www.boarding.org.uk No images? Click here Dear membersThe Welsh government announced yesterday that all state schools in Wales would be open on September 1st for ALL pupils where schools can accommodate all pupils.Children will not have to socially distance with pupils in their class or “contact group”. Adults in schools will have to socially distance with each other. ScotlandThis week BSA was informed that the Care Inspectorate has added a new Key Question 7 to be used as part of scrutiny where there are concerns relating to COVID-19 in a residential childcare setting. Please click here to find out more. Stop it Now Scotland has updated their resources in light of the pandemic. These can be found at https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/stop-it-now-scotland/resources. SCIS has informed us that the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry will commence a case study examining the abuse of children in boarding schools in early 2021. EnglandFor state-funded schools, routine Ofsted inspections will remain suspended for the autumn term. However, during the autumn term, inspectors will visit a sample of schools to discuss how they are managing the return to education of all their pupils. These will be collaborative discussions, taking into account the curriculum and remote education expectations set out in this document, and will not result in a judgement. A brief letter will be published following the visit. The insights that inspectors gather will also be aggregated nationally to share learning with the sector, the government and the wider public. In addition, Ofsted has the power to inspect a school in response to any significant concerns, such as safeguarding. For independent schools, Ofsted/the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) standard inspections also remain suspended. During the autumn term, Ofsted/ISI will undertake non-routine inspections, as commissioned by the Department for Education, where appropriate. For example, this may be a pre-registration inspection or an inspection to follow up on significant safeguarding concerns. These inspections will have a judgement, as usual, and result in the production of a report. It is intended that routine Ofsted and ISI inspections will restart from January 2021, with the exact timing being kept under review. Click here to read more. The DfE has also released a checklist for school leaders to support full opening: behaviour and attendance. Click here to read more. JCQ has announced examination dates for the autumn 2020 series, more information can be found here. COVID-Safe CharterOver 260 BSA member schools have now pledged to support our COVID-SAFE CHARTER, and it is particularly pleasing to have had expressions of support from across the world. The Charter translation into Arabic and the bespoke version for guardians are both now available on the BSA website. If you would like to let BSA know you are adopting the Charter, please click here. Colleagues in England will be aware that travellers from some countries are no longer required to quarantine on arrival. However, the list for Scotland is slightly different. Please do check very carefully. The Republic of Ireland was also due to publish a “Green List” yesterday. The UK guidance has made clear that a transit stop in a non-exempt country will require quarantine on arrival, even if the original departure point was a country which is listed as an exemption. Since the Charter was originally published, UK guidance has changed to consider hand-dryers to be safe. This will be reflected in the next Charter update, although BSA would still advocate a thorough risk-assessment, as scientific opinion remains divided. COVID supplier listThis list aims to connect members and organisations navigating the pandemic. 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:
For more detail on each of the suppliers, please visit the BSA COVID supplier page here. BAISISThe British Association of Independent Schools with International Students (BAISIS) is now a member of the BSA Group. BAISIS’s mission is to define and share best practice in academic and pastoral provision for international students in British independent schools and colleges. To learn more about how BAISIS supports schools with international students, please take a look at www.baisis.org.uk. These are the key features of BAISIS’s work which may be of particular interest to your school:
As a member of BSA, we are delighted to offer your school membership of BAISIS at £295 per annum which is a 50% reduction in the annual subscription of £590. To take advantage of this offer, please email chris@boarding.org.uk. Consultancy supportA number of schools, both international and UK, have recently asked BSA for consultancy support on aspects of boarding. Our In House consultancy service, which is discounted for member schools, was heavily in demand before lockdown, and if there any schools with projects needing BSA support please contact me so we can ensure diary dates and resources are identified and secured. Best wishes
BSA AcademyAnnual Conference for Heads, 2019-20UPDATE RELATING TO POSTPONED MAY 2020 CONFERENCE: BSA has taken the decision to run this event remotely to increase accessibility during such a busy time of year and also to support schools in limiting staff and student travel and possible exposure to risk. To book, please click here. To check the status of an existing booking or if you have any questions about this conference, please email Beth Waddington, Head of Member Services. BSA Accredited Training ProgrammeNEW: Live online Certificate in International Boarding 2020-2021 courses are now open and delegates are invited to book now:
BSA Master's in Residential Education - Buckingham UniversityBSA's MA in Residential Education is a one-year, part-time course for those working in or with an interest in boarding schools. It is offered as a partnership between the BSA and Buckingham University. This course allows those with experience in boarding, who are keen to research, to write about a topic of interest to them relating to boarding. The heart of the MA is a 12,000-15,000 word
dissertation. Participants undertake a literature review, which informs their dissertation, and will learn about different research methods. Participants will be expected to read widely. The course starts in September. Applicants may be from state or independent boarding schools in the UK or abroad. To apply, please visit the University of Buckingham website. BSA Accredited Boarding Practitioner schemeThere are four levels recognising staff who have completed at least one year in boarding, have demonstrated a commitment to safeguarding and undertaken key training, such as a BSA day seminar (Level 1) to staff who have completed 12 or more years in boarding and completed the BSA Diploma, or equivalent qualification, and have made a significant contribution to the wider boarding community outside their own setting (Level 4). Levels 2 and 3 can be worked towards by completion of the BSA Advanced Certificate Course and BSA Diploma respectively. All readers of this newsletter are almost certainly eligible for one of the ABP Levels and now is a great opportunity to apply. If you've attended BSA training in the past, all you need to do to apply is click the applicable link below:
If you have any questions about an application or wish to nominate a colleague, please email Liz McDonald, BSA Senior Training Manager. Partner NewsBSA Certified Agents
BSA Certified Guardians
Member ServicesKeep 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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