www.boarding.org.uk No images? Click here Dear membersYesterday, the DfE issued Q&A guidance on boarding for Y6 pupils in England from June 1, following extensive communication and lobbying by BSA with the government, direct conversations with schools’ minister Baroness Berridge, welcome support from ISC and Andrew Lewer MP and questions raised by Lord Lucas and Lord Lexden.Please click here to read the DfE Boarding Q&A. Highlights from this include: Households:
PPE:
The guidance did not specifically answer the key question on whether member schools could quarantine returning international students, although we continue to press for clarity on this. The Q&A does say this however: “Once international travel resumes, international boarders should follow the rules on self-isolation for international travellers that are in force at the time they arrive.” Separate to the guidance, the DfE has also advised BSA and that it is “Not unreasonable to plan for self-isolating returning international boarders in boarding houses.” During the week, the DfE also updated the COVID advice in England/Wales covering safeguarding in schools, colleges and other providers. Please click here to view the guidance. Northern Ireland Scotland
SCIS is seeking clarification on whether August 11 reopening is intended to be a binding date for All schools. COVID-Safe CharterOn Tuesday (due to the Bank Holiday), we will release our latest COVID guidance which will include our BSA COVID-Safe Charter. To view the guidance from May 18, please click here. Flights for boardersBSA is in talks with a number of providers to investigate the possibility of dedicated flights to the UK in the Autumn term for boarders. In order to help us work through the detail, please can you complete this short survey (one per school). Please click here to complete the survey. BSA/SACPA webinarOn June 04, Peter Lewer will be delivering a webinar considering supervision and safeguarding the protectors. The session will look at the benefits supervision can bring to developing, and maintaining, a safe and child-centred culture. A must for everyone involved in safeguarding. Please click here to book. BSA Certified GuardiansDemand for the BSA Certified Guardian Scheme has been very high and I am pleased to announce a seventh company has now achieved certified status: UK Guardians - www.ukguardians.co.uk. We encourage you to suggest that the guardians your school works with, whether big organisations or individual relatives of students, apply. After only a few short weeks since BSA launched the scheme, it's fantastic to have such a quality group of guardians wish to work with member schools, especially at such a critical time. The full list:
BSA Certified AgentsThe BSA Certified Agent scheme is designed to improve the working relationship between high-quality agents and education consultants working with BSA boarding schools. This rigorous scheme is a clear demonstration of the quality and intention of the agents and consultants who join and provides unrivalled assurance to BSA boarding schools that they are dealing with top-class agents who have the highest standards in recruitment, safeguarding and student placement. We are delighted to announce a further two educational agents who have achieved certified status and welcome them to the BSA family. They are Britannia StudyLink and Academic Asia. The updated list of BSA Certified Agents are:
Password English Language TestingThe BSA has partnered with Password English Language Testing to assist the many international pupils in UK boarding schools affected by the closure of IELTS and other test centres. Many Year 13 international boarders, who had not met the English language requirement for their university choices before their enforced return home, are now struggling to find a way to prove their level of English in order to secure the conditional offer places they hold. As IELTS test centres across the world are currently closed, many until further notice, your UCAS Advisor, Director of Studies, or Head of EAL may have been contacted for advice about this situation. To support these pupils and your staff and school, Password and the BSA have created a co-branded version of the Password Skills test which is known and used by many UK universities in place of IELTS. The test is CEFR aligned, and fulfils all UKVI requirements for tier 4 visas. This special version of the test can be delivered and invigilated remotely by BSA schools’ staff. Schools running the Password Skills for BSA Schools test will have access to results and certificates in their own private results area. The collective results of all the BSA member schools taking part in the scheme will be in a BSA Results Area with an online validation system for use by universities. Tests can be run whenever and wherever required and results and certificates are available within 5 working days of tests being taken. The cost of the test is less than a quarter of the price of other independent tests such as IELTS, offering value for money in addition to the quality assurance of being designed and academically overseen by the world-leading research body, CRELLA. For more details of the scheme and to sign up please contact Dr. Helen Wood, Head of School Partnerships at Password (helen.wood@englishlanguagetesting.co.uk). Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children AppealKent County Council is exploring temporary accommodation options for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) arriving in the county. We understand that due to the current school closures, some BSA members may be in a position to make facilities available that could be appropriate for the accommodation of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children on a temporary basis. Such an arrangement would be hugely valuable in expanding Kent’s capacity to accommodate and support UASC during these difficult times. If any school is in a position to make an offer of support, or if they would like to discuss further, please contact Sarah Hammond, Director Integrated Services (Children’s Social Work Lead), Kent County Council - sarah.hammond@kent.gov.uk. Anti-slavery commissionerDame Sara Thornton, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner wrote to BSA this week in relation to the news stories of child trafficking reported in the media at the end of last year. She complimented the work the sector is undertaking, including the BSA Certified Agent Scheme. Click here to read the letter and to read the BSA response, please click here. Best wishes
BSA AcademyVirtual day seminarsSupporting overseas boarders Improving induction Chaplains' CPD WebinarsStategically leading and flexing in response to the current challenging landscape Mental health: Lessons from lockdown Mobile phones in schools To see more webinars, please visit our Events calendar. ConferencesVirtual Conference: BSA Boarding Future Project
DATE CONFIRMED - Annual Conference for Heads Boarding House Staff Conference SAVE THE DATE: Deputy Heads and Heads of Boarding Conference 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. Partner NewsPublication of 'The Missing Two Thousand'The Schools Together Group, an organisation that brings together state and independent schools to develop partnerships, this week launched a new report focussing on higher education partnerships: ‘The Missing Two Thousand’ argues that:
It also lays out a guide for schools seeking to emulate the success of LAE, through eight levels of partnerships. Beginning with the basics and gradually building to a more complex and sophisticated structure, the publication aims to create guidance for a new generation of social mobility. Please get in touch with press@isc.co.uk if you have any questions. To subscribe to the Schools Together Group mailing list, or for information on events and activities, please email info@schoolstogether.org. See schoolstogether.org for further information. Independent School ParentThe deadline for Independent School Parent magazine's Independent Schools of the Year awards has been extended until June 5, www.independentschoolsoftheyear.co.uk. We understand that fewer nominations than in previous years have been received for the Boarding School category to date - so any BSA member school interested in securing this prestigious award, or entering any of the other 21 categories for which they are eligible, should submit their entry with all speed! Member ServicesNational Boarding Week sponsored by Squadkit Monday 22 - Sunday 28 June, 2020 From home, we encourage everyone to get involved in fun and innovative activities that support mental health and wellbeing. Don’t forget to post all activities using the #iloveboarding #squadkit. Ideas include:
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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