www.boarding.org.uk No images? Click here Dear Members,With Joe Biden starting work as the 46th President of the United States this week, BSA sends best wishes to its member schools in America, and 34 other countries around the world, as they continue to manage the many challenges of Covid.While the pandemic and global lockdowns continue, BSA will as ever endeavour to support members with COVID-related queries, guidance, advice and UK government lobbying. BSA Prep Boarding Forum meetingThe next BSA Prep School Forum meeting will take place from 11:00-12:00 on Friday, February 5 via Zoom. Invites will be sent out shortly by email - if you would like to attend or add any items to the agenda, please contact Chris Ryan, Member Services Director, to register your interest. Boarders returning surveyWe would like to gain an insight into how many boarders there are currently on-site at our members’ schools and colleges across the UK. Please may we ask you to complete a very short survey detailing how many boarders you have registered and how many are actually on site. Please click here to access the survey. BSA Boarding ConferenceHosted by Gavin Horgan, Headmaster of Millfield School and sponsored by Engage, we will be joined by over 30 speakers at our virtual conference for deputy heads, heads of boarding and boarding staff. The conference theme is 'Sharpening our focus' and will be joined by expert speakers including: Tom Rogerson (Cottesmore) and Emilie Darwin (IAPS), keeping us updated about supporting our younger boarders; members of the ISI team; and Irfan Latif (DLD College) and David Bara (We Can Access) focusing on how to further develop inclusion work in our schools. Helen Harrison (Fettes College) and James Murphy O’Conner (Haberdashers' Monmouth) will share their leadership tips; Eleanor Sharman (Rendcomb) will help us to focus on review areas relating to finance within our schools; whilst Robert Fletcher, Gemma Gray (Fettes), and Hannah Hamilton (Stamford Endowed Schools) discuss current and future marketing strategies. For more information on this event please visit our website BSA Boarding conference. We are delighted to not only offer a delegate rate for this event but also a whole school rate, meaning you can have as many as your team attend for a set price. ConferencesYou can also secure your spot at the joint BSA/BAISIS Supporting international students in British independent schools conference on March 11, and our BSA Annual Conference for Heads on May 4-5. You can book places or find out more about these sessions, along with other events already in the diary for 2021, in the BSA Academy section below. You can also see our full 2020/21 training calendar for an up-to-date list of all our events. Scotland: Revised national guidance for child protection - consultation extendedThe consultation on the revision of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland was due to close on January 17, but In light of the current COVID situation, the consultation deadline has been extended to January 31. For more information on the consultation, including details of how to respond, please click here. England: National Minimum Standards consultationThe consultation on the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools is open until February 23. The proposed new standards are available here. BSA is holding a free short webinar on Friday, February 05 at 10.00 to discuss the proposed standards. Click here to book . Member schools are asked to share their views with BSA as well as submitting their own responses to the consultation. BSA will also be responding, in conjunction with both ISC and SBF. England: KCSIE updateEarlier this week, the DfE in England updated guidance 'Keeping children safe in education - for schools and colleges' to reflect legal changes following EU exit, including guidance on checking the past conduct of individuals who have lived or worked overseas. Paragraph 172 references NARIC, the National Recognition Information Service for the United Kingdom. BSA and other associations are seeking further information from NARIC as to how the system is intended to operate:
Members are reminded that the consultation into the proposed Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance for 2021, and that on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in Schools and Colleges, which links to Part 5 of KCSIE are still open. BSA Awards 2021 - entries now openThe annual BSA Awards are our chance to celebrate the achievements, hard work, and dedication of schools and individuals in boarding. We're delighted to announce that nominations are now open for this year's awards, which will be announced at our BSA Annual Conference for Heads 2020-21 on May 4-5. For more information on this year's categories and how to enter, please visit the Awards page on our website. The deadline for submitting any entries is Friday, March 26. Best wishes,
COVID-19 updateUKTravel corridor temporary suspensionAs we announced on Monday, the Government has suspended all travel corridors and anyone arriving in the UK must have proof of a negative Covid-19 test result taken in the previous three days. In addition, they must self-isolate for 10 days (five days if they use the Test and Release scheme). There is a suggestion that the Government may bring in compulsory self-isolation in hotels. In England, the DfE has confirmed to BSA that, if this happens, boarding schools will be able to quarantine their pupils instead. Additionally, there are limited flights abroad and none to certain countries e.g. China, Hong Kong, and Turkey. EnglandSupporting international students during the COVID-19 pandemicFollowing BSA's letter to the government last week, the DfE has confirmed:
School may therefore consider the mental health of international students when reading this guidance. WalesUpdate via WISC
BSA COVID-19 supplier listBSA has a list of suppliers of vital equipment on our website, and the list continues to grow. BSA does not officially endorse any of the products listed. Schools are urged to perform their own due diligence checks on any company they plan to approach:
