Dear Members,

We hope that term starts smoothly for you and you are able to welcome back the vast majority of your boarders.

We would like to gain a sense of how many boarders have returned to our member schools. Therefore, next week’s newsletter will include a link to a very short survey asking for information about your boarders. We ask that you complete this as soon as possible and once we have processed the data we will share a summary with you.

Conferences 

Rescheduled Annual Conference for Heads
September 22-23, 2020
We’re delighted to announce that our 2020 Annual Conference for Heads, which had to be postponed earlier this year, will now take place on September 22-23 as a virtual event. The conference themed 'Diversity' and led by BSA Chair, Mark Lauder, Headmaster of Strathallan School will cover critical themes such as:

• Diversity in staff recruitment/issues of race in education, Nick Dennis, Director of Studies, St Francis College, Letchworth
• Supporting young people in boarding: mental health post-COVID-19 disruption, Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Buckingham
• Safeguarding in a diverse world, David Smellie, Partner, Farrer & Co, Steve Bailey, Chair, Sacpa and Dale Wilkins, Director of Safeguarding, Standards and Training, BSA
• The new outsiders: accommodating the non-traditional boarding pupil, Mungo Dunnett, MD, Mungo Dunnett Associates.

If you have not already done so and would like to join the event live or receive a recording, please click here to book now.

Diversity and Inclusion in Boarding conference
October 14, 2020
Recent months have highlighted the complex issues surrounding equality, diversity, and inclusion and so we have put together a programme of knowledgeable and important speakers to challenge and lead our thinking. We see this as a significant opportunity for schools and their staff to learn and understand more about one of the major issues of our time. This conference is fully inclusive and entirely suitable for any member of staff but will be particularly useful for staff in leadership roles. ​Topics include:

• Understanding the EDI framework
• Diversity in the boarding community
• Global inclusiveness
• LGBT+
• Socio-economic inclusion in boarding
• Understanding and supporting the needs of all.

Immigration

In July, the Home Office published further details of the key work and study immigration routes. This builds on the practical guide for employers which has already been published, and an introduction to the points-based system for EU migrants which will shortly be published on gov.uk. These publications support employers, businesses, the education sector, and applicants in preparing for the new system. Further guidance and Immigration Rules will also be published later this year ahead of the opening of new routes in the Autumn.

UKVI

Fragomen LLP has reported that the Home Office is resuming on-site audits for prospective and existing UK sponsors after these were halted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prospective and existing UK sponsors should be ready in the event they are subject to a compliance audit. Visits can be announced or unannounced. For more information, please click here.

Safeguarding

With the latest version of Keeping Children Safe in Education for England having been published in the early hours of Tuesday morning, BSA is hosting a webinar looking at the main implications for boarding schools. The will be on Monday, September 7 at 15:00. Please click here to book now.

Ofsted

Helen Humphreys, Ofsted Specialist Advisor for Residential Care, has kindly agreed to hold an information session for boarding schools relating to the Ofsted assurance visits. This will take place on Friday, September 18 at 15:30. Please email Dale Wilkins to register your interest in this event. 

Consultancy support

We are receiving renewed demand for our In House consultancy service, which is discounted for member schools. In House can support schools on projects related to any area of boarding and safeguarding, including strategy, marketing, boarding operations and facility reviews. If there any schools with projects needing BSA support please contact me so we can ensure diary dates and resources are identified and secured.

School Places

We’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, 

Robin Fletcher
Chief Executive, BSA and BSA Group

COVID-19 update

BSA’s final bespoke COVID-19 guidance was published on August 17, and contains links and references to many of the key documents from WHO and across the home nations. This update should be read in conjunction with that guidance. 

Cases of COVID-19

We would like to remind our UK member schools that Government guidelines state that any child showing symptoms of COVID-19 should remain in their residential setting. In the case of a boarder, this means staying in the boarding school and being cared for in suitable accommodation there, or returning safely to their family home in the UK, rather than transferring elsewhere e.g. to a guardian, unless agreed with the relevant health authority. This is in order to avoid spreading the infection more widely than necessary. Please click here to view the guidance.

England

Coronavirus guidance for boarding schools with international students
Last night the DfE issued “Guidance for residential educational settings with international students under the age of 18”. This guidance pulls together and clarifies much existing guidance, with the main highlights being:

• minimising the school staff who interact with the students and keeping isolating students apart from other students at the school
• ensure that students who are permitted to isolate together (for example, where they have travelled together), only do so in small groups of up to six students
• Schools will need to undertake their own risk assessments about how to isolate students safely
• Students must not leave the place they are self-isolating during the first 14 days, except in very limited circumstances. These are explained in the guidance on how to self-isolate when you travel to the UK.

