Irish boarding conference

🏷️ From £110
🎧 Heads, Deputies, Bursars, all boarding staff, EAL staff, Admissions and Marketing.
📍 Clongowes Wood College, Kildare, W91 DN40

Sponsored by:

This year’s Irish Boarding Conference, sponsored by Noble + Eaton, welcomes an opportunity to reflect, think creatively, and share experiences with fellow boarding colleagues. Kindly hosted at Clongowes Wood College, the programme will explore strategic ways to grow your school’s reach while tackling the latest local and international trends shaping boarding.

Whether you’re a senior leader shaping boarding provision or a frontline practitioner driving the day-to-day experience, this event offers the perfect blend of practical insights, strategic thinking, and peer-to-peer connection, all within the unique context of Irish boarding.

Traditionally attracting a combination of school leaders and boarding professionals, the conference is open to member and non-member schools and designed to provide insight and support best practice.

Early booking is recommended.

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Programme:

09:30 – 10:00 Registration and refreshments

10:00 – 10:15 Conference chair welcome

The chair sets the tone for the day, outlining the aims of the conference and highlighting the key themes that will guide discussions.

10:15 – 11:00 Keynote

This opening keynote provides a thought-provoking exploration of the current boarding landscape, offering strategic insight into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for schools in Ireland and beyond.

11:00 – 12:00 Safeguarding and child protection headlines 2025/26

This session examines the latest safeguarding and child protection developments relevant to boarding schools. It will highlight forthcoming policy changes, practical implications, and emerging areas of risk, equipping delegates to plan confidently for the 2025/26 academic year.

• Speaker: Dale Wilkins, Executive Director Accreditation/Compliance, BSA Group

12:00 – 13:00 Networking Lunch

13:00 – 13:45 Session 3

• Speaker: Noble & Eaton

13:45 – 14:30 Inspection and school improvement

Inspections are evolving, and schools must adapt to meet changing expectations. This session unpacks inspection priorities in the Irish context and highlights how boarding schools can use the process as a lever for continuous improvement, driving standards and outcomes across their communities.

• Speaker: David Walker, Executive Director, Boarding and Director, BSA/TIOB, BSA Group

14:30 – 15:00 Refreshments and networking

15:00 – 15:15 Cultural competence in boarding

This concise session explores cultural awareness as an essential part of boarding practice. Delegates will consider how to build inclusive communities where every pupil feels respected, valued, and supported in their identity.

• Speaker: Bethan Hudson, Executive Director, Consultancy and Director, BAISIS/HIEDA, BSA Group

15:15 – 15:45 Making the most of your GAP and Graduate boarding assistants

GAP students and graduate assistants can add real value to boarding life. This session looks at effective ways to recruit, train, and support these staff members, ensuring they enrich the boarding experience while also developing their own skills and confidence.

15:45 – 16:30 Session 6

16:30 Conference close