25th April 2024
AGBIS/WISC | Strategies and Governance following the new Independent School Standards 2024 - £120 per delegate

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; Gareth Pearson, Chair of WISC and Head of Christ College Brecon; and Emma Verrier, Chief Executive Officer, WISC

AGBIS are delighted to partner once again with WISC for a webinar on Thursday 25th April from 2pm until 4pm.  This event is for chairs of governors and governors and will be focusing on governance and the new Independent School Standards 2024 and how this will affect governors. You will recall that the new standards were updated as they were over 20 years out of date and in light of the IICSA Report recommendations.  We hope that you will send your chair and governor to this event so we can showcase this to the Welsh Government that our schools operate the highest standards of school governance for the benefit of pupils, staff and parents in our schools. This is also a great opportunity for our schools to share networking opportunities and share best practice.

25th April 2024
AGBIS/Hemisphere | How governors can help schools deliver equitable outcomes for Black students - £ 60 per delegate

Speaker: Yasmina Koné, Deputy Lead, Hemisphere Education

Join us for an interactive workshop on how independent schools can create a safe and supportive learning environment for students of Black heritage. Following the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, many schools found themselves on the back foot, sparking a focus on Black pupils and inclusion. What’s happened since? Come for expert insights from multi-award winning race equity experts, Rare. Informed by two decades of working closely with young Black people in the education and corporate sectors, we’ll distil some of the lessons from Hemisphere, cutting-edge digital CPD training that gives schools a toolkit to understand, safeguard and nourish Black students.

Leave with an understanding of: the specific ways in which bias against Black children shows up in schools, what schools are doing right, and how you can replicate that success.

21st March 2024
AGBIS/BBSN (British Boarding Schools Network) | Understanding the Global Landscape for International Boarding Recruitment - £60 per delegate

Speakers: Suzanne Rowse, Director, BBSN; and Jayne Grigg, International Recruitment Adviser, BBSN

This webinar will give school governors a good understanding of the following areas to ensure they can support their school admissions and marketing team when making strategic decisions in relation to international boarding recruitment: the top 30 recruitment markets, changes in key international markets and the impact on boarding schools’ recruitment, the vital role of agents, and planning for the future.

14th March 2024
AGBIS/RHL Consulting | Talking to Your Parents - Exploring Fee Sensitivity in the face of VAT on Fees - £60 per delegate

Speaker: Rachel Hadley-Leonard, Founder and Independent Consultant, RHL Consulting

In this topical webinar, we'll delve into the nuances of navigating fee increases due to potential VAT legislation, providing you with invaluable insights to foster transparent communication and maintain trust within your school community.

Learning Outcomes and webinar highlights:

• Understanding the Impact of VAT on School Fees – Do we have to pass it on?
• Strategies for transparent Communication with parents
• Exploring options to mitigate the impact of fee increases
• Addressing parental concerns and creating strategies for maintaining trust and confidence
• Case study and research findings

Speaker: Veryan Exelby, Senior Counsel, Farrer & Co

The new Framework contains a number of changes from the previous framework which are aimed to reflect and consider the challenges pupils face in today’s world, given the significant developments since the publication of the last framework (such as Black Lives Matter and Everyone’s Invited). We have also seen a move away from the publication of ISI’s published Commentary on Regulatory Requirements in its current form, with the ISI Inspection Handbook now being publicly available to all on the ISI website. Given these changes, this webinar will consider the impact the new documentation has had on the inspection process to date.

During this 60 minute webinar, Veryan Exelby of Farrer & Co will cover:

• Recent changes to key ISI documentation
• How these changes are reflected in practice
• Recent trends in the inspection process

21st February 2024
Parents’ complaints and stage 3 panel hearings - how they should be conducted and common errors to avoid - £60 per delegate

Speaker: Stuart Westley, former General Secretary of AGBIS, former Master of Haileybury, Governor and currently working as a consultant for AGBIS.

