberra Grammar School

fers that often other boarding schools don’t, is that the majority of its stu- dents have single room which is ac- tually quite uncommon. Where these schools do have single room, it’s usu- ally just for those in year 12. This does depends on the mix of year groups and the number of students, but most of Canberra Grammar’s year nine and up- ward boarding population have their own rooms, and the few that don’t, share with just one other person. Stu- dents avoid the stereotypical boarding style dormitories, and rest easy in their single or double rooms. There are sep- arate study spaces, private areas to change, storage, Wi-Fi, common areas for group and private study, relaxation areas, three common rooms, the clinic and a traditional old dining hall with a very modern kitchen attached to it. It’s not just these areas that make up day-to-day life for the boarders. Enter- tainment-wise, the school lets board- ers make use of school swimming pools and the gymnasium and it has provided things like table tennis table and pool table. Simple touches, but representative of the enjoyable, home- ly living environment, atmosphere and culture the school is trying to create through its boarding. Don’t lose it “I strongly believe that as soon as you think you’ve got everything sort- ed, that’s the time you start to lose your edge. Here, we’re in a state of constantly trying to do things the best way we can for our students,” admits Downey. Through regular surveys, par- ents committees, staff development and open channels for feedback, the school is always comfortable uncom- fortable with itself, and always happy to change and adapt to continue on its steady, successful path through board- ing excellence.