Annual Conference for Heads – Making a difference

• Date: May 02-03, 2023
• Time: 10:30 – 17:00
• Cost: Member delegate rate – £550, Affiliate member delegate rate – £825
  Cost will include two-day conference, conference refreshments and annual awards dinner on the evening of May 02.
• Audience: Heads
• Venue: Delta Hotels by Marriott Bristol City Centre, 2 Lower Castle Street, Old Market, Bristol, BS1 3AD.
• Accommodation: Please note accommodation is not included in the delegate rate. Delegates are  able to book accommodation for the two-day conference using the online booking platform, Roomex. Click here to login and secure your room using your school email address domain. A helpful BSA conference user guide is also available to watch here. If you would prefer to stay in the same hotel where the conference will be taking place, please select ‘Delta Hotels by Marriott Bristol City Centre’ when booking via the platform. Roomex searches 35 global sources to provide the best hotel solution in one place and can save you up to 25%.
• Exhibiting and sponsorship: We are delighted to be able to welcome organisations sponsorship and exhibition opportunities at this event, for full details Click here, or email Neil Rust, Head of Commercial neil.rust@bsagroup.org.uk

We’re looking forward to welcoming Heads from our member schools to our Annual Conference for Heads, sponsored by Chartwells and Schoolblazor which takes place on May 02-03, 2023.

This two-day conference titled ‘Making a difference’, led by Gavin Horgan, BSA Chair 2023 and Headmaster, Millfield School will bring together leading boarding heads to reflect on the benefits of boarding and how to support heads in their leadership roles.

The conference also includes the BSA’s Annual Awards and Conference Dinner, this year, taking place on May 2, 2023.  The award categories will open to application in January 2023.

Download programme

Programme:

Tuesday 2 May: The Benefits of Boarding 

10:30     Registration and refreshments

11:45     Opening of conference
– Robin Fletcher, Chief Executive, BSA and BSA Group

11:50     Chairman’s address
– Gavin Horgan, BSA Chair 2023 and Headmaster, Millfield School

12:05     Making a difference
Chair: Lisa Kerr, Principal, Gordonstoun School
– Ana Fegan-Smith, Gordonstoun alumni, Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF) representative

12:50     Lunch

13:30     Eat to excel by headline sponsors, Chartwells
Chair: Gavin Horgan, Chair, BSA 2023 and Headmaster, Millfield School
– Adam Sutton, Chartwells Nutritionist, Millfield School
– Matthew Bramley, Executive Chef, Millfield School

13:50    Growing up in the age of anxiety
– Dr Kerstyn Comley, Co-founder of Tellmi
– Thomas Freeney, Partnerships Manager, Tellmi

14:50     Refreshments

15:20    The Seven Ages of Headship
Chair: Gavin Horgan, Chair, BSA 2023 and Headmaster, Millfield School
– Sir Anthony Seldon, Interim Head, Epsom College

16:00     Making a difference in the face of political threat
Chair: Robin Fletcher, Chief Executive, BSA and BSA Group
– Julie Robinson, CEO, ISC
– Sue Bishop, Specialist Education and Charities Partner, Alder PR
– Jonathan Simons, Partner and Head of the Education Practice, Public First
– Tom Arbuthnott, Deputy Head (Partnerships), Eton College and Co-Founder, Schools Together Group

19:00     New and Retiring Heads’ Drinks reception – Sponsored by Moore Barlow
Evening entertainment provided by Badminton School

19:30     Drinks reception – Sponsored by Moore Barlow

20:00     Annual conference and awards dinner sponsored by Chartwells
After dinner speaker: Tim Hands, Headmaster, Winchester College

–

Day 2 –Supporting Heads

09:30     Supporting neurodiversity in boarding
Chair: Gavin Horgan, BSA Chair 2023 and Headmaster, Millfield School
– Fintan O’Regan, ADHD and Neurodiversity consultant and author
– Anthony Friel, Neurodiversity in Business and Senior Consultant and Neurodiversity Network Chair, Deloitte

10:30     Refreshments

10:50  Telling the Children in Need story
Chair: Gavin Horgan, Chair, BSA 2023 and Headmaster, Millfield School
– Rosie Millard OBE, Chairperson, BBC Children in Need

