www.boarding.org.uk No images? Click here Dear Members,Welcome to this week's edition of the BSA member newsletter. Earlier this week, we published the results of a survey we conducted in partnership with British Council China and Connexcel back in June of current and prospective Chinese parents. The survey gives valuable feedback to schools seeking to meet the needs of international boarders and maintain confidence among Chinese parents. The most notable finding was that 99 per cent of parents surveyed regard the UK as the best place to study from a list of worldwide destinations. Prior to publication of the survey, we'd received anecdotal evidence that interest in the UK boarding market continues to be strong, despite ongoing restrictions around international travel and other COVID-19-related concerns, and the evidence here shows that is definitely still the case. A summary of the results can be found here, while you can also download a full copy of the survey from our website. And for any of you who weren't able to attend our Visa and Immigration conference on Tuesday (12/10), our International Director Caroline Nixon, was joined by Fraser Deas, Head of Education Services, British Council China, and John Zhang, Managing Director, Connexcel, to look at the survey results in more detail. Recordings from that event are available to purchase by contacting the BSA team at bsa@boarding.org.uk. Annual BSA Boarding Conference (February 1-2, 2022) and Annual Conference for Heads (May 3-4, 2022) - overnight accommodation for delegates.As announced in last week's newsletter (Issue 224), bookings are open for our Annual BSA Boarding Conference, which takes place from February 1-2, 2022, in person at the Hilton, London Heathrow. You can secure your spot by clicking on the link above - a delegate hotel rate will be offered at the Hilton, London Heathrow and a list of alternative accommodation will be provided at booking. Also open for bookings is our Annual Conference for Heads, which takes place on May 3-4, 2022 at Oxford Town Hall. Again, you can book your place using the link above, and for anyone looking to stay overnight, below are a list of nearby hotels which you may find useful (a selection of which are offering discounted rates for conference delegates):
Please note for both of these conferences, in response to member feedback, we have opted not to include accommodation within the price to allow members to choose accommodation at their budget point. CPD, training and eventsAfter a busy start to the autumn term, our programme of CPD, training and events will be pausing briefly for the next couple of weeks. Our next events will be the Hieda-led Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAAW) training course, and a webinar, Leading a small boarding team (for African boarding schools), both taking place on November 5. Our next conference will be the joint BSA and Sacpa Annual safeguarding conference, which takes place on November 18. The following week (November 24), we hope to see as many of our members from Ireland and Northern Ireland joining us for Irish boarding conference. Places are still available at both events, so please click on the links above to book. And don't forget, our full Accredited Training Programme is open for bookings. Our next course, BSA / Hieda Advanced Certificate in Boarding Practice (School Nurses), begins on November 3, closely followed by BSA Certificate in Professional Practice - Inclusion Lead Training, which gets under way on November 9. For more information on our forthcoming CPD, training and events, please scroll down to the BSA Academy section. BSA ForumsThe latest round of Regional Boarding Forums got under way last week. Please see below the dates and times for the remaining forum meetings:
If you haven’t received an invite to any of the forums and would like to join us, please email bsa@boarding.org.uk. Dates and times are still to be confirmed for our International, East of England, London, Wales and Prep Forums and will be announced soon. BSA Group Gold Membership SchemeThe BSA Group Gold Membership scheme for BSA schools which want joint membership of BSA, Sacpa (Safeguarding and Child Protection Association), BAISIS (British Association of Independent Schools with International Students) and Hieda (Health in Education Association) is generating lots of member interest. Schools pay an additional £450 (+ VAT if applicable) for Gold Membership and will automatically be enrolled in Sacpa, BAISIS and Hieda, as well as BSA. Schools joining as Gold Members will also be sent a logo they can use on their websites. Any schools interested in becoming a Gold Member should email Chris Ryan, Head of Membership. Chris can also discuss how individual schools which would like to upgrade their existing Sacpa, BAISIS or Hieda membership into full Gold Membership. Best wishes,
