Westminster School

Andrew Kavchak was 13 when his divorced parents sent him in 1976 from Montreal, Canada, to attend Westminster School in London, UK.

Westminster is one of Britain's oldest and most prestigious boarding schools. Closely linked to the Abbey, its origins go back almost 1000 years to a school run by Benedictine monks. Since the time of Henry VIII, Westminster has had a special relationship with the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Andrew's parents expected him to spend his adolescence living at the school and then pursue his education at "Oxbridge".

Things did not turn out that way.

In this autobiographical account, Andrew describes his preparation for Westminster's special entrance exam, his experience as a Canadian in an elite boarding school in the heart of 1970's London, and the long-term impact on his life. He also outlines the history of an institution whose graduates include Prime Ministers, generals, colonial administrators, scientists, philosophers, and artists. Many of them helped build and run the British Empire; others contributed to the Enlightenment. "Old Westminsters", as former pupils are called, continue to distinguish themselves publicly to this day.

Andrew describes the school's layout and its routines: meals in College Hall, services in the Abbey, Latin Prayers "up School", classes around Little Dean's Yard, and rowing on the Thames, known simply as "Water". Classes were frequently followed by organized extracurricular activities. After dinner, boarders did their "prep" for the next day. The school week was long, with classes on Saturday mornings. Those boarders who could, then went home until Sunday evening. Only the small minority who lived too far away would routinely stay in over the weekends. Andrew was one of them.

The author describes his classmates, a colourful range of teachers, their classes, and some memorable experiences of London life. These included attending rock concerts in huge stadiums and intimate clubs. Andrew also reflects on the prominent, inspiring and controversial headmaster, Dr. John Rae.

This book is about opposites: belonging and exclusion, success and failure, history and modernity. Above all, it is about a teenager's reactions to all six. Andrew delves, for example, into the prolonged separation from his parents and the resulting sense of abandonment and alienation. He reflects on the pitfalls of a foreign name, accent, vocabulary and previous education. He also describes how he coped with his circumstances and how this experience affected him for many years. Anyone interested in "Boarding School Syndrome" will find his insights fascinating.

The book also contains contributions from two other Old Westminsters. Classmate Jonathan Karlsen provides the foreword. In a short afterword, Andrew's fellow rowing novice Paul Castle offers a different view of the school - that of a successful belonger.