Why Boarding Schools Can No Longer Treat Staff Training as Optional

Every boarding school in Australia exists on a simple promise to families: when we hand over our child, they will be safe, cared for, and supported as if they were your own. It is a promise made in enrolment brochures, open days and welcome speeches. But a promise is only as strong as the people who carry it out day to day — and increasingly, the evidence tells us that untrained boarding staff are the single biggest gap between what schools say and what they can actually deliver.

As the peak body for boarding schools across Australia, the Australian Boarding Schools Association hears from Principals, Heads of Boarding and Boards every year who are grappling with the same question: is staff training really necessary, or is it a "nice to have" that competes for budget against renovations, technology and academic programs? The honest answer, in 2026, is that it is no longer a choice. It is a legal, ethical and operational necessity — and schools that treat it as optional are exposing themselves, and the children in their care, to real and growing risk.

Boarding is a distinct role, not an extension of teaching

The most persistent misconception in the sector is that a good teacher, or a warm and caring adult, will automatically make a good boarding supervisor. Boarding work is fundamentally different from classroom teaching. It happens in the evenings, overnight and on weekends, often with reduced staffing ratios and without the immediate backup of a full school leadership team. It requires skills in adolescent wellbeing, mental health first aid, behaviour management in a residential setting, cultural safety, homesickness and transition support, and the recognition of abuse or neglect indicators — skills that are not part of standard teacher training and are not acquired simply through goodwill or experience in a classroom.

The Boarding Standard for Australian Schools and Residences (AS 5725:2015), developed by Standards Australia, makes this explicit. The Standard requires boarding schools to implement formal risk management systems, especially when dealing with the safety of boarders and their care and supervision, and requires boarder-specific policies that go beyond what schools already have in place for day students. A related requirement under the Standard is that “a trained person be accessible at all times” — a clause that puts staff competency, not just staff presence, at the centre of a school's duty of care, and this has been even further strengthened in the 2026 updating process of the Standard.

The legal exposure is real, and it is growing

Schools sometimes assume that because boarding compliance sits under a voluntary standard, the legal stakes are lower. That assumption is dangerous. Beyond the Standard itself, boarding schools operate under the common law student duty of care, alongside a complex array of state and territory legislation and regulation covering child safety, working with children checks, mandatory reporting and workplace health and safety. None of that legal framework is voluntary.

Work health and safety law adds a further layer that is often overlooked. Every state and territory requires organisations to train staff in how to maintain a safe work environment, and there is a duty to protect both boarding staff and boarders from workplace harm. Untrained supervisors are not only a risk to boarders — they are a workplace hazard to themselves and their colleagues, particularly when responding to incidents involving self-harm, aggression, medical emergencies or critical incidents overnight.

Privacy is another area where the gap between policy and practice creates exposure. Compliance with privacy law requires far more than publishing a policy on a website, and boarding schools need to ensure all staff are trained in their privacy obligations and the school's expectations around handling personal information — a requirement directly tied to how boarding staff record, share and store sensitive information about boarders' health, family circumstances and behaviour.

Should a serious incident occur — a student self-harms, a disclosure of abuse is mishandled, a medical emergency is not managed appropriately — the first questions asked by a court, an insurer, a regulator or a coronial inquiry will not be "did you have a policy?" They will be: what training did the staff member on duty have, when did they last receive it, and can you produce the records? Schools that cannot answer those questions with evidence, not assurances, carry a far heavier liability burden, and their insurers are increasingly asking these questions before a claim is ever made.

Governance expectations have shifted

The National Boarding Standard also raises the bar at governance level. It increases compliance and risk management obligations for boarding governance, including a requirement that boarding staff meet child protection and other screening requirements, and that all policies and procedures relating to staff, including recruitment and engagement, are provided to staff at the commencement of employment. Screening and induction are the floor, not the ceiling. A working with children check confirms a staff member has no known history of harm; it says nothing about whether they know how to run a safe evening routine, de-escalate a distressed teenager, or recognise the early signs of an eating disorder or family violence disclosure.