For more detail on each of the suppliers, please visit the BSA COVID supplier page here. UK ImmigrationEU citizens and their family members (including non-EU citizens) need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. The EUSS is free and the application deadline is 30 June 2021. EU citizens must have started living in the UK by 31 December 2020 to be eligible to apply to the EUSS in their own right. If EU citizens and their family members apply successfully to the EUSS they’ll be able to continue to live, work and study in the UK. Successful applicants will get either settled status or pre-settled status meaning they will continue to be eligible to access the benefits and services they do now. Children of all ages (0-18) require their own immigration status and are not covered by a parent’s application to the EU Settlement Scheme. An application must be made for every eligible child within a family. More information on the EU Settlement Scheme can be found here and applications can be made on online on GOV.UK using a computer, tablet or mobile phone. Please note – The new and improved Child Student route, which falls under the UK's new points-based immigration system, is open to EU, EEA and Swiss students as well as international students aged between 4-17 years old, but EU, EEA and Swiss students who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 should not apply through this route. These students, and their family members, are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. Those who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 have until 30 June 2021 to make an application to the EU Settlement Scheme and it is free to apply to. EU, EEA and Swiss students coming to study in the UK must apply through the Child Student route ahead of arriving in the UK and this will incur monetary costs. Further guidance for EU, EEA and Swiss students can be found here. The Home Office does not expect schools to make applications on behalf of their students; parents and guardians need to make applications for themselves and their children. A child can also apply in their own right, but we strongly encourage a child’s application to be made with support from an adult. Sponsor guidance update: Meanwhile, GOV.UK has updated its Sponsor guidance appendix D: keeping records for sponsorship advice. The guidance has been revised to include clarifications on record-keeping duties for sponsors. Global Health Insurance Cards - applications openApplications are now open for the new Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC) which replace the EHIC. Over 16s can apply by themselves, otherwise it needs to be a parent or guardian, although Boarding school teaching staff can apply on behalf of any children in their care. To apply, please click here. Certified Guardian and Agent schemesThe BSA Certified Guardian and Agent Schemes continue to grow, providing reassurance for schools and families. The schemes' training and certification programmes assure BSA boarding schools that they are dealing with educational guardians and agents who have the highest standards in the safeguarding of children, safer recruitment and training of staff and host families, and careful liaison with parents and schools. The schemes are a clear demonstration to BSA boarding schools of the quality and intention of the educational guardians and agents who reach certified status. BSA Certified AgentsWe are delighted to announce that Sino-UK Arts & Cultural Bridge Ltd (China) has joined the BSA Certified Agent scheme. Welcome to the BSA family!
For more information on the BSA Certified Agent scheme, please visit our website. BSA Certified GuardiansWe are delighted to announce that ECA Education Consultancy has joined the BSA Certified Guardian scheme. Welcome to the BSA family!
For more information on the BSA Certified Guardian scheme, please visit our website. We have also had a number of requests from schools for our BSA Certified Guardian logo to use on admissions information or school websites - you can access a copy of the logo by clicking here. BSA AcademyAccredited TrainingThe BSA's programme of Professional Development and training is the most comprehensive CPD package offered to staff in boarding schools. It includes a series of professional practice Certificate courses specifically designed to meet the practical needs of boarding staff and provide an internationally-recognised qualification in Boarding Education. For more details on our Certificate courses, please click here. Listed below are a selection of our upcoming courses - to find out more, or to book your place, please click on the course title. If you need any further information about our Accredited Training programme, please contact Liz McDonald, Senior Training Manager, at liz@boarding.org.uk. COURSES
Virtual conferences
Virtual day seminars
Sacpa DSL Training: This training will enable you to meet statutory responsibilities referenced in Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children. The course is suitable for staff in the role of designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy designated safeguarding lead (DDSL). It is delivered by an NSPCC-accredited trainer and qualified social work manager of 20 years. Dates: March 08 and July 08. Sacpa Safer Recruitment Training: This training will enable you to meet statutory responsibilities referenced in Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children, and required by OFSTED. The course is suitable for staff in the role of designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy designated safeguarding lead (DDSL) as well as members of management teams with recruitment responsibilities, including HR and Governors/Trustees. Date: May 13. Webinars
To see the entire 2020-21 training programme, click here.Become a BSA Accredited Boarding PractitionerBSA Accredited Boarding Practitioner status is an individual recognition of those boarding staff who are making a personal, professional commitment to best boarding practice. To be considered, all applicants are expected to meet the following core commitments: • Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children Find out more here. University of Buckingham education coursesOur colleagues at the University of Buckingham have advised us that they have updated their list of online courses beginning in September 2021. For a full list of courses, please visit the University of Buckingham website by clicking here. (Our thanks to Barnaby Lenon for sharing this update with us) Keep in touchPlease note the BSA office is now closed and the team is working remotely. If you would like further advice from the BSA, please email bsa@boarding.org.uk or contact the team directly:
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