BSA/ISBA – Working together – bursars and boarding heads

• Date: March 15, 2024
• Time: 09:30 – 15:40
• Cost: BSA/ISBA Full Member – £250, Non-member – £500 (These prices are for 2 delegate places from the same school – please complete information for both delegates when booking by selecting FOC 2nd delegate option in addition to full member/non member fee)
• Audience: Boarding school bursars, heads of boarding, boarding deputy heads, pastoral heads and senior houseparents
• Platform: Zoom (online) – Conference

Course outline:

BSA and ISBA are pleased to offer delegates the opportunity to hear from expert speakers from independent consultancies as well as BSA and ISBA schools, who aim to inform and inspire new ways of thinking around common challenges and issues facing boarding schools. There will be a focus on the interrelationship between the bursar’s operational role and the head of boarding’s pastoral role, with delegates having the opportunity to better understand the pressures and challenges of their respective roles in boarding schools.

BSA and ISBA will facilitate questions directly from members to our experts throughout the day and encourage delegates to come prepared with questions for our panels.

Unable to attend? Presentations and post conference recordings will be available for purchase, excluding the open breakout sessions from 14:45 -15:25.

We welcome delegates to submit questions for our speakers in advance of the open breakout discussions. Please submit your questions via bsa@boarding.org.uk

Training topics will include:

• How best to attract and retain boarding pupils.
• Best practice in recruiting and retaining boarding school staff (teaching and non-teaching).
• Maximising the commercial return on different classes of school assets.
• Responding to the pressures facing boarding schools in the coming years.
• Managing a boarding school budget
• Future planning for your school’s physical estate
• Immigration update

Learning outcomes:

• Increased awareness of trends in parental expectations and an understanding of how schools can best meet these expectations.
• Increased knowledge and understanding of staff recruitment and retention strategies.
• Increased awareness of the potential impact of commercial activities in schools.

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Programme:

09.30 – 09.45

Introduction to the Conference

Chair:

• David Woodgate, CEO ISBA
• David Walker, Director, BSA  

09:45 – 10:45

Attraction and retention of boarders/ Trends in parent behaviour (school selection and expectation)

Trends in parent behaviour – what do parents want from boarding schools? Best practice in communicating that your school can meet these expectations.

Chair:

• Helen Woods​​​​, Director of Learning and Professional Development, ISBA

Speakers:

• • Rachel Hadley Leonard, Independent Consultant
  • Rachel Richards, Host, Parenting Teenagers Untangled

10:45 – 11:00

Break

11:00 – 11:45

Recruiting and retaining high quality staff in boarding

Strategies for attracting and retaining boarding staff (teaching and non-teaching)

Chair: David Walker, Director, BSA

Speakers:

• • Jon Mutton, Deputy Head Pastoral and Wellbeing, Ampleforth
  • Giles Brand, Bursar, St Mary’s, Ascot
  • Lucy Wyatt, ISBA Recruitment
  • Ed Poynter, Deputy Head Pastoral, Charterhouse School

11:45 – 12:15

Break

12:15 – 13:00

How to get the best commercial return on your assets

Why enterprise initiatives are right for schools of all shapes and sizes. How to understand the potential impact of commercial activities. The opportunity presented by a well-conceived strategic co-commercial programme.

Chair: Helen Woods​​​​, Director of Learning and Professional Development, ISBA

Speaker: Dorothy McLaren, CEO, Schools’ Enterprise Association

13:00 – 13:45

Lunch

13:45 – 14:30

Panel discussion: The future of boarding schools, 2030 and beyond

It has never been more important to participate in horizon-scanning activities. Schools will often produce 5-year plans but it is the responsibility of current leaders to look further into the future to ensure their school is prepared for the challenges ahead. This session will examine trends in pastoral care, parental expectation, and the political landscape to look at what schools should be considering now to be ready for 2030 and beyond.

Chair: David Woodgate, CEO ISBA

Panel:

• • David Walker, Director, BSA
  • Ali Harber, Deputy Head Pastoral, Winchester College
  • Rob Pizii, Head of Advice and Guidance, ISBA

14:45 – 15:25

Open session for break out discussions

Option 1: Development of the school’s boarding houses. How can you ensure they are safe and appealing spaces on a limited budget.

Speaker: David Walker, Director, BSA

Option 2: Immigration update

Speakers: Denise Osterwald, Legal Director, Birketts LLP

Option 3: Managing a boarding school budget

Speaker: Abbey Gough, COO, Eastbourne College

15:25– 15:40

Summary and close

Chairs:

• David Woodgate, CEO, ISBA
• David Walker, Director, BSA

Speakers:

David Walker, BSA Director

David is the BSA Director and joined the BSA group in August 2023. He has over 20 years’ experience in boarding schools and has worked in a range of schools in the UK and Africa, alongside being a prep school governor and a trustee of a MAT. Before taking up his post at the BSA, David was Deputy Head Pastoral at a large co-ed independent school in the South-East.

