BSA/TIOB – Annual Boarding Conference

🏷️ £595-1190
🎧 Current and aspiring boarding leaders, including Deputy Heads and Heads of Boarding
📍 Crowne Plaza, Nottingham
🏠 Accommodation not included

Headline sponsor: Witley Jones

Don’t miss the 2026 Annual Boarding Conference!

Join colleagues from across the sector at the Crowne Plaza Nottingham for two unforgettable days of insight, inspiration, and connection. Explore the latest trends and opportunities in boarding, dive into thought-provoking sessions, and share best practice with peers in lively round tables and breakouts.

⭐ “Very good for understanding what’s happening in boarding nationally and globally.”
⭐ “A really enjoyable conference with great networking opportunities.”

This is your chance to network, recharge, and take away fresh ideas to energise your school community. And of course, the highlight: the BSA/TIOB Annual Conference Dinner on January 27, 2026, following a sparkling drinks reception with live music.

Book your place now and connect, collaborate, and be inspired!

BOOK NOW

Programme 

TUESDAY 27 JANUARY

11:00 |  Boarding360 – A full-circle view of boarding
Katrina Hanford, Conference Chair and Head, Kent College Pembury

This year’s conference theme, ‘Boarding360 – A Full-Circle View of Boarding’, invites us to reflect on the complete boarding experience: from the pupils in our care to the staff, families, and communities who shape their journey. Together, we’ll explore how every element of boarding connects to create environments where young people flourish and pastoral teams thrive.

Through shared insight and collaboration, ‘Boarding360’ encourages us to see boarding in its entirety, celebrating its people, its purpose, and its power to transform lives.

11:15  |  Framing lives
Michelle Griffith Robinson OLY

The frameworks built around young people in the boarding environment shape not only their academic and social success, but also their wider life trajectories. Drawing on both home and boarding-house experience, the speaker, whose husband previously served as a houseparent, shares personal insights and professional expertise to explore how schools can influence identity, belonging, and independence.

Through compelling stories and reflective questions, Michelle challenges delegates to consider how the narratives we create around boarding impact students’ sense of self, resilience, and readiness for life beyond school. Attendees will leave inspired to view the boarding experience as a transformative force, one that frames lives far beyond the school gates.

12:15  |  LUNCH & NETWORKING

13:00 | Global village round table
Bring your top three head-scratchers for each topic:

1. CREATING A HOME FROM HOME
   David Walker, Executive Director, Boarding and Director BSA/TIOB
   Discuss the practicalities of creating the ideal boarding environment on a budget.
2. SAFEGUARDING AND COMPLIANCE
   Dale Wilkins, Executive Director, Scotland/Wales & Accredited/Compliance, BSA Group
   Understand the latest safeguarding requirements and share best practice.
3. INTEGRATING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
   Beth Hudson, Executive Director, Specialist Services, BSA Group and Director, BAISIS
   Share tips on successful recruitment and integration of international students.
4. IMMIGRATION 101
   Kate Hollyer, Executive Director – Legal, BSA Group
   Raise your UKVI concerns and experiences with an immigration expert.
5. MARKETING BOARDING
   Aileen Kane, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO, BSA Group
   Discuss positioning and promoting boarding in a competitive global market

14:00  |  Bucking the boarding trend: The real story behind the numbers

Despite frequent headlines suggesting that boarding is in decline, the reality tells a very different story. Recent data from the BSA reveals that more pupils are boarding in UK schools than figures from the ISC census suggest. Across the sector, schools are innovating to meet the needs of modern families, with flexible, weekly, and tailored boarding options becoming increasingly popular, particularly in prep schools.

Join our panel of sector experts to explore how schools are successfully growing their boarding numbers, reshaping perceptions, and championing the relevance of boarding in today’s educational landscape.

14:45  | Conformity and its impact on adolescent behaviour and boarding culture
Herman Visagie, Michael House, South Africa

Herman is the BSA’s 2025 Research Fellow. His research explores boarding culture, particularly the situational influences that drive conformity and their impact on adolescent wellbeing, alongside the development of situational awareness training for boarding staff.

15:15  | REFRESHMENTS & NETWORKING

15:45 |  Converting challenges to opportunities
Jim Lawless, CEO, SYMMETRY & Bestselling Author

In a rapidly changing educational landscape, the ability to adapt, innovate, and inspire has never been more essential. Boarding school leaders are continuously navigating complex challenges, from shifting family expectations and evolving student needs to increasing competition and public scrutiny. Yet, within every challenge lies the seed of opportunity.

Drawing on his experience as a transformational leadership expert, Jim will share practical tools and mindsets for turning obstacles into powerful catalysts for growth. Known for helping leaders and teams achieve what once seemed impossible, Jim offers insights into building courage, resilience, and clarity of purpose in times of uncertainty.

Through engaging storytelling and real-world examples, this thought-provoking session will inspire heads to reframe risk, empower their teams, and create cultures that embrace change with confidence. Delegates will leave with renewed energy, actionable strategies, and a fresh perspective on what it means to lead boldly in the world of boarding.