Boards and school leaders who rely solely on screening as their risk control are leaving a significant gap in their governance obligations — one that regulators and child safety bodies are increasingly scrutinising as community and legislative expectations around child-safe organisations continue to rise.

Where schools can access relevant training

The good news is that schools no longer need to build boarding-specific training from scratch. ABSA's own Training Academy was established for exactly this purpose, offering staff a structured pathway from introductory boarding skills through to leadership development, built around the practical realities of the boarding role and mapped to the requirements of AS 5725:2015. Other training options are available in the area, however the ABSA Training Academy has been developed and resourced around what schools actually want and need, not trying to fit it within another structure or program.

Beyond formal qualifications, schools should build a layered approach: mandatory induction training before a new staff member ever supervises boarders unsupervised, regular refresher training aligned to the two-yearly policy review cycle required under the Standard, scenario-based practice for critical incidents, and clear records of who has completed what training and when. Those records are not bureaucratic overhead — they are the evidence base a school will rely on if its duty of care is ever tested.

The bottom line

Boarding schools are not just providers of education. They are, for many students, a second home and a second family — often overnight, unsupervised by parents, and reliant entirely on the competence of the staff on duty. Training is not the cost of running a boarding program well. It is the cost of running one safely, lawfully and defensibly. Schools that continue to treat it as discretionary are gambling with the wellbeing of the children in their care and with their own legal and reputational future. Those that invest in it are protecting both.

Richard Stokes

How Do We Improve the Retention of Boarding Staff and Reduce Turnover?

Boarding is a profession built on relationships. At its heart are the dedicated people who give their time, energy and care to create environments where young people feel safe, supported and able to thrive. Yet across Australia and Aotearoa, one of the most consistent challenges raised by Principals and Heads of Boarding is the same: staff turnover.

Retention is not simply a workforce issue, it is a quality of care issue. Stability within a boarding house allows for stronger relationships, better pastoral care, and a more cohesive culture for both students and staff. When staff turnover is high, the ripple effects are felt quickly: increased workload for remaining staff, disruption for boarders who rely on consistent adult support, and a continual cycle of recruitment and training - and then only if you can find someone interested!

If we are serious about strengthening boarding, we must also be serious about strengthening the conditions that allow boarding professionals to remain, grow, and thrive in their roles.

Recognising Boarding as a Profession

One of the most important shifts we can make is recognising boarding as a profession in its own right. For many years, boarding roles have been seen as an extension of teaching or as transitional positions rather than long-term careers.

However, the skills required to work in boarding are significant. Staff manage complex pastoral care, support young people through critical developmental stages, respond to wellbeing concerns, oversee risk and safety, and foster community within a residential environment. These responsibilities require training, judgement, emotional intelligence and resilience.

When boarding is recognised as a professional pathway with clear standards, structured development and opportunities for progression staff are far more likely to see their role as a meaningful long-term career rather than a temporary position.

Supporting Professional Development

Professional growth plays a critical role in retention. Staff who feel they are learning, developing and gaining new skills are more likely to remain engaged in their roles.

This is why structured professional development is so important. Whether it is foundational training such as Duty of Care courses, specialised learning in wellbeing and safeguarding, or leadership development opportunities, ongoing training helps staff build confidence and competence in their work.

Equally important is creating pathways for advancement. Emerging leaders within boarding houses should be able to see a future for themselves in the profession. Leadership programs, mentoring opportunities, and exposure to broader boarding networks can help individuals develop the skills needed to step into senior roles.

When people feel invested in and supported to grow, they are far more likely to stay.

Building Strong Boarding Teams

Retention is rarely about a single factor. More often, it comes down to the environment people work within each day.

Healthy boarding teams are built on trust, collaboration and shared purpose. Staff need to feel part of a team where their contributions are valued and where they can rely on one another for support. Clear communication, regular check-ins, and opportunities for staff to reflect together on their work all contribute to a stronger culture.

