Reflective Practice for Boarding Schools
Offering therapeutically-informed individual and small group reflective practice sessions and whole staff INSET to support staff and boarder wellbeing, professional development, and sustainable pastoral care.
What is Reflective Practice?
Reflective practice provides boarding staff with a supportive space to think about their pastoral work in depth, and explore challenging, professional situations with a safe, impartial facilitator. Recognising that working in boarding can be all-encompassing, practitioners also benefit from having dedicated time to process the emotional impact of their day-to-day work in their boarding houses with young people.
By participating in reflective practice, boarding staff can be supported to cultivate a deeper and richer understanding of boarders and themselves, stronger professional boundaries, and increased confidence.
Alongside improving boarding staff wellbeing, reflective practice improves student wellbeing as practice becomes more empathic and focused on fostering, and maintaining, positive, nurturing relationships with boarders in their care.
Benefits of Reflective Practice
Staff Wellbeing and Retention
Supporting boarding staff to process and manage the emotional challenges of their day-to-day professional roles
Professional Development
Providing staff with individualised support which is evidence-based, grounded in lived-experience and informed by therapeutic thinking
Student Wellbeing
Improving pastoral care through the development of more empathic, reflective and curious boarding practitioners
Ways I Can Support Your School
With 15 years’ experience working in pastoral, teaching and boarding roles, I understand the emotional demands placed on boarding practitioners first-hand. My reflective practice model combines lived-experience of boarding school life with psychotherapeutic knowledge. This model is evidence-based, having been developed over several years as part of Masters level research at the University of Cambridge and an independent research project with funding from the Boarding Schools’ Association Foundation.
Individual Reflective Practice
One-to-one sessions exploring complex professional situations, relational dynamics and emotional challenges through collaborative reflection
45 minute sessions = £75 (in person or online)
Small Group Reflective Practice
Facilitated group support for 6-8 staff. Excellent for fostering in-house boarding team relationships or developing collaboration and understanding across houses
90 minute sessions = from £350-£500
Workshops and Whole Staff INSET
Interactive group workshops on Attachment Theory, and other key psychotherapeutic concepts, to better understand boarders’ emotions and behaviours.
90 minute sessions = from £550 + travel costs
Reflective Practice Packages
Discounted rates available on blocks of 6 or 12 sessions. These can be split over multiple individual staff/groups.
Combined packages available including INSET, individual and group sessions: Fees on request
Interested in Reflective Practice for Your School?
To discuss your school’s needs and explore how reflective practice could support your boarding staff and the wider school community, please get in touch using the contact button below or by email (kphillipscounselling@gmail.com)