BSA Weekly Newsletter Issue 162
Dear membersFollowing the guidance on coronavirus we issued to member schools earlier this week, we are grateful to those schools which have contacted us for specific advice.Most of this has centred on whether students or parents should travel to and from China or other countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. We recognise that while the prevalence of the virus is different in each of these regions, and thus official travel advice also differs, BSA still urges schools not to take undue risks. While this may seem overly cautious, the health, safety and
welfare of the whole school community is paramount. BSA Group and SacpaBSA this week becomes BSA Group, comprising BSA and our newly-launched sister association, Sacpa (Safeguarding and Child Protection Association). Sacpa represents any individual or organisation working in the field of safeguarding or protection of children or vulnerable adults and offers a range of services including guidance, advice, resources and training. BSA COO Aileen Kane is Director of Sacpa and the Sacpa chair is Dr Steve
Bailey, Headmaster of Twyford School. BSA schools and staff are entitled to a 50% discount on Sacpa membership. To find out more, please visit https://www.sacpa.org.uk/membership, using code 'BSA2020'. Boarding staff surveyIn autumn 2019, 30 BSA schools took part in our first boarding staff survey. Participating schools employ more than 1,200 boarding staff overseeing more than 4,000 boarders and the survey covered areas such as age of staff, length of service and key areas affecting recruitment and
retention. Please click here to view a summary of the survey findings. BSA will run the survey for a second time this autumn and would encourage more schools to participate so we can build a more comprehensive picture of staffing in the sector. Conferences We welcomed over 130 deputies and heads of boarding in Bristol for our conference 'Embracing the Change'. Delegates heard from a wide array of speakers discussing the path to headship and the challenges facing our schools. Speakers included Eve
Jardine-Young, Principal Cheltenham Ladies’ College, David Woodgate CEO ISBA, Barnaby Lenon Chair ISC, as well as experts in the fields of law, international recruitment, and safeguarding. Our next conference is the Marketing Admissions Guardianship and International Conference, run in conjunction with BAISIS and AEGIS, will take place in London from March 10-11. Sessions include a global view of international students and the boarding sector by Lord Karan Bilimoria. Marketing expert, Geoff Ramm, will focus on the gap in your boarding service you never knew existed, Susan Osborne founder of
the Warhorse Memorial will examine key boarding communication strategies and James Leggett, Research Director from MTM Consulting discussing how the profile of boarding parents has changed over time. Click here to book now. BSA boarding awardsIn 2018, the BSA held its first Awards Dinner which celebrated the achievements, hard work, and dedication of schools and individuals to boarding. We are pleased to announce the awards will take place again in 2020 and winners will be announced at Awards Dinner,
during our Annual Conference for Heads on May 5, in Edinburgh. This year, the categories for awards are as follows: - Boarding House Extension or Refurbishment Award
- Boarding Research Award
- Boarding Innovation Award
- Wellbeing Mental Health Initiative
- Working with
Vulnerable Children
- Stephen Winkley Award
- (NEW) Supporting Junior Boarders
- (NEW) Supporting International
- (NEW) Most Original Activity During National Boarding Week
- (NEW) Best Community Work via our 'OnBoard' Initiative
Please visit our website to find out more about these awards, including how to nominate a
colleague. Robin Fletcher
Chief Executive
Day SeminarsOnline safety in boarding: keeping policy current and compliant
Feb 10, Blundell’s School, Tiverton
This new seminar will provide an update on the latest challenges facing pupils when they go online. It will also focus on the statutory requirements that schools need to consider when creating policy; particularly around the use of mobile devices and internet access. Throughout the day there will be time for group discussion and debate and the opportunity to raise specific issues relating to individual schools in a confidential and supportive setting. Gender and identity in Boarding
Feb 27, Melia London Kensington, London
This seminar is an interactive, informative day providing attendees with the opportunity to discuss the day to day processes relating to your legal requirements in ensuring inclusion of gender and gender identity around your school, and in boarding. The seminar will foster a deeper understanding of sexual orientation, gender and gender identity and encourage a culture of ‘usualising’ across your school in pastoral care and in the classroom. Delegates will be given strategies and resources to take back to their schools to foster long term and sustainable change. Embracing Diversity one-day conference
March 05, Grand Connaught Rooms, London
This one-day conference has been put together to present a series of areas where schools need to be particularly aware and open to diversity, inclusion and consideration. BSA member schools are made up of a breadth of very different schools, all working to promote excellence in boarding for young people, and this includes caring for all, irrespective of differences.
Speakers include a representative from GIRES, Assistant Head and TES blogger Nicki Cunningham-Smith, SEN authority Fin O'Regan and BSA Chair Mark Lauder. The five step: solutions to personal wellbeing
March 05, Queenswood School, Hatfield
The five step is a comprehensive personal wellbeing programme designed to maximise academic and personal success. This seminar will develop all practitioners’ skills in working effectively with pupils who require additional support in developing life skills to effectively deal with tricky situations and emotional stress. It will cover friendship issues, bullying defence tools and developing positive mental health.