Equally important is ensuring that staff have space to recharge. Boarding roles can be demanding, particularly during busy school terms. Leaders must remain mindful of workloads and rosters, ensuring that staff have adequate time to rest and maintain balance in their lives.

A boarding house that cares for its staff ultimately becomes a place where people want to stay.

Mentoring and Community

One of the greatest strengths of the boarding sector is the willingness of professionals to support one another. Many of the most valuable insights shared across the sector come not from formal training but from conversations with colleagues who understand the unique nature of boarding life.

Mentoring programs can be particularly powerful for new staff entering the profession. Having an experienced colleague to guide them through the challenges of their first year can make a significant difference to their confidence and sense of belonging.

Beyond individual schools, professional networks also play an important role. Opportunities to connect with peers from other boarding houses through conferences, workshops and forums help staff realise they are part of a broader community. These connections often provide reassurance, shared ideas and renewed motivation.

Valuing the Work

Retention is also about recognition. Boarding staff give extraordinary amounts of themselves to the young people in their care. Much of this work happens quietly, late-night conversations with homesick boarders, early mornings preparing students for the day ahead, or the countless small moments of encouragement that help young people grow in confidence.

Acknowledging this work matters.

Schools that actively celebrate the contributions of their boarding staff both within their own communities and across the wider sector send a powerful message that this work is valued and respected.

Recognition can take many forms: professional accreditation, awards, opportunities to present at conferences, or simply ensuring that boarding staff are included in broader school conversations and decision-making.

When people feel seen and appreciated, their sense of purpose deepens.

Leadership Matters

Finally, strong leadership remains one of the most significant influences on staff retention.

Heads of Boarding set the tone for the entire boarding environment. Leaders who prioritise staff wellbeing, create supportive cultures and invest in their teams often see greater stability within their boarding houses.

Leadership in boarding requires balancing operational demands with genuine care for the people doing the work. It involves listening, encouraging professional growth, and ensuring that staff feel supported through both challenges and successes.

Great boarding leaders understand that when staff flourish, boarders flourish too.

Looking Ahead

Improving retention in boarding will not come from a single initiative. It requires a collective commitment across the sector to elevate the profession, invest in people and create environments where staff feel valued and supported.

The future of boarding depends on the people who choose to dedicate themselves to this work. By recognising their contributions, strengthening professional pathways and nurturing strong communities, we can ensure that boarding remains not only a place where young people grow—but also a profession where passionate individuals choose to stay.

When we support the people who care for our boarders, we strengthen the very heart of boarding itself.

food for thought!

Richard Stokes

Raising the Standard: Strengthening Child Safety in Australian Boarding Houses

Child safety is the single most important responsibility of every adult working in a boarding school environment. For boarding staff, the duty of care extends beyond classroom hours. We are not just educators or supervisors—we are carers, protectors, and trusted figures in a child’s life, especially when home is far away.

Many of our schools are really committed to providing safe, nurturing environments, but commitment alone is not enough. The risk landscape is evolving, and we must ensure our practices evolve with it. This means raising our standards, deepening our knowledge, and embedding a culture of safety that goes beyond compliance—one that is lived every day by every member of staff.

Understanding the Unique Risks in Boarding
Boarding houses are unique settings. Students live where they learn. They sleep, eat, and socialise under the supervision of adults who are not their parents. These blurred boundaries require special vigilance. Risks can range from physical and emotional abuse to neglect, peer bullying, and online exploitation. In many cases, students may not report issues, either out of fear, shame, or simply not knowing who to talk to.

That is why child safety in boarding environments demands more than a general awareness. It requires targeted understanding, proactive leadership, and systematic response mechanisms tailored to the realities of residential care.

Awareness: Recognising Risks Before They Escalate
Awareness is the first step toward prevention. Boarding staff must be able to recognise signs of harm, no matter how subtle. This includes changes in behaviour, withdrawal from peers, expressions of fear or discomfort, or physical indicators of abuse.

