Leading a boarding team

🏷️ From £175
🎧 All boarding staff
📍 Online

Course outline:

Leading in Boarding: Skills for Aspiring and New Boarding Leaders
Building confident, reflective, and effective leadership for the boarding community.

This virtual day seminar is designed for those aspiring to, or recently appointed in, leadership roles within boarding. Whether you’re a new Houseparent, Head of Boarding, Deputy Head (Pastoral), or overseeing a boarding team, this training will help you reflect on your personal leadership style and build the skills needed to lead with confidence and clarity.

While classroom leadership often takes the spotlight, pastoral leadership requires a unique and wide-ranging skill set—often subtle but profoundly impactful. Strong leadership in boarding cultivates effective teams, enhances boarders’ wellbeing, and shapes the overall tone and culture of the boarding community.

This interactive session offers opportunities to share experiences and challenges with fellow practitioners and benefit from peer support and expert guidance.

Training topics will include:

• Leadership Styles
  Exploring the demands of leadership and identifying various recognised leadership approaches
• Building an Effective Team
  Communication, collaboration, shared vision, and appreciating individual strengths within the team
• Effective Leadership in Practice
  Time management, resource deployment, prioritising pupil outcomes, and managing competing demands
• Putting Leadership into Action
  Embedding learning into day-to-day practice through self-reflection, feedback, and ongoing development

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the session, participants will:

• Gain a deeper understanding of different leadership styles and how to apply them in a boarding context
• Learn strategies for building and sustaining a high-performing, cohesive boarding team
• Enhance their ability to manage time and resources with a focus on student wellbeing and outcomes
• Develop their skills as reflective practitioners, capable of leading with empathy, clarity, and impact

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Speakers:

Gaelle Sullivan, Director of Research, Inclusion and IELA

Gaelle is Director of Research, Inclusion and IELA and joined the BSA in January 2023. She is an experienced senior leader and has worked in a range of state and independent schools. She is a qualified SENCO and holds a Masters Degree in Inclusive Education. Prior to joining the BSA, Gaelle was Deputy Head Pastoral, DSL and Head of Boarding at an all-girls independent school in the South-East.

Dale Wilkins FTIOB, Executive Director, BSA Group Scotland/Wales and Accredited/Compliance

Dale joined the BSA in 2017 to lead safeguarding, inspection, and compliance across the UK, building on his experience as a course tutor since 1998. He has extensive knowledge of compliance matters across the UK, and leads on the Group’s work in Scotland and Wales. A trainer and consultant for BSA and SACPA, he is Vice Chair of SAFCAB. Dale previously spent 31 years as a boarding practitioner, including roles as Housemaster and Deputy Head at Old Swinford Hospital. Beyond education, he trains for the Methodist Church, is a charity trustee, chairs a performing arts organisation, and volunteers widely