This seminar is particularly useful for staff working with prep age students, 8-13.
Conferences Annual Conference for Boarding House Staff
April 01-02, 2020, The Hilton Brighton Metropole, Brighton
We are very pleased to announce that the Annual Conference for Boarding House Staff will be held in Brighton in April 2020. We hope we have booked speakers who will inspire over the two days, as well as being an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues. Speakers include: - Gemma Oaten: Former Emmerdale Actress and Patron of Seed - The Women on the Screen: The Reality of Eating Disorders and Early Intervention.
- Johnny Hunt: Sex Education Consultant, Going Off the Rails - Sex and Relationship Education.
- Mark
Robinson: Senior Consultant, BSA - Developing Leadership Skills in the Boarding House.
- Lis Cashin: Consultant, Trainer, Author - One Hell of a Path to Happiness.
- Gareth Doodes: Headmaster, Dover College - Embracing the Challenge.
- Dale Wilkins: Director of Safeguarding and Standards, BSA - Playing it Safe? Creating a Positive Safeguarding in Schools.
To reserve a place at this conference, book online here. SBF Summer Conference
June 16, Gordon's School, Surrey
To book your place at the conference please click here. Speakers and topics include: - Sector update: Robin Fletcher, CEO, BSA
- IICSA & NMS Update: Dale Wilkins, Director of Safeguarding, Standards & Training
- Post-Brexit Challenges: Mark Dixon, Headmaster, Royal Alexandra & Albert School
- DfE Briefing and
Q&A: Ayath Ullah, DfE
- Boarding Staffing: Ensuring the Future Supply of Quality Boarding Staff
- MOD/FCO Update: Russell Collyer, MOD and Mark Taylor, FCO.
Partner NewsSchools Together
Half-Day Conference: "Partnerships & Boarding Schools"
March 19, 2020, Shrewsbury School
This event aims to explore the ways in which boarding schools – both state and independent – collaborate with other schools and the community, including bursaries, community action, residential trips and inspections. We are delighted to announce that Colin Morrison, Chair of Boarding School Partnerships, will give the keynote speech. Other panellists and workshop leaders include: Ben McCarey (Holyport College), Alex Hanratty (Springboard), Lee Summers (Wymondham College) and colleagues from The BSA, Buttle, Into University and more. BAISIS
A whole-school approach to supporting international students in the mainstream classroom
Feb 28, 2020, Abbey College Cambridge
If you teach EAL in a mainstream school or are responsible for EAL provision in your school, this day is intended to help you explore how to implement a school-wide approach to EAL classroom strategies and teaching techniques in mainstream subject classrooms. This will enable you to cascade ideas across departments in your school, to help you support subject teachers, and to enable you to take a role in influencing managers and policymakers. Childnet
Safer internet day 2020 supporters' registration now open!
BSA is supporting Childnet, a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre which coordinates Safer Internet Day in the UK each year. Schools and organisations are now able to register as Safer Internet Day Supporters to share what they are doing for the day. In 2019 over 2,100 organisations registered their support; this and the activities that took place across the UK made 2019 the biggest UK Safer Internet Day yet. Now we need your help to make Safer Internet
Day 2020 even bigger and better! ISC
'Transforming Young Lives: Fundraising for Bursaries'
The ISC, in partnership with IDPE, Graham-Pelton and ISBA, is pleased to announce the publication of ‘Transforming young lives: Fundraising for bursaries’, by John Claughton, former chief master of King Edward's School, Birmingham. The book looks at bursary fundraising in independent schools, featuring conversations with a wide range of people at a number of schools and some overarching institutions about their experiences in this important field of work. It aims to shine a spotlight on bursary fundraising – the opportunities available to schools, what approach is best suited to individual circumstances and ways of working
they may be able to replicate. There will be a limited number of additional hard copies available from the ISC. If you would like one, please contact press@isc.co.uk
Certified agent schemeThe BSA has launched a certified agent scheme to provide a kitemark of professional quality for education consultants and agents. The scheme is designed to provide member schools with access to the best, top-quality education agents and consultants from around the world. Certified agents will be required to complete an application that includes referencing before undertaking training with the BSA and sector specialists. The scheme is designed to be deliberately rigorous and is intended to be a clear demonstration to BSA boarding schools of the quality and intention of the agents and consultants who reach certified status. Please visit our website to find out more about this scheme. If you would like to nominate an agent or education consultant to apply, please contact BSA Chief Operating Officer, Aileen Kane (aileen@boarding.org.uk). The BSA TeamOur team is here to help. Please keep in touch and we hope to see you soon. T. +44 (0)207 798 1580
E. bsa@boarding.org.uk
W. www.boarding.org.uk
|