A boarding update for EA’s and PA’s, administrative and non-boarding staff

• Date: June 07, 2024
• Time: 10:30 – 15:30
• Cost: BSA Full Member – £155, BSA Affiliate Member – £230, Non-member – £310
• Audience: School Secretaries, Administrative Assistants and PA’s
• Platform: Zoom (online) – Day Seminar

Course outline

Despite working full time in a Boarding school, many ‘office’ and administrative staff who support the students may have little contact with boarding compared to other staff in the school. This seminar will give an overview of effective boarding provision including the legal and regulatory aspects of caring for students. Additional topics will include managing staff and effective communication, and listening skills in a busy, school-based environment.

Often, administrative and support staff in a school are left to work in semi-isolation from students due to the nature of their roles and their working hours. This seminar will afford delegates the chance to develop a wider understanding of the issues faced by boarders and day students in their school. The seminar will also explore how great communication between all stakeholders in an organisation is a significant key to success for the organisation as a whole. 

Training topics will include:

• The boarding context, including safeguarding and current issues - this session will explore current boarding practice with particular focus on safeguarding and the legal and inspection requirements of pastoral care in our schools
• Understanding the needs of the boarders – this session will focus on the emotional and physical needs of the boarders in your school
• Working and communicating as a team - in this session the group will look at ways to effectively manage the various team members in a school, from your own office/administrative team, to the wider context of support, pastoral, medical and teaching staff
• Managing difficult situations – effective communication skills are key to positive relationships in a school. This session will explore some of the key points to managing relationships and dealing with conflict, when it occurs.

Learning outcomes:

• An updated perspective of current boarding practice, standards and provision, including the latest safeguarding and inspection ‘headlines’ relevant to boarding
• An increased understanding of the work undertaken in boarding to meet the needs of boarders, and how the wider school plays its part
• Tips for effective team management and best practice for working together as school
• Tips for effective communication, managing relationships and dealing with conflict.

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Mark Robinson, BSA Senior Consultant

Mark has a Product Design Degree from Brunel University and a PGCE. His first post in independent education was as Assistant Master at Christ’s Hospital in Horsham where he held several positions including Assistant Housemaster to a junior boy’s boarding house. After five years he moved on to Ardingly College in West Sussex as a Head of Department and Housemaster to a joint day and boarding house. Mark has been an inspector on boarding inspections, an Assistant Housemaster to a girls’ boarding house and fully involved in teaching up to ‘A‘ Level.

In 2002 Mark gave up teaching to set up Mentor Education Services Ltd, a business offering education-related consultancy services to the independent sector, initially training, interview coaching and professional development but also marketing and pre-inspection to schools both in the independent and maintained sector.

Mark was appointed as Assistant Director of Training for the Boarding Schools’ Association in 2010, where he continued offering training and consultancy to independent and state schools both in the UK and around the world. In 2017 he was appointed as Deputy Head Pastoral at Collège du Léman in Switzerland, a large international boarding and day school. After gaining some further, valuable international experience, Mark returned to the UK to continue his training and consultancy in the Independent and state school sectors.