International Boarding at Kingsley School Devon | A Student's Story
From Lagos to the North Devon coast: Nafa's year as a Kingsley boarder
Bideford sits between the Torridge estuary and some of the country's best surf beaches. For Nyagbafa Dangana (known as Bafa to his friends), a Sixth Former who joined Kingsley from Riverbank School in Lagos, it was a long way from home. A year on, he says it is the place he keeps wanting to come back to.
In our latest video, Nafa talks about boarding, football, his A levels and what he would tell a Nigerian family thinking about Kingsley.
Why study abroad?
Nafa wanted more than a strong academic course. He was looking for a school where sport and extracurricular life carried real weight. "I've been able to do a lot of things here that I wouldn't have been offered on a curriculum back home," he says.
Football was the deciding factor. Kingsley's FC Rise programme, run in partnership with the Ferdinand Collective, has taken him across the country to play. In its first season, FC Rise finished joint second in the AoC league, and Nafa made the step up from seven-a-side to eleven-a-side football. "Football is more than just a few individuals playing in a team. It's a group collectively making an effort to do something."
He has also refereed at FC Rise under-11 tournaments and tried surfing for the first time.
Boarding as a choice, not a punishment
Nafa had never boarded before. "Back home, boarding would be seen as more of a punishment than an actual choice you'd want to make," he explains. "Most of my most memorable times in this school probably revolve around boarding."
Weekends mean trips to Exeter and Bristol for go-karting, a first fishing trip, bowling in Barnstaple, and cooking lunch together with other boarders. Friday nights are spent in the common room with FIFA, music and friends.
The boarding team made the difference when he felt homesick. "They always ask how we're doing, and they always try to prioritise how we're feeling." When Nafa needed to clear his head, a member of staff opened up the sports hall so he could shoot hoops on his own for half an hour.
Learning to run his own life
Boarding has made him more independent. "I'm the one cleaning my room. I'm the one that has to decide when to study, when to go to the gym, when to go into town. I'm the one controlling my own finances now as well."
As a Sixth Former, he values the freedom that Bideford's location gives. Barnstaple is one bus away, and with permission he can travel to Exeter, Bristol and beyond at weekends.
Small classes, honest teachers
Nafa is studying Physics, Maths and Chemistry. His Chemistry class has three students. "If one person is confused, it's easier to see," he says.
He also values his teachers' honesty. One told him plainly that he was not on course for the grade he wanted. "That really dawned on me that it's my responsibility to work on my subjects." Staff reply to emails quickly and take time to explain ideas in different ways until they land.
The new Sixth Form study spaces help too. "It's more of an atmosphere that's actually about studying," he says, with the café there for time with friends.
Advice for Nigerian families
"It's honestly not as scary as they think it is. It's not a big city like London or Manchester, but it's really safe. It's really quiet. There's a lot to do here." He adds that no one should worry about being left out. "The school is really inclusive."
His advice to new international students is simple: go on as many boarding trips as you can in the first term. "You never really know what might come out of it."
Nafa is now weighing up university or an apprenticeship, with some travel along the way.
Find out more
If your family is considering international boarding for Sixth Form, we would love to show you around. Book a visit here or contact admissions on +44 (0)1237 426200