David Woodgate, CEO, ISBA

David Woodgate was appointed Chief Executive of the Independent Schools Bursars’ Association in May 2016.  Prior to this he was Chief Executive of the Institute of Financial Accountants from 2007 to 2015 after which he spent a year as the Strategy Consultant to the Institute of Public Accountants in Australia.

David qualified as a Barrister in 1982 following a first degree in Languages (French and Russian), Law and Linguistics.  He moved from the law into the City, holding several senior management and executive positions in the National Westminster Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland – in Strategic Planning, Corporate Finance and latterly as Director of e-Commerce for the corporate bank. He ran an outsourcing business and a specialist internal consultancy providing market intelligence and competitor analysis.

He completed an MBA at Warwick University Business School in 1992 with distinction.  A former Chief Executive of the Institute of Administrative Management, he also holds a postgraduate diploma in Charity Management from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and South Bank University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Chartered Banker, a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights. David is also a former Chairman of Governors of an HMC Independent school and is currently a Governor of the City of London School.

Rachel Hadley Leonard, Independent Consultant

Rachel Hadley-Leonard has experience in marketing, development, and education, gained over twenty years in the independent and maintained education sectors, and in industry working for such organisations as the John Lewis Partnership and ABa.

Rachel has worked within the maintained and independent education sectors as a Teacher, Head of Department & Senior Leader, and has worked as a trainer and consultant with many schools and Multi Academy Trusts in the UK.

She offers a wealth of qualified marketing and development expertise gained through a variety of roles, field specific study, and experience at Board Director level. Rachel has written articles for educational media, including Independent Schools Magazine and Fundraising for Independent Schools.

Following two years as Co-chair, Rachel is currently Immediate Past Chair for the Association for Admissions, Marketing and Development in Independent Schools (AMDIS) and Foundation Development Director at Princethorpe College, Warwickshire.

Rachel Richards, Host, Parenting Teenagers Untangled

Rachel Richards has a 2:1 Hons degree in Politics and International Relations and a post-graduate diploma in Broadcast Journalism from City University. She is a former BBC Correspondent, World News Anchor for CNBC, and parenting Super Coach for Parent Gym. The Teenagers Untangled podcast was created as the result of pleas by parents of teenagers for more support and information on how to cope in a fast-changing world. Rachel combines her skills as a journalist and parenting coach with that of her co-host Susie Asli to research the key issues affecting parents, offering practical and comforting advice to calm the worries or parents; hence why it’s known as an audio hug.

Since its launch in December 2021, Teenagers Untangled has been downloaded in 152 different countries, received reviews that speak of its life-changing impact, and won the Independent Podcast Award’s best Self-Improvement podcast category.

Jon Mutton, Deputy Head Pastoral and Wellbeing, Ampleforth

Jon Mutton has taught in Independent Schools for students from Y7-13 for just under 20 years as a Head of Department, Housemaster and Deputy Head, 13 of which have been in boarding schools. As a Pastoral Deputy Head, Jon is interested in all things pastoral but has a special interest in work on RSHE, Online Safety and Mental Health.

Jon has his NPQH and is a BSA Accredited Boarding Practitioner Level 4. Having lived in boarding for 8 years and as line-manager of all residential staff at Ampleforth College, Jon has a very keen interest in the topic of recruiting and retaining high quality boarding staff. Jon is a keen sportsman and chess player – once upon a time managing to represent England in his youth.

Giles Brand, Bursar and Clerk to the Governors, St Mary’s School Ascot

Since 2007 Giles Brand has been the Bursar and Clerk to the Governors of St Mary’s School Ascot, a Roman Catholic boarding school for girls. Whilst at St Mary’s he has seen pupil numbers increase from 369 to 400. This has helped finance the construction of a beautiful Upper Sixth accommodation unit, a performing arts centre, a 400m athletics track and all-weather hockey pitch as well as the conversion of an old school hall into a wonderful senior library and the extension and refurbishment of the pupil refectory. Prior to St Mary’s he held the same appointment at Badminton School in Bristol for 2 years. His first career was as an officer in the Corps of Royal Engineers serving in Northern Ireland, Germany, Belgium and the Falkland Islands. He qualified as a Bomb Disposal Officer and had the privilege of commanding a bomb disposal squadron in Bosnia. Before his final appointment as the Human Resources manager for Royal Engineer officers, he was selected to command the Army Training Regiment at Bassingbourn where he was responsible for 1000 sixteen year old recruits and 250 military and civilian staff.

Lucy Wyatt, Director, Hillcrest Search ltd / ISBA Recruitment 

With a 20-year background in Executive Search. Lucy joined the ISBA in 2021 in an advisory capacity to build and manage their recruitment services to member schools who are searching for their next bursar.

