www.boarding.org.uk No images? Click here Dear Members,Welcome to this week's edition of our newsletter. With almost half of January already behind us, we're fast approaching our first online conferences of the year. We hope you can join us for the Sacpa-led 'Abuse online - managing and preventing incidents', which takes place next Friday (January 22). Looking slightly further ahead, places are still available at our two-day BSA Boarding Conference on February 2-3. You can also secure your spot at the joint BSA/BAISIS International Conference on March 11, and our BSA Annual Conference for Heads 2020-21 on May 4-5. You can book places or find out more about these sessions, along with other events already in the diary for 2021, in the BSA Academy section below. You can also see our full 2020/21 training calendar for an up-to-date list of all our events. Supporting international students during the COVID-19 pandemicFollowing concerns from member schools about the welfare of international pupils during the COVID-19 pandemic, we've written to Baroness Berridge, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education); Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education; Andrew Lewer, Chair of the APPG for Independent Education; Lord Lexden, former ISC and ISA Chair, and Sir Steve Smith, International Education Champion, urging them to allow such children to be classed as ‘vulnerable’ where doing so would protect their rights and safeguard their mental health and well-being. Current guidance does not class these children as vulnerable, yet they are thousands of miles from home, many have not seen their families since the summer break and are effectively now ‘locked up’ in their boarding house and unable to bubble with their vulnerable UK peers. As a result of this letter, Andrew Lewer will be submitting a question to Parliament. We are awaiting further responses and will share any updates with you when they are available. If you would like to use the contents of this letter to lobby your own local MP about this issue, please feel free to do so. A copy of the letter can be found here. COVID-19 TestingWe've been made aware that a number of members have been experiencing some problems relating to private COVID-19 testing. Specifically, members have advised us of delays in the supply of testing packs and results for the ‘Test to Release’ scheme, resulting in pupils not being able to be released at the end of their fifth day of self-isolation. If you are having difficulties, please contact the test provider in the first instance to resolve this. If you have experienced any testing issues which you would be willing to share, please email us at bsa@boarding.org.uk and we will publish a summary of our findings if there appears to be a significant problem. For the latest COVID-19 updates, please see the next section of the newsletter. BSA Awards 2021 - entries now openThe annual BSA Awards are our chance to celebrate the achievements, hard work, and dedication of schools and individuals in boarding. We're delighted to announce that nominations are now open for this year's awards, which will be announced at our BSA Annual Conference for Heads 2020-21 on May 4-5. For more information on this year's categories and how to enter, please visit the Awards page on our website. The deadline for submitting any entries is Friday, March 26. Royal seal of approvalOur Boarding Orchard initiative has received support from His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales. A Clarence House spokesperson passed on the Prince’s ‘warmest wishes for every success with the project’, calling it ‘an excellent way of promoting environmental awareness.’ To read the story in full, please click here. Boarders returning surveyWe would like to get an idea of how many boarders there are currently on site at our members’ schools and colleges across the UK. Please could we ask you to complete a very short survey detailing how many boarders you have registered and how many are actually on site. Please click here to access the survey. Date for next Prep School Forum meetingThe next Prep School Forum meeting will take place on Friday, February 5 via Zoom. Invites will be sent out shortly by email - if you would like to attend, please contact Chris Ryan, Member Services Director, to register your interest. Best wishes,
COVID-19 updateFrom 4am GMT on Monday (January 18), all inbound travellers entering England will need to have proof of a negative COVID-19 test undertaken in the three days prior to departure. The updated COVID-19 testing guidance for people travelling to England can be viewed here. In light of this, GOV.UK has also issued updated guidance around safer travel for passengers. Please note however that there are few flights to or from any part of the UK at present and DfE guidance remains that international pupils who have not yet arrived should not return to their schools. We are in contact with the DfE and if we receive any update on this information we will let members know. In Scotland, new pre-departure COVID testing requirements came into effect at 4am today (Friday, January 15), where anyone travelling to Scotland from outside the Common Travel Area must have a valid negative COVID-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure. For more information on this from the Scottish Government, please click here. Plans for pre-arrival testing in Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to be announced in the coming days. DfE letter to independent schools - asymptomatic testingThe DfE has written to independent schools in England regarding asymptomatic testing and the activation of NHS Test and Trace digital accounts. A copy of the letter can be viewed by logging into the Members' area of our website (the letter can be found in the Guidance section under 'Latest DfE/ISI statutory guidance'). 