www.boarding.org.uk No images? Click here Dear Members,Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we've taken the decision to make all of our residential conferences scheduled for the remainder of this academic year online only. Delegates who have already booked are currently being contacted to advise that these events will be virtual. The next of these events is our two-day BSA Boarding Conference, which takes place on February 2-3. The theme of this year's event, chaired by Millfield School headmaster Gavin Horgan, will be 'sharpening our focus'. Over the two days, we'll be hearing from a range of guest speakers and looking at a variety of topics including compliance and safeguarding, supporting international students, supporting younger boarders, guardianship and inclusion. For more information about the event, or to book a place, please click on the image below. Revised national guidance for child protection in Scotland - consultationA reminder that the Scottish Government has launched a consultation into the revised National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland which runs until January 17. The guidance references independent schools, boarding, and both SCIS and BSA. BSA office moveOn Tuesday (December 1), BSA Group will be moving to new offices sharing quarters with colleagues at the ISC. Our new address will be:
Our main contact telephone number, +44 (0)207 798 1580, will remain the same. BN(O) familiesThe DfE has now confirmed the guidance for BSA state boarding members (SBF schools) and BN(O) applications:
Short-term study visa: Following a number of enquiries from SBF schools intending to use the short-term study visa route, this is not open to SBF schools. The guidance states entrants cannot study at a ‘state-funded school’. View the guidance here. For the latest COVID-19 updates, including changes to schools’ guidance from December 2, please see the next section of the newsletter. Events and trainingWith the end of the year fast approaching, we still have a selection of events taking place next week, which you can read more about below. On Friday (4/12), I will be leading a session on Key boarding themes for 2021 and hope to see many of you virtually there. On Accredited Training, places are also still available for our latest Pastoral Care course, which begins on Monday (30/11). Further details can be found in the BSA Academy section and you can also see our full 2020/21 training calendar for an up-to-date list of all our events. Boarding School Magazine, Spring 2021 - send us your newsThank you to everyone who has sent in contributions for the spring 2021 edition of Boarding School magazine, due for publication in February 2021. If you would like to submit an article for the next edition, please email bsa@boarding.org.uk with your contributions by Friday January 8, 2021. New BSA websiteWe're currently building a new BSA website which will be going live in early 2021. As part of this project, please be aware that you may be contacted on our behalf by our colleagues at Inner Media, who are helping us to develop the new site. They will be in touch to check that your existing school profile information is up-to-date, ahead of it being transferred over to our new site. A big thank you to all member schools which have sent in photos for the project. School PlacesWe’ve teamed up with Bulldog Publishing to launch Schoolplaces.org, a dedicated live information resource for schools, parents, and education agents. Schoolplaces.org is designed to help agents and families easily find available school places, all in one location. And it’s also the ideal platform for schools to showcase themselves and let parents and agents know what they are offering. If you’re interested in getting your school listed on Schoolplaces.org, please email hello@schoolplaces.org. Best wishes,
COVID-19 updateTesting update Some schools have been using Oncologica as a supplier of COVID-19 pre-flight tests. As highlighted in last week’s newsletter, they have requested for their UKAS accreditation to be temporarily suspended, so it is highly likely that Oncologica tests will not currently be accepted as appropriate evidence of fitness to fly: https://www.ukas.com/services/other-services/sanctions/organisations-under-sanction/. As confirmed on GOV.UK, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced that there will be a programme of testing available for those arriving at the UK border from mid-December for whom a 14-day quarantine is currently required. The current list of countries from which travellers will be exempt from testing will remain, and this currently includes Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. From 15 December 2020 those arriving from countries not on the list will be able to book a test at a Government approved facility, which must then be stated on the passenger locator form prior to arrival. A negative test result would release them from self-isolation after five days. Further detail will be available shortly, as will confirmation of the arrangements for the devolved administrations. We have posted updated advice around testing for pupils returning home to Hong Kong and China on our website. To view the updated advice, please click on the links below: EnglandChanges to schools’ guidance from December 2 The DfE has updated its main guidance document for schools to reflect minor changes resulting from the move to a strengthened tier system from December 2 onward. The full guidance available by clicking here - a summary of updates to the main schools’ guidance is included below:
Thanks to our colleagues at ISC for sharing this update with us. GOV.UK has also updated its 'Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak' guidance. The guidance has been revised to reflect local restriction tiers and can be viewed by clicking here. 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. Other newsOur colleagues at Royal Springboard have asked us to share the following update:
Free resourceHannah Dawes, Head of Learning for Life (PSHE) at Oundle School, has launched a free resource for teenagers and schools across the UK. 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 Agents
For more information on the BSA Certified Agent scheme, please visit our website. BSA Certified GuardiansWe are delighted to announce that Clarendon International Education 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. LAST CHANCE TO BOOK
MORE COURSES
Virtual conferences
Virtual day seminars
Webinars
To see the entire 2020-21 training programme, click here.Partner newsBAISISThe 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 our website. 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. For more on forthcoming BAISIS training and events, please see the BSA Academy section below or visit the BAISIS website. SacpaAlso a member of the BSA Group is The Safeguarding and Child Protection Association (Sacpa), which champions excellence in safeguarding and child protection. Sacpa is the voice of safeguarding, providing a channel to government and other key agencies. The association represents organisations, associations, agencies and individuals involved in safeguarding the welfare of children and vulnerable adults in the UK and overseas. Sacpa offers three different types of membership: Professional, Charity and Organisation. A 50% discount is available to BSA members (schools or individual staff) who wish to join meaning membership prices start from £55 – please email chris@boarding.org.uk if you would like to become a member. Sacpa runs a comprehensive training programme, inviting experts from across the safeguarding sector to speak on important and current topics relating to safeguarding, child protection and the care of adults at risk. The next Sacpa webinar is 'Keeping children safe in out-of-school settings', which takes place on Thursday (03/12). For more on forthcoming Sacpa training and events, please see the BSA Academy section below or visit the Sacpa website. 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. Member ServicesRequest for help Wisbech Grammar School have asked us to pass on a message asking for your support:
Please click here to complete the survey. 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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