16:45 | Close day one

19:00 | DRINK RECEPTION

19:30 | ANNUAL CONFERENCE DINNER
After-dinner speaker: Martin Reader, Chair, BSA Foundation

WEDNESDAY 28 JANUARY 

09:30 |  State of boarding nation
David Walker, Executive Director, Boarding and Director BSA/TIOB

The latest trends, concerns and opportunities as reported by BSA member schools around the world

10:00 |  Boarding360 – A full-circle view of boarding

This session explores the “full circle” of pastoral care: from understanding student needs and nurturing community spirit, to supporting staff wellbeing and building meaningful connections with parents. Delegates will gain insight into how schools can create cohesive boarding environments where every adult plays a role in shaping the culture and every pupil feels seen, supported, and valued.

10:45 | REFRESHMENTS & NETWORKING

11:15 | Break out sessions

12:15 |  Break out sessions (repeat)

13:15 |  LUNCH & NETWORKING

14:00 | Keynote

15:00 |  Regional inspection and compliance

• Kate Hollyer, Executive Director – Legal, BSA Group David Walker, Executive Director, Boarding and Director BSA/TIOB
• Dale Wilkins, Executive Director, Scotland/Wales & Accredited/Compliance, BSA Group

An update on the latest updates and implications for boarding with compliance specialists.

16:00 |  CONFERENCE CLOSE

🎤 Speakers:

Michelle Griffith Robinson OLY

Michelle is a former Olympian and Triple Jumper who represented Great Britain for two decades, including at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The first woman to jump over 14 metres in the Commonwealth, Michelle has since become a respected life coach, personal trainer, and ambassador for Diabetes UK. Drawing on her elite sporting experience, she helps individuals and organisations build resilience, confidence, and a positive mindset. Michelle’s husband has worked and lived in boarding throughout his career, giving her a deep understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges within boarding communities. A proud wife and mother of three, Michelle is passionate about promoting wellbeing, balance, and self-belief in all areas of life.

Katrina Hanford, Conference Chair and Head, Kent College Pembury

Katrina took on the headship at Kent College Pembury in January 2022, having been Senior Deputy Head and Acting Head at Nottingham Girls’ High School, GDST.  A History teacher by training, following a degree in Economic and Social History at the University of Birmingham, Katrina values the importance of equipping students with the skills needed to make a positive impact on the world. Her Masters in Education, the GDST’s Aspiring Leadership Programme and the Executive Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School have all provided a good grounding in school leadership, preparing her to take on the headship at Kent College.

Katrina believes in a learning environment which unlocks the potential of all though cutting-edge teaching and learning, an extensive enrichment programme and outstanding pastoral care, where all students can achieve above and beyond their potential. Her aim is to give students the opportunity to become resilient and compassionate leaders of the future, ready to take up their place in the world as considerate and kind global citizens.

Martin Reader, Chair, BSA Foundation
Martin is a former Head of Cranleigh & Wellington Schools who now works as a consultant. He served as BSA Chair in 2018-19. He is a Fellow of the RSA, Emeritus Fellow of the BSA and Trustee of the BSA Foundation.

Herman Visagie, Housemaster, Michaelhouse (South Africa)
Herman has over 15 years of boarding experience, with previous roles including School Counsellor and Head of Life Orientation. He is currently a Housemaster at a leading boys’ boarding school in South Africa, where he also teaches English. He holds a Master’s in Residential Education from the University of Buckingham and was awarded the BSA Fellowship for 2025/26. His research explores boarding culture, particularly the situational influences that drive conformity and their impact on adolescent wellbeing, alongside the development of situational awareness training for boarding staff.

Kate Hollyer, Partner and Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd
A qualified solicitor with over 14 years’ experience in UK immigration law, Kate advises and supports members on a full range of immigration matters. Before joining BSA in 2022, Kate was Partner and Head of Department at a leading UK law firm, where she built extensive expertise in complex immigration cases. Since 2014, Kate has lived in boarding houses alongside her Housemaster husband, giving her a unique, first-hand perspective on the challenges and opportunities of boarding life.

David Walker FTIOB, Executive Director, Boarding & Education and Director, BSA/TIOB
David has over 20 years’ experience in boarding. His career includes leadership roles in senior and prep school settings across the UK and Africa, complemented by service as a prep school governor and trustee of a multi-academy trust. David was previously Deputy Head Pastoral at a large co-educational independent school, where he oversaw student welfare. His background in safeguarding, boarding leadership, and governance gives him a broad perspective on the sector, enabling him to support schools.

Dale Wilkins FTIOB, Executive Director, BSA Group Scotland/Wales and Accredited/Compliance
Dale joined the BSA in 2017 to lead safeguarding, inspection, and compliance across the UK, building on his experience as a course tutor since 1998. He works closely with ISI, Ofsted, and the DfE, while also overseeing the Group’s work in Scotland and Wales. A trainer and consultant for BSA and SACPA, he is Vice Chair of SAFCAB. Dale previously spent 31 years as a boarding practitioner, including roles as Housemaster and Deputy Head at Old Swinford Hospital. Beyond education, he trains for the Methodist Church, is a charity trustee, chairs a performing arts organisation, and volunteers widely.

This event will be held jointly with: