www.boarding.org.uk No images? Click here Dear Members,Welcome to this week's edition of the newsletter - I hope those of you who were on half-term last week managed to get at least some rest. Yesterday (June 10) Ofsted published its Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. Although this focuses on schools and colleges in England, abuse knows no boundaries, and BSA believes that the findings of the review are relevant and pertinent to all BSA member schools worldwide:
The report goes on to make ten further recommendations for schools. as well as others for multi-agency partners, government and the inspectorates. Actions for schools include reinforcing a culture where sexual abuse and sexual harassment are not tolerated, strengthening the RSHE curriculum and providing high-quality training for teachers delivering RSHE, more support for DSLs, closer working with local safeguarding partnerships and appropriate training for all staff and governors. The review included speaking to over 900 children and young people, and it reveals how prevalent such abuse is. For some children “incidents are so commonplace that [children] see no point in reporting them”. Indeed the issue is so widespread that it needs addressing for all children and young people. BSA urges member schools, therefore, to heed the review’s call that we should “act as though sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are happening, even where there are no specific reports.” BSA has been well aware for quite some time that cases of peer-on-peer abuse are far more common than many people believe, and has tried to respond to this through our training programmes and through our Commitment to Care Charter. However, the actual scale of the abuse uncovered by Ofsted is truly shocking, with 90% of girls reporting that they had been sent explicit pictures and videos of things they did not want to see. 92% of girls also reported sexist name-calling. The figures for boys were lower (50% and 74%) but still very significant. It is clear that many of the incidents of sexual violence took place outside school, but some girls also reported unwanted sexual touching in school corridors. The report highlights the difficulties schools face when dealing with such issues and allegations, particularly when these have happened beyond the school gates. However the report also highlights that some teachers and leaders underestimate the scale of the problem. Young people also said that RSHE was “too little too late” and that they had to turn to peers or social media for advice. BSA will work with member schools and with the ISC associations to formulate our longer-term response, and will ensure appropriate content is embedded within all our future professional development programmes. In the meantime we shall be hosting a free webinar for members, Responding to the Ofsted review of sexual abuse, next Friday (18/6) at 10.30am, which will be in conjunction with Sacpa and GSA, and will explore the review’s findings in more detail. Please click on the link above to book your place. UK ImmigrationFollowing our immigration one-day conference yesterday and several meetings with the Home Office we can now confirm:
Download: Right to Work Checks from 1 July 2021 One-day conferences - bookings openA number of one-day conferences are scheduled between now and the end of term and there's still time for you to secure places at them if you haven't already booked. Next up is our Boarding Future Project Conference on June 15. The following day (June 16), Sacpa and BAISIS will be jointly hosting Safeguarding International Students, with Sacpa leading our first-ever Safeguarding in Sport conference on June 24. On July 6, we do hope you can join us for our long-running Annual Health and Wellbeing Conference. The programme for the event is developed in collaboration with our Nurse Advisors and the conference content will be relevant to pastoral staff specifically tasked with student wellbeing, Matrons and School Nurses, so please do let any of your team members know who may be interested. And don't forget, if you can't join us live at any of the conferences, remember you can make a booking to receive the recordings to review at your convenience. Please click on the links to book your places. For more information on our forthcoming CPD, training and events - including dates for our Accredited Training programme in 2021/22 - please scroll down to the BSA Academy section. COVID update: Hong KongPlease note that the quarantine period for those returning to Hong Kong from the UK is now 14 days in a hotel for anyone who has had the COVID vaccine. Anyone who is unvaccinated still needs to do 21 days quarantine, which for now obviously includes pupils at member schools. If there is any change on this we will keep you updated. Home office open consultation: Protect DutyThe Home Office is seeking views on how the Protect Duty can make the public safer at publicly accessible locations. This is a UK-wide consultation and is targeted at venues, organisations, businesses, local authorities, public authorities and individuals who own or operate at publicly accessible locations or others that a ‘Protect Duty’ would potentially affect. More on the consultation can be found by clicking here - the deadline for responding is Friday, July 2. Scotland: Childhood and School Flu Immunisation ProgrammeOur thanks to SCIS for sharing the following update with us Please find attached a letter from Scotland's Chief Medical Officer confirming, as intimated in the SCIS Report to Members in April, the Government has accepted the JCVI recommendation to extend seasonal 'flu vaccinations to:
There is no news yet on a suggested extension of 'flu vaccinations to frontline school staff. National Boarding Week - June 21-27It's almost time for this year's National Boarding Week, which takes place from June 21-27. Now in its fifth year, this year's event will focus on the importance of health and wellbeing and we'd love to see as many people as possible getting involved. In addition to our Boarders Go Green Challenge (see below), some of the activities you could undertake to support National Boarding Week might include:
If you do complete any challenges for National Boarding Week, don't forget to post them on social media, tagging us and using the hashtags #nationalboardingweek and #iloveboarding. You can download a copy of this year's National Boarding Week flyer by clicking on the image below. You can also visit the National Boarding Week page on our website for more information. Limitless Challenge: #boardersgogreenIn the run-up to National Boarding Week, many of you have been taking part in our Boarders Go Green Challenge, which launched at our Annual Conference for Heads. In partnership with Limitless, a unique brand that offers high-quality sportswear to many of our member schools, we've challenged schools to join together to walk the equivalent of the distance across Africa - approximately 7,500km. Schools can contribute to this by undertaking a series of tasks and completing them will equate to a distance walked. We've made an excellent start to the challenge, with more than 9,600km already covered. A massive thank you goes to staff and students at all of the schools who've helped us reach that figure. But that's not the end of the challenge - we want to keep going and see how far we can walk together by the end 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. School Sport Research Foundation (SSRF)We're lending our support to the School Sport Research Foundation (SSRF), a newly formed non-profit research foundation set up to promote and facilitate research into the physical, mental and social aspects of school sport. Membership of SSRF is open to all schools who have a desire to influence the direction this research takes. Schools who choose to become members of SSRF will be showing their commitment to engage with research that will allow continued improvement in their sector. Members will be able to propose research projects, seek the support of SSRF to run studies and have early results from research so that they can start implementing change. As part of this initiative, BSA will be undertaking a research project into sports injuries in schools. If you are interested in hearing more about SSRF and the potential of your school being involved, please complete the form that can be found here, or please contact Mr Richard Finch, Director of Sport at Harrow School and Head of School Partnerships at SSRF by emailing richard.finch@ssrf.org.uk. BSA ForumsAll members of the school boarding community are welcome to join our forum meetings. the next dates are: June
(*If you have yet to receive an invite and wish to attend please could you email bsa@boarding.org.uk) Best wishes,
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. We are delighted to announce that booking is now open for the 2021-22 accredited training courses! Certificate Course Online BSA Certificate in Professional Practice - Mental Health & Wellbeing
BSA Advanced Certificate in Boarding Practice (School Nurses) BSA Certificate in International Boarding BSA Certificate in Professional Practice - Inclusion Lead Training Participants will receive high-quality training and support from a range of experts to further develop the skills and confidence needed to establish, embed and sustain equity, diversity and inclusion work in their school. Throughout the two days there will be opportunities to meet, collaborate and discuss with other participants and to learn from case studies and good practice from other schools. Click here to reserve your place. Autumn Diploma in Boarding Practice (Leadership) - 2021 - 2022
This is comprised of three, tutor-led study days, with interactive morning and afternoon sessions that allow for discussion. Find out more or reserve your place 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 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). 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. 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 AgentsWe are delighted to announce that Beyond Education has 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. Partner newsClimate Solutions Conference: Charterhouse is hosting an online Climate Solutions Conference, led by students, which takes place on June 14-16. The event offers an opportunity to listen, engage, discuss, and learn about different aspects of climate change. For more information, or to register, please click here. Reach Girls' Summit: Members are invited to join the team at DLD College for the 'Reach Girls' Summit' on June 26. The Summit is open to all girls who are 11- 14 years old, and it will be very much a workshop and discussion format to help girls think about their futures in the ever-changing world that we all now live in. There are two ways to attend. Either in our COVID-19 safe Atrium at the multi-award winning DLD College London or via the live stream. Please click here to find out more and reserve your complimentary place. Virtual Girls’ Boarding School Fair – 15/6/21: GSA is holding a Virtual Girls’ Boarding School Fair on June 15. The event is free and offers an opportunity to meet Heads and key staff from 21 leading UK schools, and discover the boundless opportunities, all-round resilience, confidence, friendships and life chances that girls’ boarding can provide. For more information, or to book a place, please click here. UK Social Mobility Awards: There's still time to submit an entry for this year's UK Social Mobility Awards. Organised by leading Social Mobility charity Making The Leap, the awards are about making the advancement of social mobility a key part of how organisations are run in this country. The deadline for entering the awards is June 25. For more information, please click here. For any enquiries about entering, please email carmen.antiqueira@mtl.org.uk. New food and nutrition guide: The British Nutrition Foundation has launched a guide to support teachers in delivering food and nutrition education to pupils with additional needs. A copy of ‘Characteristics of good practice in teaching food and nutrition education to pupils with additional needs’, can be downloaded by clicking here. 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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