Reopening of schools guidance
The guidance for the full reopening of schools was updated last Friday, and should now be read in conjunction with the new guidance on international boarders above and the guidance for those entering the UK. The list of countries exempt from self-isolation on arrival should be reviewed regularly as there are frequent changes to it.

Also issued on Friday was the guidance on how to respond to “Tier 2” local restrictions, where education is impacted in a particular area, and schools have to bring in a rota system for pupil attendance. This document makes clear that those boarders unable to get home can remain in the boarding house when it is their turn to be educated online.

DfE has also confirmed that the supply of testing kits being distributed to each school is also intended for independent schools, so any member who has been informed otherwise should take this up with your relevant local contacts.

Scotland

SCIS has issued the following update
In response to some queries about boarding school pupils, priority testing, etc. please find the link to the residential childcare guidance here, updated last week. In essence, everyone who is symptomatic, or has had close contact with someone who tested positive/is symptomatic, should be a priority for testing regardless. What is being actively encouraged is early and proactive discussions with Health Protection Teams.

International

We are delighted to have been able to help our member schools with getting their Chinese boarders back in time for two weeks’ quarantining before the start of September term. There is a shortage of flights coming out of China because regulations there state that at present airlines can only run one flight in and out per week and these are subject to cancellation at short notice. We worked with China Travel, a joint venture with CITS, a Chinese state-owned enterprise, to offer flights to all our schools. The flights arrived safely on August 21 and 28. 

Exeats and half-term

Schools will no doubt be focused on getting their pupils back for the start of term but we would urge members to look ahead to exeats, October half term and the end of term. International pupils will be understandably unwilling to leave their boarding houses this term and we suggest that schools strongly consider keeping their boarding houses open for these holidays. Unless the situation has changed dramatically by the end of term, many international pupils will be unable to go home if they come from a country, such as China, where they would have to enter quarantine to go home and then again to return to the UK.

 BSA COVID-19 supplier list

BSA 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:

• Active Sanitiser & Protection Tunnel: PTC XtraSAN
• Branded Face Masks: Funky Face Mask 
• Goldpro (please see the BSA Supplier page for full details of Goldpro)
• Disinfectant: Safe Tech Installations Limited
• Liquid hand sanitiser: ClearWater Hygiene
• Software: AssetPool Covid19 Safeguarding Compliance & Verification Software who have now also set up a “back-to-school” blog on how to be safe with AssetPool
• Testing: Chronomics
• Testing: COVID-19 Rapid Test: Fortress Diagnostics
• Testing and Tracking: Taylor Education: Covid-19 testing and tracking app
• Thermal Temperature Camera System: Eclipse Strategic Security Ltd  
• Tracking: WerAreWe.

For more detail on each of the suppliers, please visit the BSA COVID supplier page here.

Partner news

Office of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner

BSA and Sacpa have been working closely with the Office of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) regarding the role of independent schools in safeguarding international students. The IASC has written to the education secretary to outline some of the current issues in the sector, including risks around trafficking, exploitation and lack of statutory regulation for guardians of international students. A copy of the IASC's letter can be viewed here. 

BAISIS

The 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. These are the key features of BAISIS’s work which may be of particular interest to your school:

• Training of teachers in practical strategies for teaching and learning of international students
• Training of pastoral and admissions staff in international issues
• An active network of experienced Heads of EAL and senior management to advise schools developing new international programmes
• Free termly meetings, free CPD sessions and free regular updates
• Webinars and BSA certificated training courses with discounted fees for BAISIS members
• BAISIS membership is recognised by agents and parents as an indicator of best international practice.

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.

Sacpa

Also 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’s services include:

• CPD and training
• Information
• Advice, consultancy, policy and compliance support
• Networking opportunities
• Resource and policy hub
• Newsletters and an online forum
• Government and key stakeholder representation.

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.

Certified Guardian and Agent Schemes

The 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. More information about the schemes is available on our website.

BSA Certified Agents

• Academic Asia (China)
• Academic Families (worldwide) (Certified Agent and Certified Guardian)
• Barbara Glasmacher Internationale (Germany)
• BOSSS UK (China)
• Britannia StudyLink (HK)
• Cherry Education Consultancy (China)
• Connexcel (China) (Certified Agent and Certified Guardian)
• J3 Group (HK)
• Mark Brooks Education (Ghana, Nigeria, worldwide)
• School Britannia (France)
• The Independent Education Consultants (worldwide)
• The Watanabe Office (Japan) 
• UK Education Guide (Middle East, worldwide)
• UK Tuition Services (China).

BSA Certified Guardians

• Academic Families (Certified Agent and Certified Guardian)
• Amber Education
• Belgravia Guardians
• Berkeley Guardians
• Connexcel (Certified Agent and Certified Guardian)
• Cotswold Guardians
• Elite Anglo-Chinese Services 
• English Country Guardians 
• Guardians International Support
• Regent Guardians
• St George’s Guardians
• Study Links
• ​The Guardian Family Network
• UK Guardians
• UK Tuition and Services.

