Travelling to and from Barker from Manly was tough, I did that for my years of 7,8,9, and 10…read more I then asked my parents if for years 11 and 12 I could go into boarding (my cousins and my older brother were all boarders and they loved it) so that I could use the extra time (what used to be travel time) to help me have the time to do: - Study - Musicals - Plays - Volleyball - Prefect Tasks - and of course Rest and Relaxation. Boarding provided me with the Time to do all if these things and all I needed was the motivation to do them. Now any meal away from home can't be nearly as enjoyable, however for the chefs to be cooking three meals a day (lunch provided for ALL BARKER STAFF) is very impressive and the quality of the food was perfectly acceptable. To be honest, if I had my time again to go through school - I wish I boarded in year 10 as well. I have formed long lasting friendships an I'm still in touch with guys that Havnt left yet, and the guys that were in my year. I'm proud to have been a Barker Boarder. here's a pic just for fun

Due to my parents living overseas at the time, I decided to enroll at Barker College as a boarder…read more While I LOVED the school itself, the boarding facilities and the way in which it was run was simply mind-boggling and dreadful. The house mistress and master have since been replaced, despite being one of the better things about the place. Barker College put more effort and money into their roses and gardens than they did the boarders. The food was worse than what you would feed to a pig (think diseased apples, salad crawling with bugs and grey meat). Once a term we would have an end of term dinner where the headmaster would attend. This was the only time the food was decent- perhaps because he wouldn't eat anything less. When the parents were invited to these end of term dinners, they were under the impression the food was excellent. Despite the girl's boarding school having had a renovation, the place has a dreadful reputation. 33 girls in one small house and "Mothers of the Day" (teacher supervisors who are on a power trip. I definitely recommend other boarding schools like PLC and Abbottsleigh. Barker College has no activities on the weekends apart from the once a term dinner. There are bars on the windows and there is little light- possibly the most depressing place to spend a few years!