Parents’ entitlement to have their complaints heard and determined according to an established procedure is set out in the Independent Schools Standards Regulations (2014) and amplified in a DfE guidance note of 2019. Schools’ Complaints Procedures are required to comply with those regulations. They usually do.

The third and final stage of the complaints process is a hearing before a panel of (usually) three people. The panel acts on behalf of the ‘Proprietor’, meaning, in most cases, the Governing Body. The panel is usually assembled by the Chair of Governors; the regulations require that one member of the panel is independent of the management and running of the school.

Panel hearings are becoming more frequent, they can be time consuming, including for the Clerk, to whom falls the responsibility of arranging the hearing, including assembling the papers. Some panel hearings are stressful.

When a complaint reaches stage 3 there must be two governors able and willing to sit on the panel. Not all governors would consider themselves qualified to do so; some would feel they lack the understanding necessary to come to fair, impartial findings consistently with the requirements of the regulations.

The webinar will provide a lay person’s guide to hearings, explaining how they should be conducted and the common errors which need to be recognised and avoided. The webinar will be of value also to Clerks, recognising that their role administering the hearing is crucial. The intended outcome will be that when governors are needed for a panel hearing they will have the understanding and confidence to agree to participate.

25th January 2024
AGBIS/HCR (Harrison Clark Rickerbys) | What schools should be considering to future proof themselves for the possibility of economic and political challenges, and current employment issue

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; Virginia Henley, Partner and Head of Charities, HCR; and Oliver Daniels, Partner, Education & Charities, HCR

During this webinar, HCR will be talking about what schools should be considering now to future proof themselves in the light of economic challenges and the possibility of political change, including current employment issues and staffing strategy. HCR will also be providing an update on the Teachers' Pension Scheme.

10th October 2023
AGBIS/GSA | Governing in a Girls’ School - £145 per delegate

Speakers: Richard Harman, Chief Executive, AGBIS; Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; Imogen Van Der Pump, Operations Director, GSA; Donna Stevens, Chief Executive, GSA; and Sue Hincks, Membership Director, GSA

Supporting the empowerment of young women by governing in an all-girls’ environment, where the interests of girls are paramount, is an extraordinary privilege. In the current climate, such privilege brings particular challenges, which this webinar will seek to address, enabling governors of all girls’ schools to collaborate and develop their understanding of the current scene.

Learning outcomes:

1. Financial Sustainability and School strategy in a girls’ school: In a cost of living crisis, how can you ensure affordability for parents whilst delivering a rich and exciting offering for girls and young women? If financial waters become even choppier, what strategies might you adopt and where can you turn for help and expertise?
2. Governing in a girls' school: Why is it so important to maintain a single-sex ethos? What are the unique opportunities and challenges for girls' schools and their governors?
3. Leadership in an all- girls’ school: How do governors work most effectively with the Executive Team to ensure a suitable balance between challenge and support?

6th October 2023
AGBIS/Ecclesiastical | The Big Picture to Your Picture – the need to innovate and maximise opportunities in a riskier landscape using Enterprise Risk Management - £55 per delegate

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; Sarah Pearson, Head of Enterprise Risk Management, Ecclesiastical; and Faith Kitchen, ACII Chartered Insurer and Customer Segment Director, Ecclesiastical

Learning outcomes:

• Gain an understanding of the key global risks at this time
• Gain an understanding of how these might impact your School
• Gain an understanding of an enterprise risk management approach (and how this differs to a traditional risk management approach)
• Focus on horizon scanning and learn a strategic approach to managing risk

4th October 2023
AGBIS/RHL Consulting | Weathering the Storm – Using Marketing Tactics to Futureproof your School - £55 per delegate

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; and Rachel Hadley-Leonard, Independent Schools' Marketing and Development Consultant, RHL Consulting

This engaging and topical webinar will consider the potential threats on the horizon for all independent schools, and then guide Governors through a toolbox of marketing tactics to ensure that their schools are doing all they can to weather the current and future political and financial storms. The webinar will consider the threats that lay ahead for independent schools and a futureproof marketing toolbox, including tactics and marketing activities to get ahead of the storm.