11:30     Refreshments

11:45     Safeguarding: supporting pupils past, current and future
Chair: Dale Wilkins, Senior Director, BSA Group
– David Smellie, Partner, Farrer & Co.
– Fiona Scolding KC, Barrister, Landmark Chamber

12:30     Lunch

13:15    Breakout sessions

1. Start right: Supporting younger boarders
Chair: Gavin Horgan, Chair, BSA 2023 and Headmaster, Millfield School
– Jeremy Banks, Headmaster, Caldicott School and IAPS representative, BSA Executive Committee
– Ali Kinge, Headmistress, Ardvreck School
– Emilie Darwin, Director of Member Services, IAPS

2. The outlook for international student marketing and recruitment
Chair: Bethan Waddington, Programme Director, BSA Group and Director, BAISIS
– Caroline Nixon, International and Membership Director, BSA Group
– Sarah Bellotti, Head, Mill Hill International and Chair, BAISIS
– Catherine Stoker, Founder, The Independent Education Consultants
– Su Hayter, UK Country Manager and Global Development Manager (Boarding Schools), Intake Education

3. State boarding
Chair: Chris Pyle, Head, Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Chair, SBF
– Dale Wilkins, Senior Director, BSA Group

4. Girls’ boarding
Chair: Gaelle Sullivan, Director of Research and Inclusion, BSA Group and Director, TIOB
– Jo Cameron, Headmistress, Queenswood School
– Donna Stevens, Chief Executive, Girls’ Schools Association

14:15     The boarding view from “Down Under”
– Richard Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Boarding Schools’ Association (ABSA)

14:45    The reunion: facing our past
– Gavin Horgan in conversation with Ben Smith, endurance athlete and anti-bullying champion

15:15     Refreshments

15:30    Practical considerations to make a difference
– John Murphie, COO, ISBA
– Hannah Hamilton, Director of Marketing, United Learning
– Phil Dean, Managing Director, Studio Certain

16:15    Legal, HR and Immigration updates
Chair: Gavin Horgan, Chair, BSA 2023 and Headmaster, Millfield School
– Kate Hollyer, Legal and Public Affairs Director, BSA Group and BSA Group Legal
– Ben Collingwood, Partner, Moore Barlow LLP
– Krissy Scott, Partner, HCR Law

17:00    Close of conference
Gavin Horgan, Chair, BSA 2023 and Headmaster, Millfield School
Gavin hands over to Jo Cameron, Headmistress, Queenswood School and incoming BSA Chair 2024

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Speakers include:

Robin Fletcher, Chief Executive, BSA and BSA Group

Robin is CEO of BSA Group, comprising the BSA (Boarding Schools’ Association), Sacpa (Safeguarding and Child Protection Association) and BAISIS (British Association of Independent Schools with International Students). Robin was a journalist, editor and communications director before joining BSA in 2014.

As BSA CEO, Robin is a member of the Department for Education’s Systems Partnership Oversight Board. Outside BSA, he is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff Metropolitan University, former Governor of Rugby School and former President of the Rugbeian Society and a non-executive director of the national trade body Make UK. He lives in Bath in south west England and has two daughters, two stepdaughters, and two stepsons.

Gavin Horgan, BSA Chair 2023, Head, Millfield School

Gavin Horgan became Headmaster of Millfield in September 2018. Gavin was previously Headmaster of Worksop College in Nottinghamshire since 2012, where he delivered academic turnaround aligned with a substantial building programme and whole school restructure.

Prior to Worksop College, Gavin’s earlier career included working internationally in schools in Sri Lanka and Argentina, before returning to the UK in 2009 as the Deputy Head of The Glasgow Academy, an independent co-educational school with 1300 pupils. Gavin also has extensive experience of the state sector at schools in Hampshire and Lambeth.

Lisa Kerr, Principal, Gordonstoun School

With a degree in Music, a twenty-year career in media and business and ten years on the Gordonstoun Board of Governors, Lisa became the first female principal in the school’s history in 2017. She has three children, all at the school, can often be seen running round campus in the early hours, conducts a local choir and occasionally joins the school orchestra when they are short of a cellist.