Importantly, awareness also means recognising risks not only from adults but from peers. In a boarding environment, unsupervised peer interactions can present risks that must be monitored sensitively and consistently. Staff should feel confident in their ability to identify red flags early and equally confident that their concerns will be taken seriously and acted upon quickly.

Training: Equipping Staff for Real-World Scenarios
Even the most vigilant staff can be ineffective without proper training. Child safety is not just about having the right instincts—it’s about having the right skills.

Every boarding school must invest in ongoing, high-quality training for all boarding staff—not just senior leaders or pastoral care teams. This training should cover:

- Recognising and responding to abuse
- Mandatory reporting requirements in each jurisdiction
- Cultural sensitivity and working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and International students
- Gender and sexuality inclusion
- Boundary-setting and professional conduct
- Managing disclosures of harm
- Trauma-informed care
- Mental health first aid

Training should be practical, scenario-based, and especially tailored to residential settings. It is not a ‘one size fits all’. Specific child protection and boundary training for boarding schools is imperative. Further, it must be refreshed regularly, not treated as a one-off.

Leadership also has a role here. School principals and Heads of Boarding must lead from the front, attending training themselves and setting clear expectations of conduct and vigilance.

Knowledge: Embedding Safety in Systems and Culture
Creating a safe boarding environment is not just about individual action, it is about organisational culture and culture is shaped by what we know, value and reward.

Staff need to understand not just what to do in a crisis, but why certain practices exist. Why are there visitor protocols? Why is it important to document disclosures meticulously? Why are shared sleeping spaces supervised in specific ways?

This knowledge must be embedded into everyday practice - from how rooms are allocated, to how rosters are structured, to how technology use is monitored.

Crucially, students must also be educated. They should know their rights, understand what is and is not appropriate behaviour from adults and peers and feel safe reporting concerns. Schools must build trust through transparency and consistency.

The Role of the Boarding Standard AS5725:2015
To help guide schools in this work, the Boarding Standard for Australian Schools and Residences (AS5725:2015) provides a national benchmark for best practice.

This standard sets out clear expectations around governance, staffing, physical environments, health and wellbeing, cultural safety, and child protection. It is a comprehensive framework that helps schools ensure they are not just meeting their legal obligations, but going beyond them.

Key child safety components in the standard include:
- Screening and suitability of all adults in contact with boarders
- Supervision practices appropriate to age, gender, and vulnerability
- Formalised policies for responding to complaints and disclosures
- Clear separation of staff accommodation and student spaces
- Cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and International students
- Confidentiality and privacy protections for students

Meeting this standard is not just about avoiding risk, it is about signalling to students, families, and regulators that your school takes safety seriously.

For schools that have already met the standard, the next step is using it as a launchpad for continuous improvement. For those yet to adopt it, it is time to make it a priority.

A Shared Responsibility
Child safety is not the responsibility of a single staff member, or even just the boarding leadership team. It is a collective, shared commitment.

It means fostering a culture where concerns are raised early, where questions are welcomed, and where every adult sees themselves as part of the safeguarding framework.

It means acknowledging that child safety is not “extra” work, it is the work.

What Comes Next
As a boarding school sector, we must continue to invest in:
- Clearer national alignment on boarding care standards
- Stronger onboarding for new boarding staff
- External audits and continuous feedback loops
- Platforms for student voice and participation in safety planning
- Peer support networks for boarding staff to share challenges and strategies

The days of informal, ad hoc approaches to safety are over. Our duty is to be proactive, not reactive.

Final Thoughts
Parents trust boarding schools with their most precious responsibility, their children. That trust is earned, and it must be protected.

By strengthening our awareness, training, and knowledge, and by fully embracing AS5725:2015 Boarding Standard, we build not just safer environments, but stronger communities.

The goal is not simply to prevent harm—but to create spaces where children thrive, feel protected, and know they are valued.

Safety is not a checkbox. It is a culture. And it starts with us.

