2-day Workshop in Beijing
Enhancing Boarding Practices and Safeguarding in Private Bilingual Schools
Dates: March 21-22, 2026, Saturday & Sunday
Time: 8:30AM - 4:00PM on both days
Location: Dehong Beijing International Chinese School
Date & Time
March 21-22, 2026, Sat-Sun
8:30AM - 4:00PM
Location
Dehong Beijing International
Chinese School
Early Bird Price*
General: RMB 2,500.00
NESSIC Members: RMB 1,750.00
Audience
Residential boarding leaders & staff, Safeguarding Leads
Hone your residential boarding practices.
Join us for a comprehensive two-day workshop aimed at improving residential boarding practices, safeguarding, and professional development in bilingual private schools in China. This workshop will offer not only the essentials, but also some advanced strategies, providing participants with the skills needed to foster safe, supportive, and effective boarding environments.
Why Register?
This workshop offers a unique opportunity to gain practical insights and develop tailored strategies for improving boarding practices in your school. By engaging with peers in similar roles, you will build a supportive network and leave with clear, actionable steps to enhance your professional practice.
Strengthen Your Safeguarding Knowledge
Gain a solid understanding of the legal and ethical responsibilities within the boarding environment. Learn practical safeguarding strategies tailored to bilingual and private schools in China.
Build a Strong Professional Network
Connect with fellow boarding staff from similar schools, share experiences, and collaborate on best practices. Create lasting relationships that can support your growth beyond the workshop.
Enhance Your Boarding Practices
Develop effective routines, structures, and strategies for building a supportive community that helps students thrive away from home. Address key areas like homesickness and student adjustment with actionable techniques.
Practical, Actionable Takeaways
Leave with ready-to-implement strategies for behaviour management, communication with parents, and self-care practices. Reflect on your personal experiences and discover immediate steps you can take to improve your boarding program.
Day 1
Building a Safe and Supportive Environment in Boarding
The first day of our workshop is dedicated to establishing a robust framework for student care and safety, ensuring all boarding staff are equipped with the essential knowledge and practical skills required for a supportive residential environment. The focus areas are centered on responsibility, relationship-building, structural support, and student well-being.
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Overview: A positive boarding environment is built on trust. This module explores practical strategies for staff to intentionally cultivate strong relationships with all key stakeholders: students, parents, and colleagues.
Essential Question: How can boarding staff systematically integrate effective communication strategies to establish and sustain a culture of trust and belonging for students, parents, and colleagues?
Learning Objectives:
Apply active listening and empathetic communication techniques to cultivate strong, trusting relationships with students, parents, and colleagues.
Develop intentional community-building strategies and events to foster a powerful sense of belonging and transform the boarding house into a supportive second home.
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Overview: The transition to boarding life can be challenging, particularly for new students. This practical module equips staff with actionable ways to help students manage homesickness, cultural adjustments, and developmental changes.
Essential Question: How can we effectively manage the emotional and cultural challenges of students, specifically mitigating homesickness and facilitating a positive adjustment to residential life?
Learning Objectives:
Implement a range of practical, actionable techniques to help students feel supported and emotionally connected while away from home.
Develop tailored support plans to facilitate a positive and successful transition for new students entering the residential environment.
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Overview: The cornerstone of effective boarding is a clear understanding of the staff's legal and moral role as responsible adults. This session will provide the essentials of safeguarding, outlining the core duties regarding student protection, reporting procedures, and the specific responsibilities within the Chinese regulatory context.
Essential Question: How can boarding staff effectively fulfill their legal and moral roles as responsible adults by proactively identifying risks and implementing compliant safeguarding measures within the Chinese regulatory context?
Learning Objectives:
Identify the core legal and moral duties of a responsible adult in a boarding environment.
Outline the essential safeguarding reporting procedures for student protection and welfare.
Day 2
Professional Development and Purposeful Programming
Our second day will dive deeper into more advanced concepts, empowering participants to think creatively about continuous improvement in their boarding programs. It will also explore creative ways to provide professional development to our boarding staff.
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This session addresses the crucial role of external partnership in creating a seamless and supportive student experience. The module emphasizes how to move beyond routine updates to engage in meaningful collaboration.
Essential Question: How can boarding staff develop positive programs, proactive management techniques, and collaborative communication to create a cohesive and continuously improving student experience?
Learning Objectives
Utilize positive behavior management techniques aimed at teaching students' self-discipline and accountability, rather than solely reacting to incidents.
Implement effective collaboration and communication strategies for working with academic staff to ensure a unified student experience.
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This advanced session focuses on empowering boarding staff to move beyond basic supervision to actively guide student growth and self-awareness. Participants will explore practical reflection models and frameworks that can be easily integrated into daily residential life, encouraging students to process their experiences, make better choices, and take ownership of their development.