Learning outcomes:

• Understanding of key threats on the horizon
• Six ways to mitigate for these threats in advance of the storm
• How to carry out research with current, prospective and leaving parents
• Creating your USP
• Demonstrating value for money
• A futureproofing checklist for your school

4th October 2023
AGBIS/Fragomen | Maintaining safe and compliant practices to uphold the sponsorship of your international students - £55 per delegate

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; and Naomi Goldshtein, Director, Fragomen

This webinar is aimed at school’s who hold a UK licence to sponsor international students or are considering this market. Following on from our previous webinar, Naomi Goldshtein, Director of Fragomen’s Immigration Compliance and Education practices will discuss the importance of immigration compliance and mechanisms schools should have in place to ensure the protection of a school’s sponsor licence and sponsored international student community. 

Learning outcomes:

• Current trends
• Key considerations to safeguard your licence
• Looking forwards - Immigration outlook

27th September 2023
AGBIS/haysmacintyre | Finance for the Non-Financial Governor - £110 per delegate

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; and Tracey Young, Partner, Head of Education, haysmacintyre

In association with haysmacintyre, this webinar will cover financial responsibilities of a Governor, what are the Management Accounts for and what are you looking for? Tracey Young will provide detail regarding the statutory accounts including the governors’ Report and the key numbers, explaining governors’ responsibilities in respect of preparing the accounts on a Going Concern basis and staying alert to financial risks. This webinar will use breakout rooms to support practical application. Please note that this webinar will have breakout sessions, and these will not be included in the recording of the session.

26th September 2023
AGBIS/ReEnergise | Green strategy Q&A session – Ensuring you have the tools you need to be your school’s net-zero savvy governor - £110 per delegate

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; and Nigel Aylwin-Foster, Business Development Director, ReEnergise

In the final part of this series, Nigel Aylwin-Foster will host an online Q&A session to answer any questions you may have to enhance your school’s green strategy. Starting with a recap on net-zero, the session will provide an opportunity to address any outstanding questions and discuss additional insights or any lessons that attendees wish to share.

22nd September 2023
AGBIS/SEA (School’s Enterprise Association) | Enterprise: What the Governing Body should look for in a school’s commercial or enterprise strategy - £55 per delegate

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; and Dorothy McLaren, Chief Executive Officer, SEA

Generating additional non-fee revenue has never been more important than in today’s economic and political climate. What sort of commercial and enterprise revenues can be expected, what does a good commercial strategy look like and how should the governing body review the school’s enterprise activities, regardless of the organisational structure(s) supporting such endeavours?

Learning outcomes:

• What do we mean by enterprise in schools?
  • The historical context
  • Best practice in 2023
• Why now?
  • Pressure on school’s resources
  • Economic environment
• Why enterprise initiatives are right for schools of all shapes and sizes
  • Opportunities for the smaller schools
  • Potential for the larger schools
  • Punching above your size
• How to understand the potential impact of commercial activities
  • Financial
  • Operational
• The opportunity presented by a well-conceived strategic co-commercial programme
  • The 5 pillars of a co-commercial strategy
  • Impact on the school’s brand

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; and Faith Kitchen, ACII Chartered Insurer and Customer Segment Director, Ecclesiastical

Learning outcomes:

• Gain a technical understanding of contemporary construction materials
• Learn what some of the pros and cons are of different materials
• Learn more about the impact your material choice for capital projects might have on your insurance and from a risk perspective
• Gain an ability to make informed decisions when agreeing new constructions within the school site

13th September 2023
AGBIS/Stone King LLP | Governor safeguarding refresher training: KCSIE update September 2023 - £55 per delegate

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; Helen Tucker, Partner, Stone King LLP; Harriet Broughton, Partner, Stone King LLP; and Charlotte Melhuish, Partner, Stone King LLP

Following the annual update of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), Stone King will be providing governors will a clear strategic oversight of their safeguarding responsibilities. This webinar will outline how governors can hold their senior leaders to account through a whole school culture, pupil voice and effective policy implementation.