Rosie Thomas OAM on Project Rockit

 Designing the Future: Reflections from Rosie Thomas’ Keynote

This morning our staff had the privilege of hearing from Rosie Thomas, co-founder of Project Rockit, Australia’s youth-driven movement against bullying, hate and prejudice. Over the past two decades, Rosie and her team have worked with more than 800,000 young Australians, building a movement that is as much about kindness and respect as it is about courage and leadership.

What stood out in her keynote wasn’t just the story of starting with “nothing but passion” fresh out of high school—it was the set of leadership lessons that apply powerfully to associations, schools, and any community shaping the next generation.

Key Takeaways from Rosie’s Story

1. Relevance is earned, not assumed

Rosie reminded us that existing isn’t the same as staying relevant. Just as Project Rockit grew by embracing intersectionality and elevating diverse youth voices, we too must constantly reflect on whose voices are missing in our communities and ensure our programs meet today’s challenges, not yesterday’s traditions.

2. Belonging over benefits

Students don’t just want workshops; they want to belong to something bigger. The same is true in boarding schools and associations. Belonging drives retention, loyalty and advocacy far more than services alone.

3. Co-creation is the new leadership currency

Rather than designing for members (or students) and expecting them to consume, Rosie showed how co-design creates ownership. Her Youth Collective—40 young people aged 12–20 paid as lived-experience experts—ensures their programs are built with, not just for, young people.

4. Courage creates momentum

Using the metaphor of “desire paths,” Rosie challenged us to notice where people are already forging new tracks and to back them. Leadership is often about choosing the brave experiment that signals possibility.

5. Adaptability is strength

COVID was a turning point for Project Rockit, forcing a hybrid model that blended social enterprise with a foundation to reach disadvantaged schools. The lesson: the organisations that thrive are not the most polished or powerful, but the most adaptable and values-anchored.

Why This Matters for Boarding

Rosie’s keynote was a call to all of us who work with young people: don’t leave the future to luck. Whether in schools or associations, our role is to design spaces where students feel safe, respected and empowered to lead.

At ABSA, this resonates deeply. Boarding has always been about more than accommodation—it’s about community, belonging, and equipping young people with the resilience and leadership to thrive.

As Rosie closed, she left us with a challenge: “By choosing courage, co-creation and community, you can design a future with your members that reflects your members.” That’s a challenge we take seriously in boarding.

The Modern Art of Bullying

The word bullying has always been synonymous with schoolyards. The nature of the school environment leaves little room for individuality, forcing some children to take matters into their own hands. In their effort to establish a pecking order, exert power, or just stand out from the crowd, children face somewhat limited options. They can channel their energy in a positive direction, becoming a model student known for their perfect behaviour and excellent results. They can excel on the sporting field or in the cultural arena. They can gain attention by becoming the class clown. Or they can become the class bully, gaining power by belittling and scaring others into subservience.  

Schoolyard bullying is something with which we are all familiar. We all grew up having to deal with incidents of name calling, exclusion, ganging up and rumour spreading. And while it was painful and often made the school day difficult to navigate, we had the comfort of knowing that at 3 o’clock when the final bell rang, we would be free of the bullying – at least until the next day. 

Often, once out of the school environment, our friends would rally around us, assuring us they are completely on our side, but were too scared to speak up for fear of being the next target. You would spend time together talking, laughing and playing games until, by nightfall, the bullying had faded into insignificance. In fact, in many cases, by the next school day the bully had moved on to a new target and we could relax. 

But that is far from the case for today’s children.

Thanks to digital technology and social media, children no longer have the option of leaving their bullies at the school gate. All afternoon and evening the bully is able to follow them, reminding them of their failings and unacceptable qualities, and reinforcing their sense of alienation and self-loathing. 

Not only does the bullying not stop, it intensifies as the bully finds a new audience ready and willing to join the fray. The hundreds of children who see the posts might not know the victim, but that doesn’t stop them from joining in, making hurtful comments and belittling them, reducing their confidence and self-esteem even further. In fact, the anonymity provided by the digital realm emboldens them, giving them the confidence to hit out at the victims in ways that social norms would prevent them from doing face-to-face. The online world assumes the form of the colosseum with the crowds baying for the blood of the gladiator. 

