A boarding school is a school where students live on campus during the school year instead of going home each night. Students sleep in dormitories (called dorms), eat meals together in dining halls, and spend evenings and weekends at school with their classmates and teachers.

At boarding schools, students attend regular classes during the day, but the school also supervises their lives outside the classroom: homework time, sports, activities, and even bedtime. Some boarding schools accept students as young as first or second grade, though most begin at middle school or high school age. Students typically go home during holidays and summer break.

Boarding schools exist around the world and serve different purposes. Some families choose boarding schools because they offer exceptional academics, specialized programs like elite athletics or arts training, or opportunities not available near their homes. Other students attend boarding school because their parents work far away or travel frequently for their jobs.

The experience can create unusually close friendships since students share not just classes but meals, activities, and daily life together. Living away from home can also teach students independence and responsibility at a young age. Famous boarding schools include Phillips Exeter Academy and Eton College, though thousands of boarding schools exist worldwide.