BSA CertiFied AGeNtS ANd GUArdiANS SChemeS

BSA Certified Agent and Guardian schemes

The BSA Certified Agent and Guardian schemes continue to grow, providing reassurance for schools and families.

The schemes' training and certification programmes assure BSA boarding schools they are dealing with educational guardians and agents who have the highest standards in the safeguarding of children, safer recruitment and training of staff and host families, knowledge of the uK education system and careful liaison with parents and schools. The schemes are a clear demonstration to BSA boarding schools of the quality and intention of the educational agents and guardians who reach certified status.

With both schemes launched in 2020, currently 56 agents and 46 guardians have signed up, with more joining all the time.

Caroline Nixon, International Director, BSA Group, said: “The importance of finding a suitable educational agent means it can be a time-consuming process for schools and parents, but it’s an absolutely vital one. Our recent survey of Chinese parents tells us that agents have a major influence when it comes to choosing the right school for their child, with 82% relying on an agent’s recommendation, so making sure the agent has integrity and knowledge of the school and family is what the scheme aims to do.

“With our Certified Agent scheme, we’re essentially doing the due diligence on an agent that schools need to do to maintain their UKVI sponsorship status, saving our members a huge amount of time. We ensure agents demonstrate a clear understanding of the UK education system; carry out checks on parents; recommend schools which are right for individual students, and maintain the highest standards of integrity in placing and supporting each child.

Ammy Davies-Potter, Director of Guardianship and Inclusion, BSA Group, said: “Again, looking at our survey of Chinese parents, an increasing number of respondents this year highlighted the importance they placed in having assurance around a guardian’s certification. And that’s what our Certified Guardian scheme provides. Similar to the criteria agents are required to meet, guardians have to demonstrate the highest standards around their interaction with schools, parents, pupils, and show that they meet our strict assurance requirements for all aspects of safeguarding.

“Certification comes with many benefits for both agents and guardians, as those who are certified get access to BSA membership, are listed on the BSA website, receive regular updates from BSA on training and changes to legislation, and two free places annually on BSA training days, as well as discounted access to other events such as BSA conferences, events and training. Regular checks are also undertaken to ensure the needs of schools and clients continue to be met.

For more information about the scheme, please visit the Certified Guardian Scheme page of the BSA website. For a full list of BSA Certified Guardians, please go to page 80.

For more information about the scheme, please visit the Certified Agent Scheme page of the BSA website. For a full list of BSA Certified Agents, please go to page 82.