TIOB – Flexi-boarding models

• Date: April 30, 2024
• Time: 10:00 – 12:00
• Cost: TIOB Member Rate – £110, Non-member Rate – £220
• Audience: Boarding staff, matrons, boarding tutors, house parents. This session is focussed on boarding staff in prep schools but equally applicable to those in a senior school
• Platform: Zoom (online)

Course outline:

Boarding school staff must carefully balance the needs and schedules of both flexi boarders and full boarders.

Flexi boarders, who may only stay on campus a few nights a week, may require less supervision and structure than full boarders, who live on campus full-time. To accommodate both types of students, staff may need to be flexible with scheduling and have different levels of supervision for each group. Additionally, they may need to create separate spaces or activities for flexi boarders to ensure they have a sense of belonging and connection to the school community.

Communication with both students and their families is also important to ensure everyone is on the same page and expectations are clear. For house parents, the challenges will involve the logistics of flexi boarding management in relation to booking systems and staffing. For the school and the boarding house, the important questions will be identifying why pupils’ flexi-board and how, as a boarding community, we embrace the growing demand. 

Learning Outcomes:

• To develop a robust system of registering flexi boarders
• To develop an induction process for flexi boarders in line with NMS (National Minimum Standards)
• Creating a stable environment for full boarders with little disruption from flexi-boarders
• Identifying the logistics caused by flexi-boarding that need to be resolved.

Delegates will leave the session with a range of techniques to plan flexi boarding logistics, enabling the boarding team to become more efficient in planning and organisation. They will also be able to evaluate how to ensure the experience is positive for all stakeholders.

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Speaker:

Ally Onions, Head of Safeguarding & Mental Health, YMHFA, Boarding Houseparent, St. George’s School

 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 recently completed an MA in Boarding Education, looking at resilience and prep boarders. Ally is a trained Mental Health First Aider and Instructor Member, and is currently rolling out training to staff and parents.