New in boarding: for September starters and staff in their first two years in boarding
🏷️ ÂŁ99 – Members / ÂŁ150 – New starter package (includes one year of TIOB membership!)Â
🎧 New boarding staff due to begin in September and staff within the first two years of their boarding career
📍 Duke’s Headquarters, Buckingham Gate, London
Starting a career in boarding can be both exciting and challenging. Whether you are preparing for a new role this September or navigating your first two years in a boarding environment, this conference aims to support and inspire all staff at the beginning of their boarding journey.
Join us in London for this brilliant networking opportunity alongside experienced boarding sector professionals and peers for practical guidance, reassurance, and a clearer understanding of what to expect from your role. Through a series of focused sessions, we’ll explore structure and opportunities within a boarding career, gaining insight into the wider boarding landscape and how different schools and systems operate.
The day will offer a valuable opportunity to learn, connect, and feel supported as you build your career in boarding.
Training topics:
- What does a career in boarding look like?
- The boarding landscape
- Duties in the boarding house
- First term pupil challenges, such as homesickness
- Safeguarding priorities
- Pupil safety and wellbeing
- Maintaining a healthy work/life balance
Delivered by the TIOB Fellows’ Network.
Event programme:
9:30Â Registration + refreshmentsÂ
10:00Â Welcome and introduction
Speaker: David Walker FTIOB, Executive Director, Boarding, Director BSA/TIOBÂ
10:15Â Session one:Â Managing work/life balance
Speakers:
Matthew Fogg, Head Master, The Oratory School
Kate Simlett FTIOB, Deputy Head, Pastoral and DSL, Tudor Hall School
Nichola Haworth, Deputy Head, Boarding, Sevenoaks School
11:00 Session two: Delivering in the boarding house – what it means to do a duty
Speakers:
Helen Walker, Deputy Head Boarding and Pastoral Care, St Andrew’s College Cambridge
James Marriott FTIOB, Senior Boarding Housemaster and Teacher of Geography
Nichola Haworth, Deputy Head, Boarding, Sevenoaks School
11:45Â Session three:Â First term pupil challenges
Speakers:
Ally Onions FTIOB, Head of Safeguarding and Mental Health at St George’s School Windsor Castle
James Marriott FTIOB, Senior Boarding Housemaster and Teacher of Geography
12:30Â Networking lunchÂ
13: 30 Session four: Safeguarding
Delyth Lynch, Director of Safeguarding, Wellington College
Paul Ludlow, Regulatory and Compliance Director, Duke’s Education
14:30 Session five: Working with parents
Speakers:
Kate Simlett FTIOB, Deputy Head, Pastoral and DSL, Tudor Hall School
Tom Hollyer, Housemaster, Uppingham School
15:15 RefreshmentsÂ
15:45Â Session six:Â What does a career in boarding look like?
Speakers:
Matthew Fogg, Head Master, Oratory School
David Walker, FTIOB, Executive Director, Boarding, Director BSA/TIOB
16:30 Conference close
Speakers:
David Walker, Executive Director, Boarding & Education and Director, BSA/TIOB
David is the Executive Director, Boarding and Director BSA/TIOB and joined the BSA group in August 2023. He has over 20 years’ experience in boarding schools and has worked in a range of schools in the UK and Africa, alongside being a prep school governor and a trustee of a MAT. Before taking up his post at the BSA, David was Deputy Head Pastoral at a large co-ed independent school in the South-East.
Kate Simlett, Deputy Head (Pastoral), Tudor Hall School
Kate has been working in all girls and co-educational independent boarding and day schools for over 25 years.  Positions held previously by Kate include teacher of PE and PSHE, Head of Girls Games, Head of Sport, Senior Housemistress and Director of Wellbeing. Kate is currently the Deputy Head Pastoral, DSL and Head of Boarding in an all girls’ independent boarding and day school, and has held this position for 7 years. During this time, Kate has become a lead Safeguarding Trainer for the local authority and has implemented and delivers an in-house safeguarding training programme within her current school. Alongside this work, Kate leads and coordinates the school’s bespoke overseas volunteering programme which supports two schools, one in South Africa and one in India. Kate is also an ISI Team Inspector.Â
Ally Onions FTIOB, Head of Safeguarding and Mental Health at St George’s School Windsor Castle
Ally Onions is currently the Head of Safeguarding and Mental Health at St George’s School Windsor Castle. With her husband Jonny, they run the boarding house, which includes looking after the choristers who sing in St George’s Chapel. Ally has worked in boarding education for over 20 years. She has completed an MA in Boarding Education, looking at resilience and prep boarders. Ally is a trained Mental Health First Aider and Instructor Member.
Delyth Lynch, Director of Safeguarding, Wellington College
Delyth has been on the Senior Leadership Team at Wellington College for 16 years. She has enjoyed a career boarding spanning over 25 years, having been Director of Extra-Curricular Activities, Housemistress and Deputy Head (Pastoral).
Passionate about safeguarding, Delyth’s work has been cited by IICSA. She speaks regularly around the issue of culture within schools and the work that she has pioneered at Wellington around values, behaviours and attitudes interviewing and low-level concerns. Delyth’s work has been recognised on the national stage as she was awarded the Safeguarding and Child Protection Association’s Outstanding initiative award for two consecutive years. Co-author of the Farrer & Co guides, Developing and implementing a low-level concerns policy:  A guide for organisations which work with children and Addressing child-on-child abuse: a resource for schools and colleges, Delyth is also an active member of the NADSL and vice chair of governors at an independent school in Wokingham. She is a NSPCC-accredited trainer, trained in supervision and in the delivery of safer recruitment training. Delyth is also the author of Beyond Compliance: The DSL’s guide to creating a school-wide culture of safeguarding.
Tom Hollyer, Housemaster, Geography teacher, and senior pastoral leader
Tom Hollyer is an experienced Housemaster, Geography teacher, and senior pastoral leader with a strong track record across leading UK boarding schools. Currently Housemaster of Fircroft at Uppingham School, he oversees the pastoral and academic welfare of 56 boys aged 13–18 and contributes to whole-school wellbeing, outreach, and recruitment. A Fellow of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of Boarding, Tom is also a qualified mindfulness teacher and Youth Mental Health First Aider. His career spans roles at Caldicott and RGS High Wycombe, where he led boarding teams, strengthened safeguarding practice, and shaped thriving pastoral cultures.
Paul Ludlow, Compliance Director, Head of Safeguarding & Safeguarding Governor
Paul started his career in education in 1984 as an Assistant Housemaster in a state boarding school, before moving onto Housemaster and Head of Boarding roles in both state and independent boarding schools. Paul also spent time in senior roles in residential special schools with reasonability for residential care and safeguarding. Paul joined Dukes Education in 2017 as Compliance Director (Colleges), in addition to this role he is Safeguarding Governor for ten Dukes colleges, seven of which are boarding.
James Marriott FTIOB, Senior Boarding Housemaster and Teacher of Geography
James Marriott is Senior Boarding Housemaster and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead at Bedford School. He has worked in boarding schools for nearly two decades as a visiting tutor, Assistant Housemaster and Housemaster. James has worked in co-educational, diamond model and all boys settings and teaches Geography alongside coaching school sport. He has completed the BSA Diploma in Professional Practice – Leadership and previously the BSA Certificate in Boarding Practice – Pastoral Care & Boarding Management.
Helen Walker, Deputy Head Boarding and Pastoral Care, St Andrew’s College Cambridge
Helen Walker began her career as a classroom teacher in the state sector, serving as Head of Religious Education before specialising in boarding and pastoral care. She developed her boarding and safeguarding expertise at Oundle School, where she was a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. She later joined the Senior Leadership Team at Abbey College Cambridge as Director of Boarding. Helen is currently Deputy Head (Pastoral Care and Boarding) and Designated Safeguarding Lead at St Andrew’s College Cambridge. She is committed to the richness and diversity of boarding life, creating environments where young people feel safe, supported, and able to thrive.
This event is hosted by:
