The commonest question I'm asked on here is my experience in a boarding school once people find out that I went to one. So, inspired by Sarah S who recently reviewed her school, I searched for mine on Yelp and found Epsom College.
Epsom College offers education to pupils aged 13-18. There were girls only in the sixth form when I was there (more than, ahem, 20 years ago!) but it's now fully co-ed throughout. I was a full boarder but nowadays, day pupils, day boarding and weekly boarding options are also available.
My parents chose Epsom College for me as I had known from a young age that I wanted to be a doctor and Epsom College produces 30-40 medical students a year. They were set up as the Royal Medical Benevolent College and retain many medical links and strong science departments.
Epsom College is located on fantastic self-contained grounds just outside the town of Epsom in Surrey. There are lovely acres of green sports fields with buildings ranging from some fantastic old brick buildings to more modern additions. The educational facilities are fantastic and modern and I found the teachers to be inspiring, funny and knowledgeable.
Besides the education I received, I was also grateful to have had a chance to experience so many extra-curricular activities in the school's marvellous facilities. I love sport and in the 6th form, I managed to play a range of different sports for 6 hours in an afternoon just because I could, from swimming to fencing to developing my love of hockey which I still play to this day. There was a well-equipped art studio and the music school offered individual lessons as well as the ability to play in small ensemble groups to full orchestras. There are other clubs catering for other interests from model trains to bridge. The school cadet force is compulsory for the first 3 years which teaches you to shoot, tackle assault courses and learn to work in a hierarchy. In the sixth form, I swapped this for the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and social services. Thespians have a lot of opportunity to tread the boards.
The communcal canteen is still there and I've noted that the dining choices are much healtheir on a recent visit compared to my time.
The school is divided into boarding houses, which enables you to develop closer friends and also to enable you to develop a competitive spirit representing your house in different competitions. The facilities are being updated continuously and last year, I attended the opening ceremony for a new wing on my old boarding house, Forest House. On the visit, I noted a lot of new changes since my time but the old snooker table was still there :-)
I loved my time at Epsom College. I'm still involved in school through the old boy network and I still play in the Old Boys Hockey Match occasionally. Looking at the new facilities and the happy faces of today's students, sometimes, I almost wish I could be back here. read more