On-line bullying comes in many forms:

• Comments: snide remarks, character assassinations and revelations of wrongdoings
• Images: embarrassing photos or memes 
• Emojis: pictorial shorthand that appears innocent, but carries connotations
• Catfishing: false profiles through which the victim is lured into a fake relationship
• Exclusion: creating group chats or sending images of group activities that don’t include the victim, increasing their feelings of isolation and rejection
• Silencing: reacting to everyone else’s messages and posts, but leaving the victim on ‘seen’
• Co-ercive control: forcing students to do things (often breaking the rules) in order to prove their worthiness and be accepted
• Stalking: following the victim’s every move online, turning up on all the same platforms and groups to intimidate them
• Doxing: the revealing of the victim’s personal information including their address, making them a target for physical attack

Far from enjoying an afternoon and evening free from the bullying and a chance to re-set before the next day, they find the bullying now continues relentlessly through the night. The child’s device constantly buzzes with notifications of new messages, new attacks on their character and new evidence of their shortcomings.

Unable to find an ally in this sea of negativity the child feels lost and alone, convinced that the whole world is against them – and might even be better off without them. 

Many children find it hard to talk to their parents about the bullying, believing that they wouldn’t understand. Or, worse still, their parents’ solution might be to remove the child from their beloved devices – a fate far worse than bullying. Besides, modern education means they need at least some form of device in order to learn and complete the academic tasks set for them, meaning this solution would simply disadvantage them further, giving the bullies extra ammunition. 

The stigma associated with visiting the school counsellor makes that an unappealing solution. And informing the class teacher of any bullying activity would alert the bully to the fact that you ‘snitched’ and lead to extreme retribution for your actions. 

Drowning in misery, alienation and anxiety, the child becomes withdrawn from all aspects of life. They begin to avoid extra-curricular activities in an effort to reduce the amount of time spent in the bullying environment. They spend less time on their devices and appear startled every time they receive a message alert. They become quiet and sullen, lose their appetite and find it difficult to sleep.

As they absorb the bullies’ words, their self-esteem plummets and their self-loathing grows. They begin self-harming in an effort to replace the emotional pain with a physical form that is easier to understand and repair. They develop eating disorders in an effort to improve their outward appearance and make themselves more acceptable. Or, in the worst possible outcome, they become so utterly lost and miserable that they take their own life – an option favoured by three Australian children every week. 

How to address online bullying:

• Don’t engage with the bully online, or let them know you are upset. What they want more than anything is a reaction from you
• Focus on strengthening your relationships offline
• Limit the amount of time you spend online
• Engage in offline activities you enjoy and are good at. This will help boost your mood and your self-esteem
• Take a screenshot of any bullying behaviour and show it to a trusted adult
• Report the bullying to someone you trust

Schoolyard bullying is inevitable. Humans will always compete for power and the easiest way to gain it is to belittle those around you. Some would even argue that it is a necessary part of our education, making us broad-shouldered and resilient and preparing us for the similar environment of the workplace and society in general. 

But there is an enormous difference between schoolyard bullying and the relentless, open slather forum presented by the digital world.

No adult has the mental capacity and emotional intelligence to deal with this level of public attack, let alone children whose pre-frontal cortex is simply not developed enough to regulate their emotions or responses to such an emotional onslaught.

As children grow and establish their identity, they need to do so in a safe and protected environment, trusting that their inevitable stumbles and mistakes won’t be broadcast to and commented on by the whole world. 

They need to know that they are loved and accepted no matter their appearance, intellect, religion, sexual orientation or their ability. 

And they need to know that when things go wrong, there will be someone in their corner to help them navigate the situation unscathed. 

Cybernetic Shield’s Cyber Incident Helpline provides just that – 24/7 support from a team trained in mental health first aid and cyber safety who can take their calls and help students in the event of any traumatic online incident. 

For more information, visit www.mindshield.au