As representatives from state boarding schools from across England and Wales met in London, Gainsborough MP Edward Leigh issued words of support for the schools. “I fully support the State Boarding Schools’ Association and its member schools,” Mr Leigh said.
 
“These places of learning offer opportunities for pupils who might otherwise be excluded from the boarding experience. These are not socially exclusive or divisive but run the gamut of the state sector, including comprehensive, voluntary-aided, community, and grammar schools.”
 
“Here in Lincolnshire, De Aston School has eighty boarders whose education is provided free by the state while their boarding fees are paid for by families,” Mr Leigh continued. “I am proud to have a state boarding school in my constituency and to represent them in Parliament.”
 
“The extra care and attention provided by state boarding schools can bring a special relief to parents who work abroad or who are serving in our armed forces. I know that state boarding schools are a vital part of parents’ options for state education and we should be doing what we can to encourage this sector to grow and develop.”
 
There are currently 37 state boarding schools located across England and Wales, and attended by nearly 5,000 children. This month, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for State Boarding Schools held a reception in the Houses of Parliament for MPs, Lords, and other interested parties which Edward Leigh MP attended.