Essential Question: How can boarding staff effectively utilize structured reflection models and a deep understanding of age-specific needs to actively facilitate student growth, self-awareness, and personal responsibility in the residential setting?
Learning Objectives:
Integrate one or more practical reflection models into their regular boarding practice.
Design developmentally appropriate residential programming that intentionally promotes self-awareness and emotional literacy in students.
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This essential session addresses the unique and often intense demands placed upon boarding staff working in a 24/7 residential setting. The overview will cover practical strategies and mindset shifts necessary for building personal and professional resilience.
Essential Question: What practical self-care strategies and systemic approaches must boarding staff implement to effectively manage the unique stressors of a 24/7 residential role, ensuring personal resilience and preventing professional burnout?
Learning Objectives:
Identify the specific physical, emotional, and psychological indicators of chronic stress and burnout unique to the 24/7 boarding environment.
Develop a personalized, actionable self-care plan that incorporates time management, boundary setting, and recovery techniques.
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NESSIC Members
RMB 1,750 pp
Non-NESSIC Members
RMB 2,500 pp
Facilitators
Mindi Dryer
Residence Coordinator
RIS Ruamrudee International School
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Mindi Dryer is a highly dedicated and experienced Head of Boarding, bringing nine years of leadership in residential management and a comprehensive 20-year career in international education across diverse regions, including China, Korea & Thailand. Her expertise lies in transforming residential halls into supportive, high-achieving communities, with a core philosophy rooted in student well-being and proactive safeguarding. Mindi is deeply committed to mentoring boarding staff, fostering strong partnerships with parents, and implementing structured routines that enable students to thrive emotionally, academically, and socially away from home. Her dedication to creating a supportive environment ensures that every student finds a true sense of belonging.
Nicola Cook
Head of Primary Boarding
Malvern College Chengdu
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Nicola currently serves as the Head of Boarding at a private bilingual school in Sichuan. Her professional background is rooted in student wellbeing and SEN, which led her into boarding with a clear commitment to supporting the holistic development of young people. Her experience includes working across the senior boarding house and subsequently leading the girls’ boarding community, where she focused on establishing consistent routines, enhancing safeguarding practice and promoting a supportive residential culture. In her current role within the Prep School, she aims to strengthen students’ self-awareness, resilience and confidence through well-structured pastoral systems and thoughtful guidance.
Katy Piper
Boarding Mistress
Wellington College Education Hangzhou
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Since joining Wellington College Hangzhou in 2019, Katy Piper has been an integral part of the boarding community, initially serving as a boarding mentor while fulfilling her primary teaching role. In 2022, she stepped into the position of Boarding Mistress, overseeing Ming House—a vibrant boarding community for almost 200 students aged 8–18 on a part-time basis (Sunday to Friday).
Committed to fostering a warm, safe, and inclusive environment, Katy embodies Ming House’s vision: "A home away from home where every child is known, valued, and inspired to thrive." She takes pride in creating a supportive space where both staff and pupils feel a sense of belonging, ensuring boarding life is enriching, structured, and full of opportunities for personal growth.
What You’ll Gain
Learning Objectives
Develop a strong understanding of safeguarding and boarding practices relevant to bilingual and private schools in China.
Acquire practical tools to improve communication, structure, and student development within residential settings.
Reflect on personal experiences and challenges while identifying actionable strategies to implement immediately.
Learn with Peers at
Dehong Beijing International Chinese School 北京德闳学校
As a sister school to Dulwich College International schools, Dehong Beijing draws upon the extensive experience and robust global network of Education in Motion (EiM) in operating multiple schools worldwide. We maintain close collaboration with all DCI sister schools around the globe, sharing the group's rich educational resources and talent advantages.
Guided by our shared mission of “Creating the best International Chinese Schools in the world and enabling our students to make a positive difference in China and the world,” we are committed to integrating the essence of high-quality education with China’s local culture. This enables us to create an innovative learning environment that is both rooted in traditional Chinese values and enriched with a global perspective. Through extensive and in-depth inter-school exchanges and cooperation, Dehong Beijing provides students with a learning community that encourages academic exploration, stimulates creativity, and embraces diversity. Our students are supported by an experienced international faculty and future-oriented campus facilities.
Dehong Beijing not only continues the distinguished traditions of its sister schools in academics, arts, and sports but also emphasises nurturing a deep sense of cultural confidence, global-mindedness, and the ability to lead in a new era. Here, every student receives a well-rounded education that values both personal development and well-being, empowering them to become future leaders with strong local roots and international competitiveness.
Located in Grass Town, Tongzhou District, Beijing, Dehong Beijing offers a complete educational pathway including kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school sections.
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