Ana Fegan-Smith, Springboard storyboard, Gordonstoun alumni

Ana is a first-year law student at the London School of Economics and Political Science where she is a three-fold scholar. Before enrolling at university, Ana was a double scholar at Gordonstoun School in Scotland, where she was in receipt of an All Round Scholarship and SpringBoard Scholarship for her sixth form studies. Ana independently earned the place at Gordonstoun at 16 and enrolled after experiencing several challenges in her childhood due to familial difficulties. Ana aspires to begin her career in commercial law and balance philanthropic endeavours while practicing in a London-based firm. Outside of her academic and career life, Ana enjoys spending time with her friends, walking her dog, and trying all of the food options that London offers.

Adam Sutton, Chartwells Nutritionist, Millfield School

Adam began working for Chartwells at Millfield in March 2022 after graduating with a Masters degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition. His day to day role is centred around pupil engagement, interaction and education to support the whole school. This can take the form of workshops, one to one conversations with pupils and boarding house visits in the evenings. Adam enjoys enabling pupils to meet their goals and showing that nutrition is so much more than fantastic food.

Matthew Bramley, Executive Chef, Millfield School

Matthew started as Executive Chef at Millfield for Chartwells in May 2022; having spent most of his career in the hotel sector, working within rosette and Michelin star establishments. His normal working day is built around the logistics of the kitchen operation, budgeting, planning, and implementing concepts and practices that are in the best interests of the school and the pupils. He works closely with the nutritionist and senior catering team to help ensure the pupils needs are met from both a pastoral and nutritional perspective.

Dr Kerstyn Comley, Co-founder of Tellmi

Kerstyn studied engineering at Bristol University before completing a PhD in bio-engineering at Cambridge University. She has twenty years of experience in development, product, and business management. Along with being a Co-founder of Tellmi, Kerstyn is also the Co-founder and chair of governors of an innovative free school.

Thomas Freeney, Partnerships Manager, Tellmi

Thomas is a qualified teacher, school governor, and researcher who specialises in assessing and supporting wellbeing practices to better aid whole system mental health. He has worked with Tellmi since 2017 to improve people’s access to support and to boost understanding of key issues across settings. Having experienced the positive and negative impact of school systems on student and staff well being, Thomas is passionate about improving the quality of provision across education and clinical settings.

Jeremy Banks, Headmaster, Caldicott School and IAPS representative, BSA Executive Committee

Jeremy Banks joined Caldicott as Headmaster in April 2018 and has since led a number of ambitious strategic developments, always putting the boys’ needs and wellbeing at the forefront of his decision-making. In 2020, he established the Caldicott Foundation with the twofold aim of investing in capital projects and supporting talented boys from diverse backgrounds through scholarships and bursaries.

He was educated at an all boys’ prep school in Nottingham before boarding at Uppingham in the late 1980s and then going in to read Geography and Education at the University of Warwick. In a 10 year career at Dulwich Prep, Jeremy was first Assistant Director of Studies for four years, then Housemaster for a further four years. Jeremy became Deputy Head of Beachborough School in 2006 and then Headmaster of the same school in 2013.

Jeremy completed a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership in 2010 for which he received a Distinction. As a serving member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) he has been Chairman of the Education Committee and has just accepted a new role as Prep Boarding Representative.

Ali Kinge, Headmistress, Ardvreck School

Ali Kinge has been teaching for 28 years in the independent sector, starting as Resident Housemistress at Moreton Hall in Shropshire. After a spell teaching the International Baccalaureate in Peru, she balanced her career teaching at Malvern St James whilst raising her three sons. In 2005, she moved to Scotland and, after a brief period teaching at Glenalmond College, she made the transition to the prep sector at Ardvreck School. Over the past seventeen years she has been Head of Department, Deputy Head and, in 2018, she was appointed as Ardvreck’s first Headmistress. Ali Kinge is a great advocate of motivational and empathetic leadership, firmly believing that successful schools begin with a fulfilled and happy team of staff.