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 newsVisas and immigrationEU citizens and their family members (including non-EU citizens) need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. The EUSS is free and the application deadline is 30 June 2021. EU citizens must have started living in the UK by 31 December 2020 to be eligible to apply to the EUSS in their own right. If EU citizens and their family members apply successfully to the EUSS they’ll be able to continue to live, work and study in the UK. Successful applicants will get either settled status or pre-settled status meaning they will continue to be eligible to access the benefits and services they do now. Children of all ages (0-18) require their own immigration status and are not covered by a parent’s application to the EU Settlement Scheme. An application must be made for every eligible child within a family. More information on the EU Settlement Scheme can be found here and applications can be made on online on GOV.UK using a computer, tablet or mobile phone. Please note – The new and improved Child Student route, which falls under the UK's new points-based immigration system, is open to EU, EEA and Swiss students as well as international students aged between 4-17 years old, but EU, EEA and Swiss students who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 should not apply through this route. These students, and their family members, are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. Those who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 have until 30 June 2021 to make an application to the EU Settlement Scheme and it is free to apply to. EU, EEA and Swiss students coming to study in the UK must apply through the Child Student route ahead of arriving in the UK and this will incur monetary costs. Further guidance for EU, EEA and Swiss students can be found here. The Home Office does not expect schools to make applications on behalf of their students; parents and guardians need to make applications for themselves and their children. A child can also apply in their own right, but we strongly encourage a child’s application to be made with support from an adult. Sponsor guidance update: Meanwhile, GOV.UK has updated its Sponsor guidance appendix D: keeping records for sponsorship advice. The guidance has been revised to include clarifications on record-keeping duties for sponsors. Revised national guidance for child protection in Scotland - consultation extendedThe consultation on the revision of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland was due to close on January 17, but In light of the current COVID situation, the consultation deadline has been extended to January 31. For more information on the consultation, including details of how to respond, please click here. Revised national minimum standards for boarding schools in England - consultationThe DfE has launched the consultation on the revised standards which closes on February 23, 2021. BSA and ISC will be submitting separate but coordinated responses, and schools are also welcome to respond individually. If you have any comments on the DfE’s proposals please contact Dale Wilkins (Dale@boarding.org.uk) and Simon Nathan (simon.nathan@isc.co.uk) by the end of January. Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance for 2021 - consultationThe DfE has also launched a consultation into the proposed Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance for 2021, and that on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in Schools and Colleges, which links to Part 5 of KCSIE. As with the NMS consultation, BSA will be coordinating responses on behalf of the sector, but schools are encouraged to make their own responses should they wish to. The consultation closes on March 4, 2021. Global Health Insurance Cards - applications openApplications are now open for the new Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC) which replace the EHIC. Over 16s can apply by themselves, otherwise it needs to be a parent or guardian, although Boarding school teaching staff can apply on behalf of any children in their care. To apply, please click here. 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 AgentsWe are delighted to announce that JD Consultancy (China) and Panoba (Nigeria and Saudi Arabia) have joined the BSA Certified Agent scheme. Welcome to the BSA family!
For more information on the BSA Certified Agent scheme, please visit our website. BSA Certified Guardians
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. COURSES
Virtual conferences
Virtual day seminars
Induction training for GAP Assistants: January is traditionally a changeover point for many GAP and Graduate Assistant roles in schools. Although the numbers coming to the UK in January 2021 are reduced compared to normal years, there will still be a group of enthusiastic and committed new staff joining our schools when term begins. BSA will be running our traditional training events for GAPS (please see dates and links below) and is also delighted to be supporting LetzLive with training its GAPS and Grads before they go on to schools. Both LetzLive and BSA are taking all appropriate measures to ensure COVID-Safe procedures for all concerned. Dates (please note all sessions run from 10:30 - 15:30): January 19; January 20 and January 26. Sacpa DSL Training: This training will enable you to meet statutory responsibilities referenced in Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children. The course is suitable for staff in the role of designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy designated safeguarding lead (DDSL). It is delivered by an NSPCC-accredited trainer and qualified social work manager of 20 years. Sacpa Safer Recruitment Training: This training will enable you to meet statutory responsibilities referenced in Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children, and required by OFSTED. The course is suitable for staff in the role of designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy designated safeguarding lead (DDSL) as well as members of management teams with recruitment responsibilities, including HR and Governors/Trustees. Date: May 13. Webinars
To see the entire 2020-21 training programme, click here.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. University of Buckingham education coursesOur colleagues at the University of Buckingham have advised us that they have updated their list of online courses beginning in September 2021. For a full list of courses, please visit the University of Buckingham website by clicking here. (Our thanks to Barnaby Lenon for sharing this update with us) 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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