Webinar recordings

March webinars:

• Phone use and phone policy

This course is aimed at boarding staff interested in phone use policy and education within schools. Our speaker, Jon Bird, will explain why it is not just about bans and how pupils communicate with family and friends in term time. Jon completed his MA in Residential Care at the University of Buckingham with a focus on phones and communication.

• Submitting a standout application and delivering in interview

This webinar will cover all aspects of writing an application which makes you stand out from the crowd with practical tips and real-life examples. We will also cover interview days and how best to approach them for maximising success.

February webinars:

• Working with parents

Our webinar is designed to equip all boarding staff with the necessary skills and strategies to establish and maintain positive relationships with boarding school parents. Delegates will learn effective communication techniques, methods to enhance parent engagement, and strategies for resolving conflicts and addressing challenging situations. We will also consider how best to work with international parents and those who live abroad.

• Career pathway: Academic or Pastoral Leadership?

Boarding staff can do it all! With many TIOB members on the cusp of senior leadership, it can be interesting to consider different types of senior positions, and if you are best suited to academic or pastoral leadership. Our webinar will explore these two pathways and consider relevant attributes and training.  The session will enable delegates to make better-informed decisions about the next step in their leadership journey.

• Getting that promotion to Deputy Head and Headship

It sometimes feels like we should all aspire to promotion and senior leadership. However, while it is obvious to some for some, there are elements to consider before putting in an application.

Is it the right time? The right post? Am I ready or am I prepared? Is it the right school? How does this role fit into my life/my family’s life?

This webinar explores these questions and what Heads look for when appointing senior leaders in their schools.

• Career pathway: Academic or Pastoral Leadership?

Boarding staff can do it all! With many TIOB members on the cusp of senior leadership, it can be interesting to consider different types of senior positions, and if you are best suited to academic or pastoral leadership. Our webinar will explore these two pathways and consider relevant attributes and training. The session will enable delegates to make better-informed decisions about the next step in their leadership journey.

• Working with parents

Our webinar is designed to equip all boarding staff with the necessary skills and strategies to establish and maintain positive relationships with boarding school parents. Delegates will learn effective communication techniques, methods to enhance parent engagement, and strategies for resolving conflicts and addressing challenging situations. We will also consider how best to work with international parents and those who live abroad.

December webinars:

• Change management
  Change is inevitable in schools. Leading, managing and coping with change are all key skills. By evaluating our own attitudes to change as well as understanding the process of organisational change, we can learn to lead on it and/or embrace it. Our webinar will cover how to analyse the need for change as well as how to communicate, plan and engage with colleagues and various stakeholders to foster a shared vision.

November webinars:

• Boarding staff appraisals
  Appraisals are a key part of the school year. Whether you are the appraisee or appraiser, getting it right is crucial. Our webinar is designed to equip boarding staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct fair and effective appraisals and consider what happens when we are being appraised.

October webinars:

• Leading staff investigations and disciplinaries
  Conflict happens in every organisation. This webinar will explore how to ensure conflict is handled in a healthy way to promote creativity and progress in your team. Effective communication, active listening, negotiation and mediation are critical skills. In the second part of the webinar, we will focus on staff disciplinaries, and investigations and how to use conflict management skills in those instances.

• Crisis Management
  In this webinar, we will cover how to navigate different types of crises in school. It is crucial for boarding and leadership teams to be well-prepared for unforeseen challenges. This session will address key aspects of crisis management in schools, covering topics such as emergency response protocols, communication strategies, and the implementation of effective crisis intervention plans.

September webinars:

• Maintaining professional distance
  With safeguarding and pastoral care of the pupils in your care being paramount to any boarding role, professional distance is essential. In the home-from-home environment of boarding where you are in loco parentis, building and maintaining appropriate relationships are critical. Our webinar will focus on ways you can establish professional boundaries while still creating rapport with pupils and those you work with. The strategies covered will support building resilience when things are tough for you and/or the boarders in your care.
• Transforming house culture as a new houseparent
  Taking over a boarding house where there have been historic issues can be daunting. In this webinar, we will explore how to navigate the turnaround and transform the house culture. Our speaker’s experience will provide insight, strategies and best practices for taking over a toxic team and orchestrating a positive transformation.  This session aims to equip you with the essential tools to identify, assess, and address toxicity within a team environment. We’ll delve into effective communication strategies, leadership techniques, and collaborative approaches to foster a healthier and more productive work culture. This webinar will be useful whether you’re a houseparent/head of boarding seeking solutions for a troubled team or an aspiring leader preparing for future challenges.

