ISBA

5 @the_isba Annual Conference 2023 WELCOME TO CONFERENCE Our sector is no stranger to ongoing financial, operational, political, economic and social challenges but 2023 does seem to be bringing them to the fore in ways we have not seen before. From the ongoing energy crisis and geopolitical tensions, and rising costs of living to looming political threats in the form of VAT on fees and loss of charitable reliefs, we know that bursars and their teams need strategic professional advice, operational support and opportunities to meet with peers more than ever before. This year’s annual conference – from 23 to 25 May at Manchester Central – offers all this and much more. The ISBA team and board have planned a comprehensive and highly topical professional development conference programme tackling the key issues currently facing schools. Delegates will hear from a range of expert speakers, sharing tips and advice that can easily be put to practical use both in day-to-day operations and in longer term strategy and decision-making. The 2023 annual conference will also offer the largest exhibition the event has ever seen with more than 180 suppliers to the sector available for you to speak with directly. This year the conference has been extended to start at lunchtime on Tuesday 23 May with an afternoon of personal development in the company of motivational facilitator Chris Grimes from Second Curve. Chris will be guiding delegates through a fast-paced session that covers all aspects of relationship building and authentic leadership, through the lenses of personal impact, influencing and networking. After refreshments in the exhibition areas, day two on Wednesday 24 May will see David Woodgate, ISBA’s chief executive, and Julie Robinson, chief executive officer of the Independent Schools Council, welcome delegates to the conference with a run through of the issues the sector is currently facing and ideas for how best to tackle them. A series of breakout and panel sessions covering inspections, legal, H&S and estates, and finance will then follow before keynote one from Barney Northover and Arun Kanwar (with ISBA’s David Woodgate as chair) on structuring your business, including information for both charitable and proprietor-owned schools. More sessions will follow in the afternoon on HR, legal, H&S and estates, finance and EDI. On Thursday 25 May, delegates will once again have the opportunity to visit sponsors and exhibitors in the exhibition areas before the first keynote session of the day from Gillian Batchelor, Veryan Exelby and Roger Shaw (with chair David Smellie) on the governance of safeguarding. Breakout and panel sessions exploring legal, H&S and estates, finance and HR will then take place before lunch as well as later that afternoon. The final keynote will be from the ever-popular Professor Joe Nellis on economic prospects and the impact on our sector. The conference sessions will be closed by ISBA’s Chair Neil Cufley and the evening concludes at the Midland Hotel for our annual dinner at 8.15pm. Our entertaining after-dinner speaker will be former Saracens rugby team captain and headteacher Floyd Steadman OBE. We look forward to welcoming you all to the conference. David Woodgate Chief executive, ISBA WELCOME TO ISBA’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2023 Neil Cufley Chair, ISBA, and director of operations and finance, Royal Russell School