Bursar’s Review Impact Report 2022

16 Impact Report Webinars and in-person training events As a result of the continuing pandemic, we rapidly moved all of our training and CPD online and delivered our professional development programme to members virtually via 126 webinars of varying lengths and formats (not including our virtual conference – see below). Throughout the last two years (1 January 2020 to 1 January 2022) our webinars trained 13,540 sta and provided them with practical guidance to successfully tackle the fast-moving challenges they were facing in their schools. In addition to exploring the impact of COVID-19 on schools, the webinars also covered key current issues such as teachers’ pensions, inspections, catering, finance, sustainability, estates management, HR, health and safety, governance, the practical impact of Brexit and more. Two dedicated sustainability briefings were also produced. The two years saw us welcome 190 professional advisers who shared expert guidance with our webinar attendees. As pandemic restrictions eased in autumn 2021, we were able to hold some of our training events in person including our health and safety risk assessment and foundation courses as well as our safer recruitment course, bringing the total number of delegates at our face-to-face training events across the two years to 596. ISBA virtual conference 2021 In May 2021, we held our first virtual conference entitled ‘the strategy sessions’ which o ered members an exciting training programme focusing on future strategies for independent schools. Sessions included ‘Independent Education and the Way Ahead’ presented by Dame Margaret Hodge and ‘Artificial Intelligence in Schools: What Should we be Planning for and When will it Appear?’ delivered by Professor Sir Anthony Seldon. ISBA ‘So You Want to be a Bursar’ course We delivered three ‘So You Want to be a Bursar’ courses which inform potential new bursars of what working in the profession entails. 68 individuals joined us online to learn more about bursaring as a career and one attendee commented, “I found it really interesting with lots of useful detail and pointers as to where to find further useful information, to prepare for applying for bursar roles” . Another said the course was a “really thorough explanation of 'life as a bursar' from both aspects of a large and small school. It o ered informative advice on the recruitment process too” . Professional development for new bursars Being unable to hold our in-person New Bursars’ course (which supports those who have been recently appointed to a bursar role or who have been in post for two years or less), we ran 141 training and support sessions for new bursars online. The first cohort of the online sessions started in September 2020 and over this period to 1 January 2022 (16 months) 103 bursars attended one or more of these sessions. ISBA regional groups Engendering a professional community spirit is vital to helping support sta feel empowered in their schools. Opportunities to meet peers, maintain networks and share information can help sta develop knowledge and confidence for what can often be demanding and, at times, lonely roles. To support this, we arrange regional group meetings for schools across the country enabling members to communicate face-to-face and, during the pandemic, online. We also provide information briefings tailored to each region at the meetings, allowing schools to pose questions directly to our advice and guidance team. In the last two years we held 268 meetings welcoming 5,708 attendees in total. 13,540 school sta received training at our online webinars. 190 speakers presented at ISBA webinars providing expert advice to schools. Our regional group meetings have welcomed 5,708 attendees. 103 bursars new in their posts attended one or more of our New Bursars’ training sessions.