Emilie Darwin, Director of Member Services, IAPS

Emilie has been Director of Membership Services at IAPS since 2019, providing wide ranging guidance and support to prep heads.  Prior to joining IAPS, Emilie was a partner at HCR law where she spent 15 years giving legal advice to independent schools.

Julie Robinson, Chief Executive, ISC

Julie attended Sackville School, a state secondary in East Grinstead, before studying English at the University of Birmingham. She began her career as a teacher and was head of two IAPS, co-educational, day and boarding prep schools for children aged 3-13. She led education and training for IAPS for five years and was appointed General Secretary of the Independent Schools Council in 2015.

As CEO, Julie is responsible for the day-to-day management of the ISC and answers to the ISC Board and Chairman.

The ISC’s data analysis informs advocacy of the sector and Julie has appeared in the national media regularly. Her live appearances include Newsnight, Sky News, The Today Programme, BBC and Channel 4 News.

The ISC is a coordinating, umbrella body providing a vital link between the independent education sector and government policy. It brings together AGBIS, GSA, HMC, ISA, IAPS, ISBA and the Society of Heads along with affiliates BSA, COBIS, SCIS and WISC. The ISC’s three priority areas of activity are (1) research/data, (2) media/communications and (3) policy/public affairs. In all things, the ISC seeks to support, inform and promote the sector, rebutting untruths and explaining the value of independent education to wider society.

Julie is a school governor at a state school as well as an independent school in London.

Sue Bishop, Specialist Education and Charities Partner, Alder PR

As a Specialist Partner at leading crisis PR firm Alder, Sue helps schools and charities deal with the effects of bad publicity and emerge stronger. She also provides counsel, practical help and media training to Heads and communications leads who are seeking to improve their internal and external communications in a time of significant pressure.

She was Director of External Relations at the Heads’ Conference (HMC) from 2015 – 2021 where she advised on a wide range of sensitive issues, including during the pandemic and 2019 election. She was the HMC lead on wellbeing and was seconded to ISC to assist with the first pan sector public affairs strategic plan in the run up to the last election.

Her previous career included front-of-camera reporting on Newsnight, BBC News, Watchdog and Dispatches. Her news and investigative pieces have appeared in The Times, Telegraph, Guardian and Independent and she spent four years in the investigations team at the Sunday People.   She was then Head of Media and Director of Communications at Christian Aid and ActionAid UK, dealing with major disasters, international conflicts and campaigns.

Sue is a governor of Tonbridge School and a former trustee of the International Broadcasting Trust and Home-Start UK.

Jonathan Simons, Partner and Head of the Education Practice, Public First

Jonathan Simons is a Partner, and Head of the Education Practice, at the strategy and public policy consultancy Public First, which works with some of the biggest organisations in English education to help them address policy questions, shape their message and engage with government.

Jonathan has spent the past eighteen years working in and with government on education issues – eight years in government including 2.5 years in the No10 Strategy Unit; as the Head of Education for the think tank Policy Exchange; and working in international education for the global charity Varkey Foundation. In these roles, he has written extensively on all elements of the English education system and is a frequent media commentator and columnist.

Jonathan is a Trustee of Education Development Trust, a Member of Astrea Academy Trust, and the co-founder of Ark Greenwich Free School. He sits on advisory boards for UCAS, Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation, and the Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO) at UCL.

Tom Arbuthnott, Deputy Head (Partnerships), Eton College and Co-Founder, Schools Together Group

Tom Arbuthnott is Deputy Head (Partnerships) at Eton College and oversees the school’s strategies to widen access to talented boys from diverse backgrounds. He oversees Eton’s strong and multiple relationships with state sector schools and the community engagement programme, as well as the annual summer schools and school communications.

Tom took degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge universities and worked in Brussels and London for a European Parliament think tank before retraining as a teacher in 2004. From 2010-2016, Tom led an award-winning outreach programme at King Edward’s School, Birmingham.

An Old Etonian himself, he returned in 2016 as Eton’s first Director of Outreach and Partnership and in 2017-18, he served as Chair of the Schools Together Group. Tom is currently leading Eton’s collaborative project with Star Academies to establish new state-funded sixth forms in coldspot areas of the Midlands and North.

