BSA Certificate in Professional Practice – Pupil Welfare & Support

29 November 2022 – 24 May 2023

Context:

Welfare and support staff, such as Matrons, House Deputies, Boarding Assistants  and Boarding Tutors form a key part of the safeguarding and pastoral care framework within our schools however staff CPD opportunities seldom focus on the key areas to support their professional development. As part of a refocus of the training available through the BSA, we can now offer a standalone Professional Practice Certificate for school pastoral staff.

This course will link professional practice with current research and best practice to provide a unique opportunity for school matron, whether working in relative isolation or as part of the House team, to development their knowledge, skills and practice across a wide range of the key current themes/topics most relevant to their role. In addition, there will be a linked research project which will provide the chance to focus on a specific aspect in more detail.

Course Outline:

The course will consist of 4 separate Study Days spread over a full academic year. The sessions on each study day will be a mixture of presentations often with an external expert, and group discussions.

BSA Cert in Professional Practice for Pupil Welfare & Support 2022-2023

• Study Day 1: November 29, 2022
• Study Day 2: January 20, 2023
• Study Day 3: March 23, 2023
• Study Day 4: May 24, 2023

All study Days will be held online via Zoom.

Sessions for this course include:

• Perspectives on Pastoral Care
• An Afternoon on Disordered Eating, Guest Speaker, TBC
• Understanding Adolescence & Meeting the Needs of Children & Young People, with Professor Carrie Winstanley, PhD MPhil (Cantab) MA BHEd NFF NTF PFHEA FRSA
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Ammy Davies-Potter, Director of Guardianship and Inclusion, BSA Group
• Emotional Health Issues & Building Resilience
• Promoting well-being
• Partnership with Parents
• Communication skills
• Conflict management
• Supporting Vulnerable young people; what works
• Safeguarding and information sharing, Dale Wilkins, Director of Safeguarding Professional Development and Accreditation
• Putting into practice what you’ve learned, moving forward
• Assignment and course reflection

Understanding Adolescence & Meeting the Needs of Children & Young People with Professor Carrie Winstanley, PhD MPhil (Cantab) MA BHEd NFF NTF PFHEA FRSA

Carrie Winstanley has taught in schools and higher education for more than twenty years. Currently Professor of Pedagogy at Roehampton University, London, she works on various education programmes with undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral students and with staff. She is interested in all types of learning, focusing on concepts and practices of creating challenge, particularly for able learners with learning difficulties, disabilities and disadvantage. She continues to run holiday and weekend workshops with children in museums, galleries and science centres where possible. Carrie is an Executive Council member of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain, running the annual conference, and introducing undergraduate and postgraduate Summer School programmes. Her monograph ‘The Ingredients of Challenge’ (2010, Trentham Books) investigates the notion of providing worthwhile challenge for children in schools. This follows on from her co-edited collection considering the role of Philosophy in Schools (Bloomsbury, with Hand, 2008). In more recent publications she has also explored ways to improve teacher education (Ethics and Education, 2016, 11:1); the relevance of John Dewey’s ideas about museum learning (Education 3-13, 2018, 46:4), and is developing (forthcoming) work on Community Philosophy, and on appropriate challenge and engaging activities for staff and students in Higher Education.

An Introduction to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Schools with Ammy Davies-Potter, Director of Guardianship and Inclusion, BSA Group

Using the BSA Index (Inclusion and Diversity Excellence) Framework and Toolkit, this session will provide an introductory overview to this important work in schools.

Ammy qualified as a teacher in 1991 and then spent her career in boarding school roles. Prior to that, she was educated at Downend School, Bristol. Gaining a First-Class degree in Human Biology and Geology from Hertfordshire University, she then went on to study for a PGCE at the University of Oxford. She holds an MEd from the University of Bristol and is just completing her MA in Inclusive Education at Bath Spa University. She initially taught at Bromsgrove School and then at St John’s College School Cambridge, before moving in 1995 to become a Housemistress at Westonbirt School. In 2010 she joined St Mary’s Calne, initially as a Housemistress and subsequently joining the SLT as Senior Mistress and DSL and finally as Deputy Head (Pastoral). Prior to moving on to post-graduate study, she spent a year working for the NHS in the field of genetics. She completed her NPQH in 2000 as well as her AMBDA and APC in 2019. When she isn’t working, Ammy can be found spending time with her family, exploring parts of the UK and abroad or walking the Pembrokeshire coastal path with her dog Odin

Safeguarding and Information Sharing with Dale Wilkins, Director of Safeguarding Professional Development and Accreditation, BSA Group

This session will look at safeguarding concerns and considerations with a focus on assessing and minimising risk.  Relevant legislation and Information sharing and handling.

Dale joined the BSA during Summer 2017 with responsibility for safeguarding and standards.  In July 2019 he also assumed responsibility for the BSA’s training programme, including both day seminars and accredited training courses.  Dale leads on all safeguarding and inspection matters for the BSA, including managing the Commitment to Care Charter, the annual Safeguarding Conference, the Safeguarding Forum. He has also developed a process of BSA Accreditation for our overseas members. For 31 years Dale was a boarding practitioner. After boarding positions at Norwich School and Tettenhall College, Dale became a Housemaster at Old Swinford Hospital in 1992, and was promoted to Deputy Head in 2007, and subsequently also DSL. He has also been a multi-agency trainer for the Dudley Safeguarding Children’s Board and has been closely involved in inspection in state and independent boarding since 2002. Dale had previously been a BSA course tutor since 1998 and developed the BSA Self-Assessment Toolkit.

Tutors for this Course Are:

Mark Robinson – BSA Senior Consultant and Course Lead

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 onboarding 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 College du Leman in Switzerland, a large international boarding and day school. After gaining some valuable international experience, Mark has returned to the UK to continue his training and consultancy in the Independent and state school sectors.

Sandi Kaaber – Head of Boarding, Burford School, Oxfordshire

A former Police officer, Sandi was also a member of the GB Gymnastic team and was trained as a Head of Delegation for overseas events. She retired from sport in 2006 and moved to a role in an independent Boarding school and is currently Head of Boarding at Burford School, Oxfordshire.

In 2010 Sandi completed her Advanced Certificate course and in 2017 she became a BSA tutor for the Professional Practice Certificate. She is a Level 4 Accredited Boarding Practitioner.

BSA Cert in Professional Practice for Pupil Welfare & Support 2022-2023

• Study Day 1: November 29, 2022
• Study Day 2: January 20, 2023
• Study Day 3: March 23, 2023
• Study Day 4: May 24, 2023

All study Days will be held online via Zoom.

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Course Assignment:

The course assignment provides course students with an opportunity to focus on a specific area of particular relevance to their school/role. This can range from ‘supporting overseas student; a complex pastoral need such as diabetes; working with a student/boarder who is self-harming; health promotion models; to a student guide to accessing specific support for an emotional health issue.

The assignment will take the form of a 2500 – 3000 word written project which can be a resource pack, an essay or a report which must be submitted by 31^st July. These will be assessed by the course tutor and the results published/certificates issued in the early Autumn.

Timings for each study day – 10.00 to 15.45

Cost – £650 which covers all 4 study days, assignment marking, certificates and Accredited Boarding Practitioner Status.  Find out more about The BSA Accredited Boarding Practitioner Scheme here.

Our accredited training programme is kindly sponsored by Witley Jones.

The 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.