13th September 2023
AGBIS/Juliet Corbett Consulting | Building a resilient school that can react to future challenges - £55 per delegate

Speakers: Juliet Corbett, Founder, Juliet Corbett Consulting; Nigel Hall, Chair of Governors, Blundell's School; and Bart Wielenga, Head, Blundell's School

In this webinar, we will explore how schools can build resilience in the face of external pressures, using Blundell's School as a case study.

Learning outcomes:

• The importance of scanning the external environment for opportunities and threats that may impact the school over the next 5-10 years, and how Blundell's engages governors and staff in this process

• Strategies for building financial resilience, including levers for increasing revenue and decreasing costs, and how Blundell's has focused on these areas
• How schools can develop an agile strategy that allows them to react to changing environments

22nd June 2023
AGBIS/HCR | Getting it right as a Clerk or Company Secretary - £85

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; and Helen Higginbotham, Legal Director, Head of Due Diligence Team, Corporate, HCR

This joint event with Harrison Clark Rickerbys is designed to provide training for those persons with clerk/company secretary duties.

This 90 minute webinar will cover the following:

• The legal framework– encompassing a practical guide to an independent school’s articles of association and relevant parts of company law
• The role and responsibilities of a Company Secretary/Clerk
• The role of members and trustees
• How to convene an AGM and board meetings
• Decision-making in meetings and by written resolution
• Keeping the correct paperwork, e.g. company registers and filings at Companies House

15th June 2023
AGBIS/Lloyds Bank | Economic Update and Outlook - £55

Speaker: Rhys Herbert, Senior Economist, Lloyds Bank

This year so far has seen some calm return across financial markets as positive signs emerge around lower energy prices and better than expected growth indicators. This has coincided with improving business and consumer confidence. However, the outlook remains uncertain and fast-changing.

There are potential risks and opportunities that independent schools need to monitor and this webinar will discuss the latest themes as we approach the half-way point in the year.

14th June 2023
AGBIS/MKS | Strategic Governance - £110

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; Vanessa Gomez, Senior Marketing & Business Development Executive, MKS; and Anjali Kothari, Partner and Head of Education, MKS

When was the last time you took a step back and thought about your strategic priorities? The future is just as important as the usual day-to-day running of your organisation, it is essential that you have solid plans in place and know where you need to get to. MKS will take you through three key areas that you should be thinking about for your organisation:

1. What to expect in employment law in 2023. Key questions that Trustees should be asking in relation to HR
2. What’s driving the mergers and acquisitions activity? What should charities be thinking about?
3. A modern cyber strategy for leaders

13th June 2023
AGBIS/MTM Consulting | Financial stability in an uncertain world – how might mergers and acquisitions feature in your school’s strategy? - £55

Speakers: Duncan Murphy, Director of Education at MTM Consulting; and Sian Champkin, Partner at VWV (Veale Wasbrough Vizards)

Do you know if your school is considering a merger or acquisition? How can you help move this conversation forward? Are you able to identify the common pitfalls of both? Join AGBIS and MTM Consulting for an insightful webinar that will enable you as a governor to help guide your school in making the right decision.

MTM Consulting are experts in education market research, school marketing and strategy for schools, and can help with wisdom, practical advice and tips for governors who seek to understand a range of options for their school’s financial future.