Tim Hands, Headmaster, Winchester College

Dr Tim Hands became Headmaster of Winchester College in September 2016 having previously been the Master of Magdalen College School, Oxford, described by The Times as the country’s leading academic school. He comes from a family of teachers – an ancestor was schoolmaster on board HMS Victory – and has extensive experience in the independent sector: as a boarding housemaster at King’s School Canterbury, Second Master at Whitgift School, and Headmaster of The Portsmouth Grammar School. He was Chairman of HMC from 2013 – 2014, and for seven years previously the Chair of its Universities Committee.

Born in London and educated in the state sector, Tim studied the violin at the Guildhall School of Music before reading English at King’s College London, of which he is an honorary Fellow. He has a doctorate from Oxford, where he was a lecturer in English Literature at Oriel College. He teaches English to all those studying the subject in the Sixth Form, and writes regularly on academic topics for a number of journals and newspapers.

Tim enjoys watching sport, writing, and listening to classical music. He has extensive experience as a choral conductor (Conductor of Schola Cantorum of Oxford 1982-5), and has worked with several of the world’s leading singers and conductors. He is married to Jane, a solicitor, and they have two grown-up sons.

Fintan O’Regan, Behaviour and Learning specialist

Fintan is one of the leading Behaviour and Learning specialists in the UK. He is currently an ADHD, Neurodiversity and Behaviour Consultant for number of schools and organisations and an associate lecturer for Leicester University, the National Association of Special Needs, The Helen Arkell Charity and the Institute of Education.

He is the former Vice Chairman of UKAP and the European ADHD Alliance. He has been the chairperson of the European ADHD Taskforce and is a current member of the Special Education Consortium, the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee, a full council member of the Council of Registered Schools for the Teaching of Dyslexia (CReSTeD) and the London Child and Development Centre.

Fintan trained as a secondary science and PE teacher after studying Zoology and Genetics at Sheffield University and remains fascinated by the impact of nurture and nature on human development. He was the Headmaster of the Centre Academy School, regarded as the first specialist school within the UK for children with ADHD/ODD from 1996 -2002. Prior to that, he was a Deputy Head Teacher, the Head of the Science Department and a Science/PE teacher in London, Newcastle and Washington DC. Throughout this period he worked with a range of students and parents. This experience helped to develop a balanced perspective of the issues facing schools, teachers and families regarding behaviour and learning differences.

Fintan is an internationally acclaimed presenter and consultant in behaviour, learning and motivation working both within the Education and Health sectors. As well as providing his expertise to audiences within the UK, he has presented over 500 seminars throughout Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia, New Zealand and North America, he has also published over 10 books.

Rosie Millard OBE, Chairperson, BBC Children in Need

Rosie Millard is a journalist and broadcaster, primarily on arts and culture. She writes for many publications including The Spectator, The Sunday Times and Radio Times and can be heard regularly on BBC Radio. She was Chair of Hull UK City of Culture 2017, for which she was awarded an OBE. Rosie has been a columnist, profile writer, critic and feature writer and was the BBC’s Arts Correspondent for a decade where she became a familiar face reporting on arts, culture and showbiz from across the world on radio and television. She is Chair of Firstsite Gallery in Colchester and Deputy Chair of Opera North. Rosie has also served as a primary school governor in Hull and was a leader of two Brownie packs near her home in central London. She has written books both fiction and non-fiction, is an ardent marathon runner, and mother of four.

Dale Wilkins, Senior Director, BSA Group
Dale joined the BSA during Summer 2017 with responsibility for safeguarding and standards. In July 2019 he also assumed responsibility for the BSA’s accredited training programme. Dale leads on all safeguarding and inspection matters for the BSA, including managing the Commitment to Care Charter, the Annual Safeguarding conference, and the Safeguarding Forum. He has also developed a process of BSA Accreditation for our overseas members.

