www.boarding.org.uk No images? Click here 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. ConferencesRescheduled Annual Conference for Heads
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
ImmigrationIn 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. UKVIFragomen 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. SafeguardingWith 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. OfstedHelen 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 supportWe 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 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 updateBSA’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-19We 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. EnglandCoronavirus guidance for boarding schools with international students
Reopening of schools guidance 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. ScotlandSCIS has issued the following update InternationalWe 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-termSchools 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 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. Partner newsOffice of the Independent Anti-Slavery CommissionerBSA 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. 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 our website. 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. 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’s services include:
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 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. More information about the schemes is available on our website. BSA Certified Agents
BSA Certified Guardians
Events and trainingWebinarsStart the year with six essential emotional supports 'KCSIE 2020' highlights for boarding staff BSA & AGBIS joint webinar: Safeguarding highlights for Governors Promoting positive mental health: 'Toolkit for resilience for wellbeing' Virtual Day SeminarsBoarding essentials Induction training for Graduate and GAP assistants Accredited trainingAdvanced Certificate Diploma in Boarding Practice (Leadership) - 2020-2021
BSA Certificate in Boarding Practice (Pupil Welfare & Support) BSA Advanced Certificate in Boarding Practice (School Nurses) BSA Certificate in International Boarding NEW - Live Online Certificate in International Boarding. 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 ServicesMembership Subscriptions 2020/21Thank 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. ForumsWe 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 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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