Family life

At La Garenne the students arrive from many different countries and, of course, many different cultures. They have to adapt, learn, study and understand what is expected of them. In order to do so they receive a lot of care and attention but most of all, we live and learn as one family.

This is the most easiest and natural way of growing up with a good solid foundation and excellent social skills not to mention that it creates strong bonds between the students and staff and the students usually continue so once they finish their studies with us. It is important that the students help each other when need be and that they take care of each other, no matter their age. Some of the children come from families with many brothers and sisters, others may not. What is important though is feeling part of a big family. It is very easy to say to a child that they are expected to be responsible but it is a skill which cannot be transferred orally, it has to be learnt and most of the time, through trial and error, this usually continues throughout our lives as adults as well.

We shouldn't though forget that getting it wrong from time to time is also important in order to learn that we have to pick ourselves up and start again, we help the students to understand that achieving a goal can sometimes be more fulfilling if the pathway getting there was a difficult one, that is sometimes an achievement in itself. When joining La Garenne as a student or member of staff, it is first of all joining a big family with a variety of characters, attitudes, beliefs, opinions and some madness as well, just as any normal family!