For 31 years Dale was a boarding practitioner. After boarding positions at Norwich School and Tettenhall College, Dale became a Housemaster at Old Swinford Hospital in 1992, and was promoted to Deputy Head in 2007, and subsequently also DSL. He has also been a multi-agency trainer for the Dudley Safeguarding Children’s Board and has been closely involved in inspection in state and independent boarding since 2002. Dale had previously been a BSA course tutor since 1998 and developed the BSA Self-Assessment Toolkit.

David Smellie, Partner, Farrer & Co.

David leads Farrer & Co’s Safeguarding Unit. He has been heavily involved in advising clients on safeguarding matters over the last 15 years and, as such, he has witnessed the positive impact of regulatory change over the period. David led the Farrer & Co team which acted as Solicitors to the Independent Review by Hugh Davies QC into the criminal conduct of William Vahey in 2014. David has also acted as child protection governor at three schools, and is recognised as the UK’s top-ranked schools lawyer in Chambers UK

Fiona Scolding KC, Barrister, Landmark Chamber

Fiona’s practice focusses upon public law challenges in a wide variety of contexts concerning both local and central government and non governmental departmental bodies. She has particular expertise in areas concerning children and vulnerable adults, with a focus upon education, the Court of Protection, healthcare, community care, equality, human rights and discrimination, but also has experience in areas as varied as immigration, prisons, social security and general public law work.

Fiona’s work for government departments has led her to develop an expertise in public procurement, and she has been involved (on behalf of the Legal Aid Agency) with many large scale challenges to procurement exercises since 2010.

Fiona has been recommended by the Legal 500 for her work in education law since 2002, and is also recommended by them in administrative & public law and civil liberties & human rights.  She is recommended by Chambers & Partners for her work in education law alongside the Court of Protection and local government.

Fiona has a commitment to pro bono work. She also is on the EHRC panel counsel since 2010, and has a keen appreciation and understanding of equality and rights legislation.  She was a member of the Attorney General’s B panel from 2013 to 2017.

Fiona is joint head of the Public Law Group at Landmark Chambers.

Krissy Scott, Partner, Harrison Clark Rickerbys Law

Education is such an important part of everyday life and Krissy uses her expertise to focus on issues relating to staff, pupils and parents to allow schools to keep teaching and learning as a priority.

Krissy is trusted to support educational establishments of all types, from independent schools and grammar schools to colleges with sensitive issues such as child protection, pupil exclusions and parental complaints. Working collaboratively with schools, engaging with them beyond pragmatic legal advice, Krissy sees herself as an extension to the school team.

Safeguarding and child protection are vital, creating safer systems in schools and pupil and staff wellbeing. Krissy also helps schools when allegations of abuse are made against staff, including support on multi-agency working and the duty to report and refer to the appropriate authorities; she is also a safeguarding link governor at a large senior school.

The quality of Krissy’s work is recognised in the legal directories – delighted clients have said “the quality of her response is great, as it is always right first time, and she is great to deal with on a personal level.” Sharing her expertise, Krissy regularly speaks at national education sector events and provides training to clients on difficult pastoral issues.

Ben Collingwood, Partner, Moore Barlow LLP

Ben specialise in advising independent schools and other charities on wide ranging areas of education law, with particular focus on reputation issues, pastoral, safeguarding, historic abuse allegations, SEN, exclusions, parent/pupil complaints, data protection, parent contracts, admissions and staff matters of all types.

Ben has written and spoken widely on issues facing the independent schools sector, providing comment in The Times, The Guardian, The Lawyer and Law Society’s Gazette and at the national conferences and training programmes for the various associations that support independent schools including BSA, ISBA, HMC, IAPS and AGBIS.

Ben lives with my wife and three children in West Sussex. He have been a devoted surfer since childhood and loves to spend as much of his free time as possible in the sea and walking his pointers with his family

Bethan Waddington, Programme Director BSA Group, incoming Director BAISIS

Bethan Waddington joined the BSA team as Training Manager in September 2017. Bethan has worked in two independent boarding schools in the UK and Switzerland, the latter as Housemistress to 36 pupils. Following her time in Switzerland, she was a Pastoral Manager for an inner-city state academy before working in the charity sector for Debrett’s running the ‘Debrett’s Foundation’ training programme.