Having worked with a diverse range of industries in order to secure Senior Board Members as well as advice on board restructuring and capability, Lucy is keen to use her professional experience to ensure that the ISBA is able to offer its’ member schools a cost conscious and effective solution when recruiting for senior support staff. ISBA Recruitment is now in its second year and has already become an established recruitment service in the sector.

Dorothy McLaren, Chief Executive Officer, Schools’ Enterprise Association   

Dorothy has led organisations in a variety of senior leadership roles in marketing, communication and general management across a wide section of industry in the UK, Asia and Africa. For the past 10 years, she has focused on the schools’ sector, initially as the founder of School Trunk, which provides a modern professional storage solution for boarding schools.
Dorothy is the founder and current strategic advisor to the Schools’ Enterprise Association, supporting schools’ commercial and enterprise teams as they develop and grow their co-commercial offer. Dorothy is also a Trustee of a multi academy trust in South West London.

Ali Harber, Deputy Head Pastoral at Winchester College

Ali is currently Deputy Head Pastoral at Winchester College where she oversees the delivery of pastoral care across the College. She is leading on the implementation of co-education in the Sixth Form which included planning for the arrival of the first cohort of day girls in September 2022 and she is playing a key role in planning for the opening of two girls’ boarding houses. Prior to this, she was Deputy Head Academic, Head of Sixth Form, and Assistant Anglican Chaplain at Benenden School where she had regular contact with the school’s governing body contributing to the school’s Development Plan. Before moving into school leadership positions, Ali was Head of Politics and a teacher of History.  Prior to moving into the education sector, Ali worked in public affairs as a Research Fellow at the Policy Exchange think-tank where she authored several reports and publications on both social and security policy. She has an MSc in the Theory and History of International Relations from the London School of Economics and a BScEcon in International Politics and International History from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, including an academic prize. Ali was educated at Wycombe Abbey School in High Wycombe and went on to become Head Girl.

Abbey Gough, Chief Operating Officer & Clerk to the Governors, Eastbourne College

Abbey was educated at Brighton and Hove High School for Girls before studying business and management at the University of Exeter, graduating with a first-class honours degree. Abbey started her career at UBS investment bank on the trading floor, working in structured products and risk management. From there, Abbey moved to Deloitte where she qualified as a chartered accountant and spent ten years working in audit and capital markets.

In February 2016, Abbey moved out of practice and into industry, taking on her first role in the Charity sector as head of finance at Glyndebourne. This opportunity allowed her to combine her love of the arts with financial management.

In July 2019, Abbey took up the role of chief operating officer and clerk to the governors at Eastbourne College Incorporated. Abbey lives in East Sussex with her husband, two children and golden retriever!

Ed Poynter, Deputy Head Pastoral, Charterhouse School

Ed started teaching in 2010 via the Graduate Teacher Programme (University College London) following a career in the British Army where he served as an infantry officer with the Royal Green Jackets (and latterly the Rifles) in Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ed taught English in London state and day schools, before his first taste of working in a boarding environment at Ardingly College in West Sussex. Ed’s next post was as a Housemaster at Charterhouse for eight years, before taking on his current role (also at Charterhouse) as Deputy Head (Pastoral).

He holds a BA in English and Classics from the University of Exeter and a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Buckingham. He is married to a pre-prep teacher and they have three school age children.

Rob Pizii, Head of Advice and Guidance, ISBA

Rob has recently joined the ISBA after thirteen years’ working as a bursar; firstly at a home counties’ Prep School (flexi boarding) and latterly, nearly ten years at an all-thorough Cathedral School.  Re-introducing boarding after a gap of 20 years was one of his proud achievements, his greatest challenges included surviving long periods without a Finance Manager.  Rob now heads up the Advice and Guidance team at the ISBA with links to policy development, training, and the podcast.  His aim is to provide accurate, timely and pragmatic advice to the membership.

Rob served 22 years in the Royal Artillery and is currently a volunteer with his previous school’s CCF.  Rob is also a director of a Multi-Academy Trust and a practising 1^st Dan black belt in Tae Kwon- do!

Denise Osterwald, Legal Director, Birketts LLP

Denise is a Legal Director with extensive experience in UK immigration, nationality law and global practice management. Since qualifying as a Solicitor in 2012 she has assisted many of the world’s largest organisations across sectors including pharma, financial and professional services, manufacturing and energy in managing their global mobility programmes.  Denise supports clients with sponsor licence applications and subsequent employee visa applications. She has a particular interest in working with clients to ensure their employee mobility policies are best-in-class and ensuring her clients have solid immigration compliance processes in place to protect them from Home Office enforcement action. She has also assisted many education establishments in managing their international student and employee population, including reviews of policies, auditing sponsor compliance and right to work checks.