Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Ben Fogle's father on why sending his son to boarding school was the best decision he made

The adventurer and explorer was sent to Bryanston School in Dorset

Rose Troup Buchanan
Friday 29 May 2015 15:23 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Ben Fogle’s father has said that sending his son to boarding school helped him become the man he is today.

Author and vet Bruce Fogle, 71, said he and his wife actress Julia Foster were concerned about Fogle junior in his youth.

“He was such a nice, altruistic boy that we thought he might be taken advantage of as an adult,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

As a result the couple, who had two other older children, both girls, decided to send 14-year-old Fogle to Bryanston.

Despite Fogle hating it for a year, coming “home at weekends desperate not to return,” eventually his son learnt to love the school in Dorset.

After a year at the school the family were on holiday in Canada – Fogle senior is Canadian and Fogle junior has spoken of his affection for his heritage – when he launched himself into a freezing river while white-water rafting.

“It was in that moment I realised my son had become a different individual,” Fogle wrote.

He added that although he “disliked the concept of sending a child off for other people to make the mistakes of parenting,” the school had “spotted qualities” that he and his wife had missed.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in