In her role, Bethan plans and manages all Day Seminars, Conferences, INSET and Consultancy. She believes boarding can be a positive force for young people and in order to fully support their needs staff can never learn too much. As such she is passionate about the CPD BSA delivers to our pastoral communities in the UK and worldwide.

Caroline Nixon M.A. (Oxon.), M. Ed., FTIOB, BSA International & Membership Director, Director BAISIS

Caroline has worked in international education for over 30 years.  She is International & Membership Director at Boarding Schools’ Association, Director of British Association of Independent Schools with International Students and Director of Caroline Nixon Education Ltd., as well as a member of the advisory group to the British Government’s All Party Parliamentary Group for international students.

Caroline set up and runs the BSA educational agent certification scheme and is involved with the BSA’s accreditation of international schools.  Her background is in international education marketing and she also set up and ran a leading international school in the UK.  She has helped several UK schools to establish new overseas branches, advised an international school opening in the UK, set up a guardianship agency for an educational group, and advises schools on international marketing and academic and pastoral provision for their international students.

Sarah Bellotti, Chair BAISIS and Head Mill Hill International

Sarah was elected BAISIS Chair in January 2022, having served as Deputy Chair since November 2020.
Sarah started her career in education at an international school in Rome, Italy and then returned to the UK to take up a post at King’s Ely where she later became Director of King’s Ely International. Since 2014, Sarah has worked at The Mount, Mill Hill International as the founding Headteacher.

Catherine Stoker, Founder, The Independent Education Consultants

Catherine has had a wealth of experience in independent school education, with boarding prep and senior schools being a particular passion for her. Initially as a teacher and housemistress, then as one of the Board of Directors and Managing Director of a top London education consultancy, and latterly as founder of The Independent Education Consultants, she has helped many hundreds of families over the years.

Catherine is passionate about putting the child first, supporting and guiding parents in securing a school solution which takes account of the individual talents and needs of the child, alongside those of the family as a whole.

She has been advising parents with school choice dilemmas over many years. Her extensive knowledge of independent day and boarding schools UK-wide, allows her to offer both international and UK-based parents all the guidance they need.

 Su Hayter, UK Country Manager and Global Development Manager (Boarding Schools), Intake Education

Su Hayter has worked for Intake Education in overseas recruitment for over 20 years.  Having both worked and studied in Europe and Asia, she fully understands the challenges of living abroad. She finds her role in supporting families and advisors across West Africa and Asia rewarding and, as a mother, fully understands the importance of finding the right fit.

Chris Pyle, Head, Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Chair, SBF

Jo Cameron, Headmistress, 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.

Donna Stevens, Chief Executive, Girls’ Schools Association

As GSA Chief Executive, Donna is responsible for working with Girls’ Schools Association members and other stakeholders to encourage high standards of education for girls and to promote the benefits of being taught in a largely girls-only environment. She took up her role in January 2021, at a critical time in the education sector, supporting GSA schools as they navigated their way through the ‘new normal’ which the Coronavirus public health crisis necessitated.

Donna Stevens was previously Head of Research for the Independent Schools Council, where she was responsible for overseeing a wide range of projects each year, such as the ISC Annual Census, the economic impact of independent schools on the UK economy and the impact of independent-state school partnerships. As a result of this, and her knowledge of the ISC’s other work, she has gained considerable insight to the issues surrounding the independent education sector and the role it plays within the UK education sector as a whole, as well as internationally. She is a regular speaker at education sector conferences.

Donna has also worked in strategic consultancy, advising across a wide range of sectors on financial matters, communication and brand strategies. In addition, she has experience in the social sector, working with organisations such as The Challenge and Action Tutoring. Donna has a degree in Mathematics from the University of Oxford, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational and Social Research from UCL. Outside of work, she owns and manages a successful performing arts weekend school which caters for 100 youngsters – including Donna’s own three children – and offers means-tested scholarships to local pupils. Donna also enjoys jogging and spending time with her family.

Richard Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Boarding Schools Association

Richard has worked in boarding schools since 1979, firstly in Adelaide and then in Brisbane at St Peters Lutheran College.