What you'll learn:

• How you as a governor can understand what’s involved and contribute to discussions around mergers and acquisitions
• The important factors to consider when discussing and considering a merger and/or acquisition
• The common pitfalls you need to be aware of

You'll leave with:

• The tools you’ll need to be fully equipped to consider, plan and be a part of your school’s discussions on mergers/acquisitions
• Practical legal advice from mergers and acquisitions experts
• An understanding of the areas where it could potentially go wrong and how to protect your school

9th May 2023
AGBIS/WISC | An Introduction to Governance - £110

Speakers: Richard Harman, Chief Executive, AGBIS; Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; Emma Verrier, Chief Executive, WISC; and Gareth Pearson, Chair, WISC

AGBIS are delighted to partner with WISC (Welsh Independent Schools Council) for a webinar on Tuesday 9th May. This event is for chairs of governors and governors, and will be focusing on governance and leadership challenges in general and specifically in light of: the IICSA Report recommendations, Everyone’s Invited website and Welsh Government initiatives. We aspire to run a series of webinars each year and for every independent school to book on at least one governor as part of their induction or ongoing professional development.  By doing so we hope to encourage the highest standards of school governance for the benefit of pupils, staff and parents of our schools.

4th May 2023
Consistency Across the Brand – Ensuring everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet - £85

Overview:

Your school’s brand is so much more than its logo. How do you ensure that the whole school community is not only an ambassador for the school, but also understands and represents the school brand in all their work and communications? This interactive presentation guides Governors through the process of branding a school, and looks at how to ensure consistent representation across all stakeholder groups.

Content:

1. What is brand in a school context
2. Defining vision, aims, values and ethos
3. Creating your school brand
4. Identifying different stakeholder groups and how they might represent the brand
5. Ensuring consistency across the brand

2nd May 2023
Anti-discrimination – holding leaders to account for an impact-centred whole school strategy - £55

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; and Ben Mearhart, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Co-ordinator, The King’s School, Canterbury

This webinar is intended for chairs, governors, clerks and senior leaders to help deepen their understanding of:

• What successful anti-discrimination provision can look like
• What role you can play in supporting this provision
• How best to build, implement and evaluate a whole school or Trust-wide action plan and road map for embedded anti-discrimination

26th April 2023
Newly Appointed Governors - £125

Speakers: Richard Harman, Chief Executive, AGBIS; Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; David Woodgate, Chief Executive, ISBA; and Irfan H Latif, Principal, DLD College London

This webinar is the essential introduction to governance for new governors and will include governance from the Head’s perspective, governors’ role and responsibilities and allow discussion groups on typical issues facing school governors.

24th April 2023
AGBIS/The Allergy Team | As a governor, how would you know if your school is prepared to manage a serious allergic reaction? - £55

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership (Deputy CEO), AGBIS; and Sarah Knight, Co-Founder & CEO, The Allergy Team.

To mark Allergy Awareness Week, Sarah Knight, mother of two children with food allergies and Founder of The Allergy Team will be presenting a webinar that covers the questions governors should be asking to ensure their school is safe and inclusive for pupils with allergies.

Allergy is the most common chronic condition in childhood and in school-aged children, 20% of allergic reactions happening at school. Are you asking the right questions to ensure your school is truly allergy aware? It’s not enough to leave the issue to the caterer to manage (especially as 79% of reactions happen outside the dining hall), or to provide basic EpiPen training. Staff need to understand the risks, know how to reduce them and to ensure that pupils with food allergies are included. The Allergy Team, which provides support and training for schools to help them manage food allergies, will provide as part of this webinar some questions for you to ask in your next governors meeting to ensure your school is allergy aware.

1st March 2023
AGBIS/ISBA | Clerk’s webinar - £110

In partnership with the ISBA.

Speakers: Cheryl Connelly, Director of Training & Membership, AGBIS and John Murphie, COO, ISBA

This webinar will look at the seven key principles of the Charity Governance Code and will give clerks practical guidance on how to apply them.

8th February 2023
AGBIS/BBSN | Understanding the global landscape for international boarding recruitment - £55

In partnership with BBSN (the British Boarding School Network).

Speakers: Suzanne Rowse, Director, BBSN and Jayne Grigg, Members’ Support Team, BBSN.

This presentation will help governors understand the global landscape in which British boarding schools are currently operating, highlighting the opportunities and challenges that exist, to help inform strategy and planning. 

The webinar will cover:

• An overview of key markets
• Top 30 recruitment markets
• Working successfully with agents and commission
• Understanding who the competition is and planning for the future

6th February 2023
The Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry - key questions for you to ask your school - £55

Speakers: Samantha Leek KC, Chair, Kerem School and Tier 1 Barrister at 5 Essex Court; and Tabatha Cave, Partner, VWV

Samantha Leek KC (who was involved in 7 strands of the IICSA inquiry and is Chair of Governors at an independent prep school) and Tabitha Cave (a partner at VWV who leads on safeguarding and represented 2 core participants in the residential schools investigation) will do a short presentation on learning outcomes from the Inquiry and on the questions governors should be asking their schools to ensure that they exercise proper oversight of safeguarding.

3rd February 2023
AGBIS/AEGIS | Is your school doing enough to safeguard its international students and meet the new National Minimum Standards requirements? - £55

In partnership with AEGIS (the Association for the Education & Guardianship of International Students).

Speakers: Adam Lubbock, Chair and Safeguarding Practitioner, AEGIS; Yasemin Wigglesworth, CEO, AEGIS and Sophie Lindsay, School Membership Manager, AEGIS

The revised National Minimum Standards requirements for Boarding Schools contain an entirely new standard (22) on Educational Guardians, which gives schools greater and more specific responsibilities around the care of their international students, regardless of who has appointed the guardian. It is now vital that schools and their governing bodies have a clear understanding of how to meet the new requirements and the higher level of due diligence and oversight that will be required for inspection.

AEGIS is a registered charity and the only independent body regulating the educational guardianship sector. We have been providing the highest level of inspection and accreditation of guardianship organisations since 1994. We also advise and intervene where necessary and since September, AEGIS has already dealt with safeguarding issues involving international students at boarding schools, including child trafficking. The latest versions of both the NMS and KCSiE require schools and guardians to work more closely together to support their international students more effectively.

This webinar will provide governors with an understanding of:

• UKVI sponsor duties specific to the care of international students
• IICSA recommendations regarding educational guardianship
• New NMS 22 ‘Educational Guardians’ explained and what it means for schools
• Current gaps in international student safeguarding which leave schools in a difficult position
• Case Studies – highlighting the need for an ‘It could happen here’ approach

In partnership with Fragomen.

Speaker: Naomi Goldshtein, Director, Fragomen

This webinar is aimed at schools that hold a UK licence to sponsor international students. As a governor, are you confident that your school is maintaining compliant standards in accordance with Home Office obligations? The loss of your school’s ability to sponsor international students could be financially detrimental with wider repercussions in respect of reputation, loss of staff and partnerships. Naomi Goldshtein, Director of Fragomen’s Immigration Compliance and Education practices, will discuss the importance of immigration compliance and mechanisms schools should have in place to ensure the protection of a school’s sponsor licence and sponsored international student community.

The webinar will cover:

• Introduction to student sponsorship
• Core compliance duties
• What happens when it goes wrong
• Key considerations to safeguard your licence

24th January 2023
Marketing your school – the importance of a whole school approach - £85

In partnership with Rachel Hadley-Leonard from RHL Consulting.

Speaker: Rachel Hadley Leonard, RHL Consulting

This presentation looks at why, amidst a backdrop of economic turmoil, investing time and financial resources into marketing is now more important than ever. We shall address the need for a whole school approach to marketing and discuss why everyone, from Gardener to Governor needs to be on board. With case studies, interactive elements and practical take-aways, this webinar explains why schools must try to move marketing higher up their agenda, to ensure the future proofing of recruitment, retention and reputation.

Content:

• Implications for independent schools during the current economic turbulence
• The importance of everyone understanding that the school is a business
• How everyone can help – from Gardener to Governor
• Why customer service is a deal breaker when it comes to the three R’s – recruitment, retention and reputation
• Creating a marketing checklist for your school

In partnership with Juliet Corbett from Juliet Corbett Consulting, and Exeter School.

Speakers: Louise Simpson, Head, Exeter School; Gillian Hodgetts, Vice Chair of Governors, Exeter School and Juliet Corbett, Founder, Juliet Corbett Consulting Ltd

Thinking and acting strategically has never been more important than during this era of rapid change and uncertainty. Strategy is one of governors’ most important responsibilities and doing it well often requires making tough choices. Join this webinar to learn how to navigate your school through a strategy development and implementation process which both serves your stakeholders and secures the financial future of your school, using a case study approach.

What you’ll learn:

• How the various components of an effective independent school strategy interact, from the strategic plan down to annual action plans
• How to involve stakeholders so you generate buy-in and action without stalling
• The optimum timeframe for developing and implementing school strategic plans
• How to keep your strategy agile while ensuring consistent progress towards a shared vision
• Key strategic questions governors should be asking

Following their successful breakout session at the AGBIS Annual Conference in March, this webinar will explore safeguarding and child protection in affluent environments and introduce a more proactive approach to identifying safeguarding risks than the traditional compliance model.
 

Key speaker: Virginia Henley, Partner, Head of Charities, Education & Charities Team, HCR Hewitsons.

Good governance is fundamental for all charities to succeed. It is crucial for trustees to have a solid understanding of their legal duties both under their own constitution and in wider charity law.

Advanced level – How can I be ready to cope with challenging situations?  How can I learn from other board’s mistakes?

Our advanced session will be tailored to focus specifically on the needs of independent school governing boards, including risk management, delegation, codes of conduct and serious incident reporting. This advanced level training is designed to support you in your journey of improvement.

We actively encourage all trustees to attend both levels of training so that they can confidently trust and verify their understanding of what it means to be a good governor.

8th June 2022
Trustee Duty Training Part 1: Introductory level - £50
 

Key speaker: Virginia Henley, Partner, Head of Charities, Education & Charities Team, HCR Hewitsons.

Good governance is fundamental for all charities to succeed. It is crucial for trustees to have a solid understanding of their legal duties both under their own constitution and in wider charity law.

Introductory level – How do I know how to be a good governor?  What does an effective board need to know?

Our introductory level training will equip trustees with awareness of the Charity Governance Code and latest Charity Commission guidance. Trustees will gain a practical understanding of their mandatory duties, reporting and compliance requirements, together with hints and tips on how to achieve best practice.

We actively encourage all trustees to attend both levels of training so that they can confidently trust and verify their understanding of what it means to be a good governor.

4th May 2022
Data Driven Decisions – Using research to Inform Admissions & Marketing Strategy - £50

How do you know what is the right direction of travel for your School? Are your Marketing and
Admissions teams holding a finger to the wind? Are they listening to parent hearsay? Or are
they delivering a planned programme of stakeholder research which allows the school to make
strategic decisions based on hard facts, evidence and data?
This 60-minute webinar delivered by Rachel Hadley-Leonard, will explain why carrying out
research with your stakeholders is essential to the strategic direction of your school. The
thought-provoking session considers why schools should be trying to discover exactly what
their prospective and current parents and wider stakeholders want. Looking at a variety of
research methods including focus groups, telephone research and surveys, we consider how
to make research an integral part of your leadership and marketing strategy whilst improving
stakeholder advocacy.

• The current climate – has your target market changed?
• Why data driven decisions are key
• How do we know what our stakeholders want?
• How to listen to your stakeholders
• Matching research methods to your school
• Running focus groups
• Developing a culture of research

29th April 2022

Inclusive talent management and recruitment – what is it and what role do governing
bodies play? - £75

Key speaker: Johan Jensen, CEO of All-in Education
Schools are missing out on talent - current talent management and recruitment practices aren’t
merit based. How can we access talent out there to the benefit of our schools? This session
is backed up by research into what minority ethnic education professionals have experienced
in their careers and what their needs are to succeed in a competitive employment market. We
will provide case studies of successful inclusive talent management and recruitment practices
and key insights into the role the governing body can play in ensuring best practice
approaches are applied to reap the benefits of recruitment practices that are truly based on
merit.

