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BSA launch professional recognition scheme for staff

The world’s first professional recognition scheme for staff who work in boarding schools has been launched by the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA).

The BSA’s Accredited Boarding Practitioner scheme will allow the 5,000-plus staff who work in the UK’s 480 boarding schools and 60+ schools around the world to apply to be recognised as boarding professionals.

The scheme has four levels linked to experience working in boarding and evidence of professional development undertaken. Boarding staff need to have worked in boarding for at least one year before they can apply to be considered, while those with over seven years’ experience can apply to recognised at the highest level.

“The Accredited Boarding Practitioner scheme means that for the first time the army of extremely hard-working professionals who endeavour to deliver outstanding pastoral care to young people in boarding schools can have their skills and experience officially recognised,” said Dale Wilkins, BSA Head of Safeguarding and Standards.

“This is obviously a significant development for individual staff, but it will also play an important role in demonstrating and raising standards across the whole boarding sector and supporting safe recruitment.”

Staff who work at independent boarding schools across the UK, and England’s 36 state boarding schools, will be able to apply to become accredited boarding practitioners. Plus, they will be able to retain their accredited status if they move on to more senior positions in boarding at other schools in the UK or overseas.

Read more at: http://ie-today.co.uk/Article/bsa-launch-professional-recognition-scheme-for-staff

Private schools deceive parents with their 'slick marketing machines', Eton headmaster suggests

Simon Henderson, who took over as headmaster at Eton in 2015, told parents that the worse the school, the glossier the brochure. 

Speaking at the Tatler Schools Live conference in Knightsbridge, London he warned parents to be wary of schools that boast of their "unique selling point". 

"Quite often schools pretend that something that they are doing is unique when actually lots of other good schools are doing the same thing," he said. 

"I would beware of the very slick marketing. In my experience there is an inverse proportion between how glossy the brochure is and how good the school is. Do be aware of the very slick marketing machine."

Advising parent on  how to choose a school for their children, he said: "beware of the schools that say they are unique". 

"Most good schools believe fundamentally in the same things. They want young people to be happy and safe, they want them to do well academically, they believe in a broad education, they want to develop character and attitude that will help them succeed in the outside world," he sad. "There is nothing particularly unique about that."

Read more at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/10/10/private-schools-deceive-parents-slick-marketing-machines-eton/