In 1996 he took on the new challenge of Dean of Residential Care at St Joseph’s Nudgee College, a boarding school of nearly 600 boys, and held that role until he retired from a direct boarding role at the end of 2005.

Richard has been involved in ABSA or its previous versions since 1985, and was appointed the first part-time Executive Director for the newly formed Australian Boarding Schools Association in 2007. The role became a full-time one in 2011. His passion in his work at ABSA include staff training, advocating for boarding schools and most importably, as drafting chair for the Standards Australia committee for the National Standard for Boarding Schools, lifting the standard of our schools to be the best they can be. Richard is happily married to Karen, and has two adult children who both enjoyed growing up in the boarding environment!

John Murphie, COO, Independent Schools’ Bursars Association

John has been with ISBA since February 2017.  He is responsible for the head office internal organisation and functions and he is the main point of contact for advice and guidance to schools. John spent 31 years in the Royal Navy, retiring in 2007.  Since then, he has worked as the Chapter Clerk in Portsmouth Cathedral, managed a Barristers’ Chambers in London and been Bursar in two schools before joining ISBA.

Hannah Hamilton, Director of Marketing, United Learning

Hannah Hamilton started her career as a broadcast journalist, and spent six years in public relations consultancy, including crisis management for the NHS and the Care Commission, before specialising in marketing and communications in the education sector. Hannah spent fifteen years working for a series of HMC schools in the UK, leading on all aspects of communications, marketing, student recruitment, alumni relations and development. In 2021, she joined United Learning, England’s largest multi-academy trust, as Director of Marketing, where she leads a team supporting more than 90 schools and driving recruitment for their national school-based teacher training programme. A graduate of the University of Dundee, Hannah is a Fellow and former Vice Chair of Admissions, Marketing & Communications in Independent Schools (AMCIS), and a former Regional Vice President of the Institute of Development Professionals in education (IDPE). She is a regular speaker on marketing and development topics, including creativity, marketing strategy, crisis management and school partnerships.

Phil Dean, Managing Director, Studio Certain

Over the years Phil has been responsible for helping to build successful agency businesses, from overseeing the growth of small businesses to creating a business from scratch in a plc environment.

Phil’s brand experience covers the entire spectrum, from research to full blown implementation, working with global brands at a senior level, including: Nike, Virgin, Guinness, BBC, Formula 1, Toyota, Jaguar, Paul Smith, Manchester United, Sky, Kopparberg and London 2012 Olympics.

Phil spends his spare time sketching in London and has exhibited his works at galleries is a published author with 2 books on Urban Sketching.

Anthony Friel, Co-Founder, Neurodiversity in Business and Senior Consultant and Neurodiversity Network Chair, Deloitte

Anthony is an Autistic and ADHD self advocate: Co-Founder, Chief Community Officer and Chair of the Co-Production board at Neurodiversity in Business and founding Chair of Deloitte’s Neurodiversity Network.

Sir Anthony Seldon, Interim Head, Epsom College

Sir Anthony Seldon, is one of Britain’s leading contemporary historians, educationalists, commentators and political authors. Head of Epsom College since February 2023, he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham from 2015 to 2020 after being a transformative head for 20 years of Brighton College and then Wellington College. He is author or editor of over 45 books on contemporary history, including the inside books on the last six Prime Ministers, was the co-founder and first director of the Institute for Contemporary British History, is cofounder of Action for Happiness, was honorary historical adviser to 10 Downing Street for ten years, was the UK’s Special Representative for Education to Saudi Arabia, was Deputy Chair of The Times Education Commission, was a member of the Government’s First World War Culture Committee, was chair of the Comment Awards, is a director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, is the President of IPEN, (International Positive Education Network), is Chair of the National Archives Trust and is initiator and deputy chair of the “commission on the centre” run by the Institute for government. He is patron or on the board of several charities, founder of the Via Sacra Western Front Walk, and was executive producer of the film Journey’s End. He appeared on the Desert Island Discs in 2016. For the last fifteen years he has given his money from writing and lecturing to charity. He has three children; his wife of 34 years, Joanna, died of cancer in December 2016. He married Sarah in April 2022.