Events and training 

Webinars

Start the year with six essential emotional supports
September 04, 14:00 - 15:00: This workshop, co-hosted by two boarding school psychologists, will outline the six essential emotional supports that schools must have in place to ensure a smooth start for both on-site and online students.

'KCSIE 2020' highlights for boarding staff
September 07, 14:00 - 15:00: This webinar will increase familiarity with the impact of KCSIE on boarding practice in schools in England, and update colleagues with the 2020 changes. These changes put a much greater focus on mental health and wellbeing than before, and there is also a concentration of the relevant factors of the post-COVID response.

BSA & AGBIS joint webinar: Safeguarding highlights for Governors
September 09, 17:00 - 18:00: This webinar will give Governors an overview regarding their safeguarding responsibilities and will focus on recent updates relevant to the sector. There will also be a focus on ensuring appropriate responses to the safeguarding situation post-COVID.

Promoting positive mental health: 'Toolkit for resilience for wellbeing'
September 14, 14:00 - 15:00: This webinar focuses on how we can best look after our own mental health and resilience using the latest in neuroscience/positive psychology giving practical strategies which can help to reduce stress and alleviate burn out in education.

Virtual Day Seminars 

Boarding essentials
September 10, 10:30 - 15:30
September 17, 08:00 - 13:00
Twilight sessions, September 15, 16 and 18, 17:00 - 18:30
This seminar will cover the Duty of Care framework, the legal context, roles and boundaries, and meeting boarders' needs. By the end of the session, delegates should feel more confident in their role, understanding the basic principles and expectations of their role within boarding.

Induction training for Graduate and GAP assistants
September 11, 10:30 - 15:30
Enabling new Graduate and GAP assistants to join their new boarding team with confidence and understanding of their role, this session compliments a school-based induction. Delegates will consider safeguarding implications and Duty of Care throughout the session as well as their role in supporting boarders as part of a wider team.

Accredited training

Advanced Certificate
Our highly respected Advanced Certificate courses are now open for booking. These courses are run at various locations around the country and give practitioners all the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful in a boarding environment.

Diploma in Boarding Practice (Leadership) - 2020-2021
A Diploma level course for senior boarding staff. This module is now available in face-to-face and live online formats:

• Face-to-face event: November 10, 2020; March 08, 2021 and May 18, 2021. This event will take place in London, please click here to reserve your place.
• Online event: In response to popular demand we are now offering a live online format of the Diploma: January 18, 2021; March 15, 2021, and May 26, 2021. This event will take place on zoom, please click here to reserve your place.

BSA Certificate in Boarding Practice (Pupil Welfare & Support)
Study dates: November 16, 2020; January 15, 2021; March 16, 2021 and June 16, 2021.

BSA Advanced Certificate in Boarding Practice (School Nurses)
Study dates: November 18, 2020; January 12, 2021; March 10, 2021 and May 11, 2021.

BSA Certificate in International Boarding
Dates: December 03, 2020 and March 17, 2021. This event will take place in London (Hotel Melia, Kensington). Please click here to reserve your place.

NEW - Live Online Certificate in International Boarding. 
Each study day has one morning and one afternoon session. Morning session: 10:30-12:30. Afternoon Session: 13:30-15:30. Taking place on January 26, 2021 and March 24, 2021 on zoom, please click here to reserve your place.

Become a BSA Accredited Boarding Practitioner

BSA 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
• Achieving the best boarding practice and the best outcomes for boarders
• Reflecting on practice and undertaking regular training
• Working collaboratively with other boarding colleagues

Find out more here.

Member Services

Membership Subscriptions 2020/21

Thank you to all members who have already paid their membership subscription for 2020/21 this is much appreciated. We would encourage those who have yet to do so to keep an eye out as your invoice as it should be with you by now.

Forums

We will soon be publishing the dates for the next rounds of forum meetings. In the meantime, please note that our Virtual Heads’ Conference, 22 -23 September, will include breakout sessions led by our Regional forum reps and so if you wish to network with colleagues in your region this would be a very good opportunity to do so.

Keep in touch

Please 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:

• Chief Executive - Robin Fletcher
• Chief Operating Officer - Aileen Kane
• Director of Safeguarding, Standards and Training - Dale Wilkins
• Member Services Director - Chris Ryan
• International Director - Caroline Nixon

• Director of Guardianship and Inclusion - Ammy Davies-Potter

• Head of Member Services - Beth Waddington
• Senior Training Manager - Liz McDonald
• Communications and Partnerships Manager - Andrew Gray
• Member Services Co-ordinator - Chantelle Howell-Walker.

T. +44 (0)207 798 1580
E. bsa@boarding.org.uk
W. www.boarding.org.uk