April webinars:

• Understanding school finance
  Whether thinking about promotion or wanting to understand how schools work, understanding school finance is critical, particularly in the current context. This webinar will cover essential elements of school finance.

May webinars:

• Building your team’s confidence and empowering them
  Boarding staff recruitment and retention have been problematic for some schools. In the current context, it is crucial that our teams feel confident and empowered so that they derive satisfaction from their roles. Our webinar will focus on key strategies to build trust and confidence within the boarding team and how to keep momentum going with professional development. This in turn will likely lead to higher retention rates and a better performing team.

June webinars:

• Culture eats strategy for breakfast – The impact of school culture on practice
  The famous quote “culture eats strategy for breakfast” will serve as the basis for our webinar on school culture and strategy.  In this session, we will explore the transformative impact of organisational culture on strategic initiatives. While strategy provides a roadmap, it’s the underlying culture that determines a school’s ability to implement and sustain change.
• Getting the most out of new boarding staff in September
  The summer term is the perfect time of year to think ahead to September and ensure all is in place to maximise the potential of new boarding staff. Boarding staff recruitment and retention continue to be challenging so the the effective integration and support of new staff are crucial for fostering a positive and productive boarding environment. In this session, Mark will share insights and strategies to ensure a smooth induction process, empower new staff with the necessary tools, and establish a collaborative culture within the boarding community. These will be valuable whether you are a seasoned boarding professional or new in post.
• End of term reflection
  The end of the academic year is the perfect time to take stock of the past term and think ahead to next year.  Our interactive webinar will guide delegates through personal reflection practices to gain a deeper understanding of their values, strengths, weaknesses, and personal aspirations. We will also look at how setting effective and meaningful goals for the year ahead can motivate us and how to set them in line with our values and priorities. Finally, we will focus on implementation and how to progress towards desired outcomes.

To request a recording of any of the below webinars, please email info@tiob.org.uk with the title of the webinar.

January webinars:

• Getting that promotion to Deputy Head and Headship
  This webinar aims to provide an overview of the process behind getting a promotion for those with the desire to take on new responsibilities and challenges to grow their career in the boarding sector. The webinar will be led by Headmaster, Strathallan School, Mark Lauder, who will discuss how to create a skill set for promotion, how to identify what areas you would like to focus upon and the challenges you will meet on the way.

February webinars:

• Establishing and maintaining positive relationships with boarders’ parents
  Our webinar is designed to equip all boarding staff with the necessary skills and strategies to establish and maintain positive relationships with boarding school parents. Delegates will learn effective communication techniques, methods to enhance parent engagement, and strategies for resolving conflicts and addressing challenging situations. We will also consider how best to work with international parents and those who live abroad.
• Political landscape and engagement for boarding schools
  The current political context as well as the potential change in government have significant implications for the independent and boarding sectors. Offering a balanced view can certainly be challenging. In this webinar, we will explore how to effectively advocate for the sector and our schools. We will also focus on how to discuss politics and political engagement with other stakeholders (be they parents, colleagues or boarders) while  staying as neutral and balanced as possible.

To request a recording of any of the below webinars, please email info@tiob.org.uk with the title of the webinar.

November webinars:

• Getting that promotion to Middle Management
  This webinar aims to give an overview of the processes involved in getting a promotion to middle management. For those of us considering a move or a promotion in the near future, the autumn term is the perfect time to get started. This webinar will support those with the desire to take on new responsibilities and create new challenges to grow their career. We’ll discuss how to create a skill set for promotion, how to identify areas of focus and what challenges you will meet on the way.
• Cracking appraisals
  Appraisals are a key part of the school year. Whether you are the one being appraised or conducting the appraisals, getting it right is crucial. Our webinar is designed to equip boarding staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct fair and effective appraisals as well as considering what happens when we are being appraised.
• Preparing for Leadership conference Day 3 – ‘Making the most of ‘you’
  In this workshop, Dr Helen Wright will challenge you to think about the areas of your professional life in which you could develop further, and consider ways in which you can do so in the year ahead. Her resolute goal to help you in your search for fulfilment in work and life … what will this look like for you?”
• Academic vs. pastoral leadership
  Boarding staff can do it all! With many TIOB members on the cusp of Senior Leadership, it can be interesting to consider different types of senior positions, and in particular whether one is best suited to academic or pastoral leadership. Our webinar will explore these two pathways and consider relevant attributes and training.  The session will enable delegates to make better informed decisions about the next step in their leadership journey.

