Education is a lifelong journey, so it’s no surprise that some parts of learning require a trip away from the familiar. Within the rolling hills of Lào Cai stands Ardingly College Vietnam (ACVN), an institution dedicated to providing a space and community that nurtures not only students from Vietnam, but also from across the globe.

Saigoneer’s visit to ACVN last month was particularly illuminating because when deciding where to send my daughter for school, I hadn't considered a boarding school, in part because Vietnam didn't offer one at the time. Saigoneer’s time in Lào Cai thus provided an introduction to boarding schools broadly, as well as the unique pastoral atmosphere carefully cultivated amongst a stunning natural environment.

Parents of children who attend schools in Saigon or Hanoi may often reflect mournfully on the cement, construction, traffic, and chaos that surrounds a daily commute to classes. Arriving at ACVN was the complete opposite. Against a constant backdrop of lush mountains, greenery occupied every direction I looked; the fresh air was palpable, as was the sheer space to move and think. More than providing merely pretty scenery, the setting has a profound impact on the ACVN experience.

“It’s really about that outdoor experiential learning, being able to take students outside into the environment a lot more,” explained Craig Lewis, the school’s headmaster. Because of its rural setting, ACVN enjoys possibly the largest plot size for an international school. This translates into lovely areas for sporting events and indoor swimming pools but also excellent facilities. From state-of-the-art science laboratories to libraries and art rooms, these facilities rival those of the urban international schools many will be familiar with. During my tour, I was particularly impressed with the art exhibitions, which not only reveal the excellence of the facilities, but the school’s emphasis on holistic skills and the curation of individual creativity.

“We talk about holistic development of a child, but we really want that,” Lewis said when I visited for a chat in his office. He stressed that the school aims to develop students “who have respect, have resilience, have compassion, are service-oriented and are globally aware. We also want our students to come out having done a lot more than just academics.” A makerspace, lab system, library with 6,000 books, music room, auditorium, and sports fields all contribute to the goal of nurturing students beyond academics.

The school’s House System, a core tenet of authentic British boarding schools, also plays a major role in fostering well-rounded young adults. My daughter’s school in Saigon uses a house system, so I am familiar with how their healthy competitions and challenges not just teach teamwork and leadership, but are also a great source of fun and excitement. "The kids love it because it breaks up what they think of as the academic day at school,” Lewis confirmed before explaining the character traits students gain amidst the fun. “When you have these house events, we talk about winning, but how do you lose with integrity? That’s just as important as learning how to win: to lose with integrity, or to learn how to be better, without it being someone else’s fault and without having a negative impact on your community; working out how to positively work together.”

While familiar with top-tier facilities and the house system, I arrived at ACVN completely ignorant of how the “boarding” part of a boarding school operates and had many questions that Lewis patiently answered. First off, he noted that students cannot board until secondary school at age 12, when they are mature enough to thrive in the environment. And there are multiple boarding options available, including partial boarding wherein students spend weekdays at the school but return to their families on weekends. Both options are “based around safety, support and pastoral care. It’s based around extra tutoring support to help academic growth.”

When observing some of these boarding students, I was struck by not only how content they looked, but how mature and independent they behaved. This, Lewis said, is by design. “It’s learning how to take care of themselves; just everyday things like doing their own laundry. Even though we have staff dedicated to helping and supporting them to get up and have meals, they still have to learn to develop that themselves.”

This balance of supervised support and freedom that boarding students experience extends beyond routine daily tasks like ironing clothes and cleaning their rooms to academic, co-curricular and social development. “It’s about creating independent, globally well-rounded students who have the chance to interact with other international students while living together.” The impact of these social opportunities is profound, he said, noting, “They start to support and interact with each other and actually follow each other’s passions and start to work together and enjoy each other’s things, things they wouldn’t have thought of before. It’s exposure to it, and it’s wonderful to see.”

Such support and interaction is embedded in the daily schedule which begins on weekdays at 6:30 wakeup and progresses to breakfast at 7:10 followed by homeroom tutor time from 7:45 until 8:00 when regular academic classes with breaks continues until 15:30. The rest of the afternoon is occupied by extracurricular activities and sports until dinner at 18:00 followed by study hall and preperations from 18:40 until 20:10 after which students are free for relaxing and snacks until handheld devices are turned in during a house meeting at 21:00 followed by lights off before 22:00. Weekends are more flexible with free time, optional trips and and organized activities.

Throughout the entire week teachers, of course, play an important role. Lewis said that the system is also “about the support and care that we give these students …. the opportunities that we give to students outside of academic curriculum time, where we can actually individualize their passions in a way that we may not be able to with a day student.”

ACVN seems particularly able to provide this personalized attention because of the diverse and committed staff. I observed a close-knit group of international teachers not only smiling together during meals but then working with students after dinner. Because the teachers also live on campus, there are significant opportunities for pastoral care after classes and on weekends that would not be available were it not a boarding school.

Of course, parents will have concerns about being away from their children. Lewis and the entire team make great efforts to educate parents on the benefits and logistics of the boarding school system and ensure families stay in touch via scheduled calls and frequent communication. “Usually, by the time students come home for their first break or holiday and say how much they love boarding and how they’ve made friends, the parents tend to feel better. The children then tend to be able to express themselves to their family more, so it’s actually quite a positive experience,” he said with satisfaction.

By the end of my conversation and tour, I was imagining if the fates had shifted and I had sent my daughter to ACVN. Learning about the school’s values, aims and operations gave me confidence that she would thrive here. I think she would be included in Lewis’ description of his favorite response from students: “‘God, we were happy here. We had a great time. We made friends, we supported each other, and we got great results.’”