Who is this template for?
This template is designed for senior leaders and staff responsible for the care and welfare of children in boarding schools in England. It is essential for Headteachers, Deputy Heads, and the Housemaster or Housemistress who oversee the day-to-day running of boarding accommodation and are accountable for meeting statutory requirements.
Why use this template?
- Ensure Compliance: Systematically work through all 23 National Minimum Standards, creating a clear, evidence-based record to demonstrate that your school's provision is compliant, safe, and effective.
- Promote Welfare and Safeguarding: Place the safeguarding and wellbeing of boarders at the heart of your evaluation, ensuring that every aspect of their care is scrutinised and strengthened.
- Achieve Clarity and Focus: Break down the complexities of boarding school management into distinct, manageable standards, allowing for a focused and thorough review of each component.
- Drive Targeted Improvement: Move beyond compliance by using the iAbacus process to identify not just what is in place, but what is helping or hindering success, leading to targeted and impactful action plans.
- Unify the Boarding Team: Provide a consistent framework for the entire boarding team to use, fostering a shared understanding of expectations and a collaborative approach to improvement.
- Prepare for Inspection: Build a comprehensive and organised body of evidence that is ready to be shared with inspectors, demonstrating a proactive and robust approach to self-evaluation.
How does it work?
This template follows the standard, intuitive iAbacus process: make a judgement, verify it with criteria, provide evidence, analyse helping and hindering factors, and create a targeted action plan. The evaluation is structured across the following 23 key areas:
- Standard 1 – Statement of boarding principles and practice
- Standard 2 – Management and development of boarding
- Standard 3 – Inclusion, equality, and diversity
- Standard 4 – Boarding accommodation
- Standard 5 – Boarders’ possessions
- Standard 6 – Provision and preparation of food and drinks
- Standard 7 – Boarders’ health and wellbeing
- Standard 8 – Safeguarding
- Standard 9 – Safety of boarders
- Standard 10 – Fire precautions and drills
- Standard 11 – Boarders’ induction and individual support
- Standard 12 – Contact with parents/carers
- Standard 13 – Securing boarders’ views
- Standard 14 – Complaints
- Standard 15 – Promoting positive behaviour
- Standard 16 - Preventing bullying
- Standard 17 – Promoting good relationships
- Standard 18 – Activities and free time
- Standard 19 – Staff recruitment and checks on other adults
- Standard 20 – Staffing and supervision
- Standard 21 – Prefects
- Standard 22 – Educational Guardians
- Standard 23 – Lodgings and host families
Clear, Professional Reporting
Once your evaluation is complete, you can generate a polished, visually compelling PDF report with a single click. This report provides a clear and comprehensive overview of your school's performance against the standards, perfect for a Headteacher to share with the governing body or senior leadership team to confirm that all minimum standards are being met and to outline strategic priorities for improvement.
References / Source Material
How to Get Started
New to iAbacus? Discover how this template can support your improvement strategy. Book a personalised demo or start a free trial to explore the full platform. Visit www.iabacus.com to learn more.
Already a subscriber? You can find this template in the template library within your iAbacus account. Simply log in, create a new abacus, and select it from the list to get started.