October webinars:

• Preparing for Leadership conference Day 1 – Interview days: tasks, questions and presentations
  Leadership interviews naturally differ from school to school but there are many common features which we will delve into in this session. From data tasks to in-tray exercises to common questions and presentations, part 2 of our conference will provide you with examples, hints and tips to maximise your chances.
• Preparing for Leadership conference Day 2 – Managing difficult conversations
  It would be great if, in life, we only ever met people that we liked, enjoyed being with, and found easy to get along with.
  Unfortunately, this is not the case. People are different. Some are like us, and some are very different.
  These differences can sometimes make relationships difficult, and this in turn can affect how we feel, and what we do. This makes “Managing Difficult Conversations” with people whom we live and work with challenging.What does ‘difficult’ mean?Our brain is our own central computer that takes in information from the world around us and gives that information meaning. However, different people interpret events and information differently. We don’t all see the same thing in the same way. This session will provide some insights into how and why Mastering the art of Difficult Conversations is important.
  In particular, by the end of the session you will be able to:
  • Understand the types of difficult conversations
  • Identify the impact of non-action
  • Understand the pitfalls when managing a difficult conversation
  • Identify key aspects that drive behaviour
  • Understand the approaches for different characters
  • Identify the steps to help you Master Difficult Conversations

September webinars:

• Conflict management and leading staff disciplinaries and investigations
  Conflict is part for the course in every organisation. This webinar will explore how to ensure conflict is handled in a healthy way and as a means to promote creativity and progress in your team. Effective communication, active listening, negotiation and mediation are critical skills. In the second part of the webinar, we will focus on staff disciplinaries, and investigations and how to use conflict management skills in those instances.
• Maximising team meetings: how to run meetings to get the best from your team
  Running and chairing meetings is a key part of being a school leader. Our webinar will focus on the importance of planning and preparation for successful meetings. When facilitating professional discussions, there are bound to be differing perspectives and we will cover strategies to ensure active participation and foster a culture of inclusion and collaboration. Lastly, we will use real examples about the challenges which may arise when running meetings and how to address them effectively
• Maintaining professional distance
  With safeguarding and pastoral care of the pupils in your care being paramount to any boarding role, professional distance is essential. In the home-from-home environment of boarding where you are in loco parentis, building and maintaining appropriate relationships is critical. Our webinar will focus on ways you can establish professional boundaries while still creating rapport with pupils and those you work with. The strategies covered will support building resilience when things are tough for you and/or the boarders in your care.

To request a recording of any of the below webinars, please email info@tiob.org.uk with the title of the webinar.

May webinars:

• Marketing and Development followed by Recruiting and Retaining boarding staff
  This conference promises to ensure that individuals in boarding can reflect on their performance in a range of spheres within their role. You will be presented with a range of perspectives, support and inspiration from experts in the field. By the end of the conference, you should be able to evaluate and develop a strategic plan allowing you to be more effective and focused in your role.

To request a recording of any of the below webinars, please email info@tiob.org.uk with the title of the webinar.

January webinars:

• Cracking appraisals
  This session is to start discussion on appraisals and look to the benefits and challenges in a boarding environment.
• Getting that promotion to deputy headship and headship
  This webinar aims to give an overview of the processes involved in getting a promotion to Deputy Head and Headship.

February webinars:

• Healthy leader
  This webinar will explore the changing expectations of leadership in today’s environment.

March webinars:

• Building your boarding team culture back, better
  In this session, Dr Helen Wright will explore why it is so important to focus on the culture of your boarding team, and how you can do this in practice.
• Moving to an international school: possibilities, practicalities and implications
  This webinar will explore the implications of moving abroad on family life and career prospects.