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. We are delighted to announce that bookings are now open for the 2021-22 accredited training courses! Certificate Course BSA / Hieda Advanced Certificate in Boarding Practice (School Nurses) To begin your qualification in November 2021, please click here. Study dates for the November module are: November 3, 2021 / January 11, 2022 / March 8, 2022 / May 16, 2022. To begin your qualification in December 2021, please click here. Study dates for the December module are: December 7, 2021 / February 9, 2022 / May 9, 2022 / June 23, 2022. BSA Certificate in International Boarding BSA Certificate in Professional Practice - Inclusion Lead Training Participants will receive high-quality training and support from a range of experts to further develop the skills and confidence needed to establish, embed and sustain equity, diversity and inclusion work in their school. Throughout the two days there will be opportunities to meet, collaborate and discuss with other participants and to learn from case studies and good practice from other schools. Click here to reserve your place. Autumn Diploma in Boarding Practice (Leadership) - 2021 - 2022
This is comprised of three, tutor-led study days, with interactive morning and afternoon sessions that allow for discussion. Find out more or reserve your place here. BSA Certificate in Professional Practice for Pupil Welfare & Support 2021-2022 Sessions for this course include:
Click here to reserve your place If you need any further information about our Accredited Training programme, please contact Liz McDonald, Head of Accredited Training, at liz@boarding.org.uk. Conferences - 2021-22We look forward to welcoming you at our range of virtual conferences, running throughout the year. To help with CPD planning, here are the events we are running in the autumn term:
In addition to the one-day conferences running in the autumn term, we are delighted to publish the dates for a number of our other conferences for 2021-22. Please do 'save the dates' in your diaries and if you'd like to register interest, please email us.
Safeguarding training - 2021-22Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and the start of a new academic year provides a clear marker to ensure that all staff have received appropriate training relating to safeguarding and their responsibilities. The virtual sessions below will be appropriate for most practitioners working in education settings:
Other training and eventsPlease see below a selection of other training and events taking place this month:
To see our latest training programme, click here.Index (Inclusion and Diversity Excellence)Following our inaugural inclusion conference in October 2020, BSA Group launched Index, a programme of support to help members in this area. This includes the BSA Index Framework and Toolkit - guidance documents to promote the values of equity, diversity and inclusion (they can be accessed here via the EDI area). Inclusion Leads/Staff with an EDI Leadership role - we are collating names and email contact details of anyone in a BSA school with an EDI leadership role. Please email bsa@boarding.org.uk with your full name, school and full job title/role. For more information about our Index programme, please email Ammy Davies-Potter, BSA Group Director of Guardianship and Inclusion. BSA Certified Supplier SchemeThe organisations below are members of the BSA Certified Supplier Scheme, which aims to connect members and organisations. BSA Gold Certified Suppliers
BSA Certified Suppliers
For more detail on each of the suppliers, please visit the BSA Certified Supplier Scheme page on our website. Please note: The suppliers listed are not endorsed by BSA, nor does the association accept any liability for the quality of the goods/services listed on this page. All suppliers below have entered into a commercial arrangement with the BSA to promote their goods/services. Certified Agent and Guardian schemesThe BSA Certified Agent and Guardian 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 Agents
For more information on the BSA Certified Agent scheme, please visit our website. BSA Certified Guardians
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. Other newsIndependent Schools SEND Conference in association with ISC 2021: This year’s Independent Schools SEND Conference in association with ISC (formerly the ISC SEND Conference) takes place on Friday, November 5. For more information, or to book a place, please click here. Please note that bookings close on Friday, October 22. Study Travel magazine annual survey of UK secondary schools: Study Travel magazine has asked us to make members aware of its annual survey of UK secondary schools that actively recruit international students. Any schools completing the survey will receive a FREE annual subscription to StudyTravel Magazine and membership into its ST Stats Club which will give you advanced access to all of its survey results, as well as an invitation to the ST Stats Club lunch held at selected ST Alphe conferences during 2022. The survey can be completed by clicking here - the deadline is Monday, October 25 (results of Study Travel's previous secondary school surveys can be found on its website). Keep in touchWe love hearing from members, so please keep in touch via +44(0) 207 798 1580 or bsa@boarding.org.uk. You can also contact the team directly:
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