www.boarding.org.uk No images? Click here Dear Members,Earlier this week, we held our Annual Conference for Heads. I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who attended - despite the fact that we weren't able to meet in person for the second conference in a row, I hope you'll agree it was an excellent two days. As well as everyone who joined us across the two days, we should also thank all our excellent guest speakers, and all our sponsors for the event: Schoolblazer, Limitless, Engage, Witley Jones, MyConcern, Unifrog, Sparx, Furlong Solutions and Noble and Eaton, Recordings and other follow-up materials will be distributed to everyone who attended the Conference shortly, so do look out for them. And if you weren't able to attend and would like to purchase recordings of any of the conference sessions, please email us at bsa@boarding.org.uk. With the conference now over, we still have a packed programme of events and training coming up over the next weeks and months, so please do scroll down to our BSA Academy section to see our upcoming events. Limitless Challenge: #boardersgosgreenDuring the conference, we also launched the Boarders Go Green Challenge. In partnership with Limitless, a unique brand that offers high-quality sportswear to many of our member schools, we're challenging schools to join together to walk the equivalent of the distance across Africa. Schools can contribute to this by undertaking a series of tasks and completing them will equate to a distance walked. The challenge starts now and will end at the conclusion of National Boarding Week (June 21 27, 2021) and we'd love to see as many of you getting involved as possible. For more information, please visit our #boardersgogreen webpage. BSA Awards 2021 - winners announcedAt the end of this year's conference, we unveiled the winners of this year's BSA Awards, sponsored by Engage. As mentioned during the ceremony, it was our biggest year yet with close to 200 entries being submitted. A full list of the winners and highly-commended finalists can be found by clicking here. Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists, and thank you to everyone who took the time to send in a submission. A huge thanks also to Engage for sponsoring this year's awards. One of the winners from this year's awards was Luca Vasile-Berde, a student at Rochester Independent College, who took the top prize in the Khadija Saye Photography Award, named in honour of the former Rugby School boarding pupil and respected international photographer, who tragically died in the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. Below is one of the stunning shots taken from Luca's winning submission titled ‘Brighton Murder Mystery'! Photo courtesy of Luca Vasile-Berde Updated Educational Guardianship paperWith the additional challenges of COVID and the recent National Minimum Standards for Boarding (NMS) consultation (final standards expected to come in to force in September 2021) we are pleased to provide a timely updated Educational Guardianship briefing paper which can be accessed here. For more information on our BSA Certified Guardian scheme, please scroll down to the Certified Guardian and Agent schemes section below. In House consultancy serviceBSA Group’s In House consultancy service on all aspects of boarding and safeguarding is currently proving very popular with members in the UK and overseas. This includes a boarding house facilities review service which we are now conducting ‘virtually’ with several schools via video footage and/or reviewing submitted images. Anyone interested in this, or consultancy of any kind at a discounted rate for members, please contact robin@boarding.org.uk. ON BOARDSince January 2019, our ON BOARD Community Action Programme has been highlighting the work of boarding schools in their local communities. Its aim is to increase support for local communities from boarding schools and to highlight this to external stakeholders, including the Government and parents. To participate in the programme, BSA member schools must:
For more information, please visit the ON BOARD section of our website. Scotland’s Boarding Schools' Virtual Fair, 22/5/21BSA is lending its support to Scotland’s Boarding Schools’ Virtual Fair, taking place on May 22. The event provides an opportunity for parents to meet key staff from Scotland’s leading senior boarding schools and discover the benefits of choosing Scotland for their child’s senior school education. For more information about the event, please click here. BSA Magazine - Summer 2021 edition: final content submission reminderFinally, a reminder that if you would like to submit any content for the next edition of the BSA Magazine, please email your contributions to bsa@boarding.org.uk by close of play today (Friday, May 7). Best wishes,
COVID updatesLifting of flight restrictions from the UK and Ireland to Hong KongEarlier this week, we issued an update following the Hong Kong Government announcing its plans to lift restrictions on direct flights from the UK/Ireland to Hong Kong from today (May 7). Students returning to Hong Kong will need to obtain a negative Covid-19 test result from a test taken 72 hours before departure and will also need to book a 21-night reservation in a designated quarantine hotel. On arrival at Hong Kong, they will be subject to the "test-and-hold" arrangement for obtaining a negative result at the airport, after which they will undertake the 21-day compulsory quarantine in the designated quarantine hotel (undergoing at least three tests during the period), and compulsory testing on the 26th day of arrival at Hong Kong. More details can be found here. Consultation on arrangements for an autumn 2021 exam series - outcome publishedOfcom has published the outcome of its consultation on arrangements for an autumn 2021 exam series. To read the full update, please click here. COVID KeepersAs a result of the pandemic have there been any policies and practices that you have introduced to your school - any ‘COVID Keepers’ - that you feel you'll retain? It may be you've abandoned, adopted or accelerated some policies, and if so, we would like to hear from you. If you would like to share details of your COVID Keepers with us, please email bsa@boarding.org.uk. We will collate the responses and share them with members. Also, if you are a state boarding school and wish to present your COVID Keepers at our SBF virtual Summer Conference on June 08, please email Chris Ryan, BSA Group Member Services Director, at chris@boarding.org.uk. BSA Certified Supplier SchemeThe organisations below are members of the BSA Certified Supplier Scheme, which aims to connect members and organisations. BSA Gold Certified Suppliers
BSA Certified Suppliers
For more detail on each of the suppliers, please visit the BSA Certified Supplier Scheme page on our website. Please note: The suppliers listed are not endorsed by BSA, nor does the association accept any liability for the quality of the goods/services listed on this page. All suppliers below have entered into a commercial arrangement with the BSA to promote their goods/services. 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 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. If you need any further information about our Accredited Training programme, please contact Liz McDonald, Senior Training Manager, at liz@boarding.org.uk. Virtual conferences
Virtual seminars and specialist training
Sacpa Training - Safeguarding for Professional Practitioners: This training is a vital safeguarding refresher for those working with children but who are not themselves the Designated Safeguarding Lead. Sacpa Director of Safeguarding, Dale Wilkins, formerly a Local Authority Safeguarding Trainer, will take delegates through the legal framework, update knowledge of definitions, signs and symptoms of abuse, consider specific safeguarding issues such as Child Sexual Exploitation, County Lines and preventing radicalisation and provide thorough guidance on identifying, recording and reporting abuse. The session will also invite delegates to consider where they are vulnerable within the workplace and how to handle allegations against staff. Date: May 10. 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. 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. Date: July 08. Webinars
To see the entire 2020-21 training programme, click here.Index (Inclusion and Diversity Excellence)Following our inaugural inclusion conference in October, BSA Group launched Index, a programme of support to help members in this area. This includes the BSA Index Framework and Toolkit - guidance documents to promote the values of equity, diversity and inclusion (they can be accessed here via the EDI area). May EDI Training
Our second Index (EDI) conference will take place on September 28, 2021 – more details will be available soon. Inclusion Leads/Staff with an EDI Leadership role - we are collating names and email contact details of anyone in a BSA school with an EDI leadership role. Please email bsa@boarding.org.uk with your full name, school and full job title/role. For more information about our Index programme, please email Ammy Davies-Potter, BSA Group Director of Guardianship and Inclusion. Other newsGSA webinars: The Girls' School Association is hosting two diversity and inclusion-related webinars in May which are now open for bookings:
Independent Schools of the Year 2021 Awards: We've been asked by Independent School Parent magazine to share the following update with you about the upcoming Independent Schools of the Year 2021 Awards:
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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