TIOB – Conference Part 2 – Managing difficult conversations

• Date: October 31, 2023
• Time: 11:00 – 13:00
• Cost: Member Full Conference (all 3 sessions) – £215, Member day 1 only – £110, Non-member Full Conference (all 3 sessions) – £430, Non-member day 1 only – £220
• Audience: All teaching and boarding staff aspiring to senior leadership
• Platform: Zoom (online)

Course outline:

To accommodate the busy schedules of TIOB members, we have decided to restructure the TIOB Preparing for Leadership conference and split the day into three sessions across three separate dates.

• 9th October: 12.00pm-14.00pm: Interview days: tasks, questions and presentations
• 31st October: 11.00am-13.00pm: Managing difficult conversations
• 16th November: 11.00am-13.00pm: ‘Making the most of ‘you”

Should you not be able to attend all three dates, all sessions will be recorded and made available to delegates.

Training topics will include:

Learning outcomes:

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.

Speaker:

Jo Cameron- Principal, Queenswood School 

Jo Cameron has been Principal of Queenswood School since 2016, having previously worked as Deputy Head at Ipswich High School for Girls.

A graduate of the University of Surrey (St Mary’s College) with an honours degree in

Environmental Science, for the past 23 years Mrs Cameron has worked almost exclusively in

all girls’ schools. She began her teaching career as a Science teacher specialising in Biology at St Mary’s, Wantage, where she quickly progressed to become Head of the Science Department. She has a deep understanding and appreciation of the unique opportunities that single sex education offers, and is firmly of the belief that ‘happy girls are successful girls’.

Beyond the classroom, in her spare time Mrs Cameron is a keen sportswoman, with a passion for hockey, running and equestrianism.

Will Chuter, Headmaster, Kimbolton School

He started his teaching career in 2005, following a stint in publishing in London. He teaches Classics, was Head of Department and Housemaster at Uppingham, then Deputy Head Pastoral at Gresham’s, and took on the Headship of Cranbrook in January 2021. He is a passionate advocate of boarding and state boarding schools.

He has been the Headmaster of Kimbolton School since September 2023.

Martin Reader- Headmaster, Cranleigh School

Martin Reader is currently Head of Cranleigh School. He began his teaching career at St Edward’s Oxford, before moving to Oundle School and then to Reigate Grammar School where he was Senior Deputy Head. Prior to moving to Cranleigh, he was Headmaster of Wellington School, Somerset for eight years. Passionate about boarding, he served as Chair of the BSA in 2018, and Vice Chair in 2017 and 2019. He is also a trustee of the BSA Foundation and the Hawk and Owl Trust. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Fellow of the Institute of Boarding.

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

The session will be interactive, including some group activities and discussions.

Speaker:

Tracy-Anne Barker

Tracy-Anne is a UK-based former director, senior manager, and lead for commercial, public, and charity sector organisations. Her business is a training and coaching consultancy.

With over 30 years in construction, retail, hospitality, recruitment, education, supply chain, international trade, and public and charity sectors she has trained thousands of managers, team leaders, supervisors and charge hands.

Every part of growing up;  at school and in Tracy-Anne’s early career was influenced by people who ‘believed’ in her. Without these people giving her a chance, taking faith in her ability, and supporting her progression she would not have developed into the person she is today.

She has a strong belief, that if you reach for the stars and you work hard your background does not need to hold you back. If you want to change and you can grasp an opportunity, you can progress.

When you support and champion individuals, you help them achieve the right mindset, focus, and ambition.  Tracy-Anne takes it as her responsibility to do just that.

Tracy-Anne will admit, she got it disastrously wrong in the early days of her management career but, she now knows how to set a firm foundation from which to lead a team of people.   That is why the title of her book is ‘How not to Balls it up’.

It’s these foundations Tracy-Anne has used to create her business to Train, Mentor, Support, and Coach Heads of Departments, Supervisors, Managers, and Team Leaders in the Education sector.

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?”

Dr Helen Wright   

Dr Helen Wright is a globally well connected, distinguished and internationally recognised educationalist. She is a former Head of BSA boarding schools, and a former Vice-Chair of ISC, who held national and international roles in education in the UK and Australia until 2014; she was President of GSA in 2011, and Tatler’s Best Head of a Public School in the same year.

After her successful executive leadership career in secondary and K-12 education in the UK and internationally, Helen has devoted herself since 2014 to governance, recruitment, coaching and consultancy, working with school leaders across the world; she also chairs and contributes to a number of educational Boards in the UK and internationally.

Often described by her leadership coachees as warm, independent and incisive (and demanding!), with a visionary yet pragmatic approach, Helen enjoys challenging individuals and supporting them in their career growth. She regularly conducts appraisals of senior school leaders, and uses a suite of psychometric and 360 assessments to support leaders and their teams to appreciate and utilise their working strengths and team dynamics.

A catalyst for change, and a seasoned executive coach and mentor, qualified to ILM Level 7 (Masters’ level) in both Executive Coaching, and Coaching Supervision, with several thousand hours of coaching under her belt, Helen has a particular depth of understanding of the importance of diversity of thought and inclusive thinking as a foundation for effective conversations, behaviours and impact.

Helen has recruited countless leaders for international schools with LSC Education since 2015 and has a particular passion for supporting leaders at all stages in their journeys, helping them to grow authentically. She is a firm and resolute believer in the power of people to make a difference in the world, and she seeks to support them in this process.

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