26th April 2022
Is your governing body leading by example on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion? - £50

Key speaker: Claris D’cruz – Governance Consultant and Trainer
Many schools are looking to embed equity, diversity and inclusion and governing boards need
to lead by example by becoming more diverse. In this webinar we will look at some preparatory
steps governing boards may need to take in order successfully develop and maintain board
diversity.

Have you established why EDI matters to your school? How do you assess your board
culture? How do you know your board is ready to become more diverse? What steps can you
take to successfully recruit and retain governors from under-represented groups? This
webinar will help you answer these questions, identify challenges your board may face and
provide practical tips on how to overcome any hurdles you may encounter.

A 60-minute recording of this webinar will be available to delegates. The remaining 30
minutes of the live session is for breakout groups and plenary discussions which will
not be recorded.

9th February 2022
Developing resilience in your most important asset – the leadership team: What Governors need to know (Webinar) - £75

Speaker: Nicky Bright, Leadership Development Consultant of Bright Lead Ltd
Your leadership team has successfully weathered the most enormous challenges and changes over the last two years, so perhaps by definition they are resilient? However, are their reserves of positive energy and enthusiasm severely depleted, and can you be sure of your answer? Most senior leaders have an excellent ‘game face’, particularly when dealing with Governors, Parents, Staff and Pupils.
How will you ensure they continue to develop their crucial elements of resilient leadership; Clarity of Direction, Awareness, Leadership Presence and Resilient Decision Making? As we continue onwards, it is vital to ensure your leadership team invest in their personal and professional development and develop those elements and facets they have used less frequently, in order to carry on performing at the highest level for the benefit of the school, and to prevent the loss or depletion of your most important asset.

This webinar will look at:

• current trends in leadership satisfaction and retention and whether there is an emerging risk of a leadership vacuum for Governors to manage
• what can be done to develop the elements and facets required for successful, sustainable resilient leadership?
• how can this be measured and monitored and reported to the Governing Body?
• what Governors should do to ensure their most important asset are both performing at

1st February 2022
A collective responsibility to understand the pressures on your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). How can Governors support them more effectively? (Webinar) - £50

This webinar will be led by Nigel Taylor who was an Independent School Head for 26 years, is a Board member of AGBIS, and a governor of five schools. He is a former Board Member of Surrey Safeguarding Children's Partnership, and an accredited NSPCC consultant, specialising in safeguarding investigations and training in affluent environments. Nigel is a consultant to CPOMS, the UK’s leading provider of safeguarding software. At the webinar Nigel will be supported by serving DSLs and will look at research describing the lived experience of DSLs in independent schools, how the role affects their lives inside and outside of school and the unique pressures in fee paying schools. This webinar will also look at

18th January 2022
Peer on peer abuse in association with Farrers (webinar) - £75

Speaker – Veryan Exelby, Farrer & Co
This webinar will focus on harmful sexual behaviour and best practice on preventative measures and creating a safer culture.
This webinar will be interactive which will mean that certain parts cannot be recorded.

12th January 2022
Governance – Support and challenge through the lens of RSHE (webinar) - £50

This joint AGBIS/ISI webinar will look at the KCSIE changes from September 2021 and enable Governors to answer the question: How do we know? Trust but verify regarding the RSHE curriculum. This webinar is being led by Michelle Winter - ISI’s Director of training and quality of assurance. She joined ISI in September 2021 having previously worked for Ofsted for 11 years as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI), leading inspections including of maintained schools and academies, non-association independent schools, British service schools overseas and initial teacher education. For the last six years with Ofsted Michelle was Senior HMI, managing a team of HMI and with leadership responsibilities including for the quality of inspections across the East of England region. Prior to joining Ofsted, Michelle was the Headteacher of two London schools.