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Print and digital copies of Independent School Management Plus are distributed to headteachers, principals, bursars, marketing, development and admissions leads in every independent school in the UK, plus British international schools overseas. The magazine is published four times a year.
FOREWORD
In the Spring of 2023, we dedicated an entire issue of Independent School Management Plus to the existential threat represented by the – then – Labour Opposition’s plans to impose VAT on school fees. Three years on, the ‘midnight hour’ has been reached. The Starmer-led government has pushed ahead with its proposed tax on education – alongside the increased employers’ NI contribution and other ‘adjustments’ – and the impact on the independent education sector is clear to see.
Across the country, enquiries are down, students are being withdrawn and long-established schools are closing their doors to the distress of pupils, sta , parents and the wider community. Genuine economic distress has resulted from the Government’s actions – just as our contributors predicted back in April 2023.
So, is the sector crumbling – or is it, despite everything, showing an unexpected resilience and ability to renew itself? It depends, perhaps, on your perspective but I would argue the latter. As Julie Robinson of the ISC comments in this edition, ‘change is the only constant’ –and our sector has become extremely good at meeting and surviving challenges thrown at it from a variety of sources.
… the
‘midnight hour’ has been reached.
There may still be a few schools here and there which have chosen to wait for better days – a risk if there ever was one! – but the majority of governors and leadership teams have acted quickly and taken remedial actions which have helped to secure the long-term survival of their schools. As James Leggett and Duncan Murphy suggest in their article, in some cases VAT did not create vulnerability but exposed it –and happily our leaders have demonstrated they possess the agility to respond e ectively.
Announcements of school closures continue to be made, and we grieve with the communities impacted. But much more often we hear of schools merging and partnering and re ning and strengthening their o er. Independent education is demonstrating an extraordinary vitality and resilience of which we should all be proud. So, as Julie suggests, perhaps our biggest priority as we advance into 2026 should be to demonstrate the undeniable value we continue to deliver.
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CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT ADAPTING TO THE IMPACT OF VAT
The imposition of VAT on fees had immediate and tumultuous consequences for many independent school communities, causing anxiety and disruption for many students and sta ear on Julie Robinson considers the wellbeing of the sector and identifies resilience adapta ilit and a determination to forge ahead as the prevailing mood amongst our schools
he only constant is change: that’s what I’ve come to realise during my decade leading the Independent Schools Council. The most seismic change came with the current Labour Government and, on 1 January 2025, the imposition of 20 per cent VAT on fees. It’s easy to take a gloomy view when re ecting on the past year, particularly for those in schools who experience rst-hand the anger and frustration of parents who are subjected to additional tax.
The impact we have seen across the sector in this new era has been as diverse as our schools. While thousands of children have been displaced from schools, and some schools which had been in operation for centuries have announced closure, it’s also true that the VAT policy has lit a re, inspiring schools to take bold choices and focus on their distinctive features, revitalising their o erings in a more competitive market. One thing remains unchanged:
independent schools are of great value to families, local communities and the wider education system. Our schools adapted during COVID and they continue to adapt. Their contributions continue to be recognised by an international audience.
Pupil numbers
There’s no doubt that, for some families, VAT on fees pushed independent schools out of reach. Last year, total pupil numbers fell by just over two per cent, according to the ISC Census. Entry points have been most a ected. Admissions to Reception, Year 3 and Year 7 have in some cases declined by around 5 per cent, with a smaller impact on Sixth-Form entry. Regionally, some areas – most notably Wales – have seen more pronounced reductions, with pupil numbers down by over ve per cent. This comes at a time when state schools experience increasing nancial strain and the capacity and specialisms o ered by independent schools should be valued more than ever.
It is important to acknowledge the great e orts schools have made to remain accessible for as many children as possible. Despite the huge nancial strain they have been facing – on top of the loss of charitable business rates relief and an increase in National Insurance employer contributions –overall, schools cut their fees in January 2025 to help cushion the blow for parents. Fee assistance worth over £1.5 billion was provided last year; a new record, and an 11 per cent increase on 2024.
There remains substantial movement into the independent sector. Last academic year, just over 100,000 pupils joined ISC schools. Of these, approximately one third transferred from another independent school, and a quarter came from the state sector. Over the longer term, pupil numbers have grown from around 517,000 a decade ago to approximately 545,000 today. This would suggest that the dip in pupil numbers we see today re ects a sector that is adjusting to policy and demographic pressures, rather than structural decline.
Public polling indicates sustained support for parents having the right to choose fee-paying schools if they wish. Families continue to value the importance of choice, and independent schools will continue to thrive following a period of adjustment.
Diversity in provision
One of the many great things about the independent sector is its diversity in provision; the wide range of school types and sizes means there’s an environment to suit the needs of every child. Families can choose between single-sex and
The impact we have seen across the sector in this new era has been as diverse as our schools
co-educational schools; academically selective and non-selective schools; schools with broad curriculums and those specialising in music, arts and sports. Short days, long days and boarding options are more exible than ever before. Independent schools o er provision that cannot always be easily found in the state sector – faith-based education and specialist SEND – adding valuable capacity in these areas.
Beyond the academic curriculum, independent schools are renowned for their character education. They enrich the lives of pupils both in and out of the classroom, o ering them opportunities to develop resilience and other important soft skills. A culture of service and civic responsibility is embedded within the independent sector, which means students have plenty of opportunities to support their wider communities. We see this in the many mutually bene cial partnerships taking place between state and independent schools, and the volunteer programmes involving local charities and organisations. Schools continue to prioritise community action because it is part of their community mission.
… the VAT policy has lit a fire inspiring schools to take bold choices …
Thinking outside the box
The tax policies of the current government, introduced immediately once they took power, have been a catalyst for change in many ways. They have pushed schools to think outside the box, drawing from the innovative spirit the sector prides itself on, to carve out new paths to success. Many schools are joining forces through mergers, a move that brings greater security, expertise and access to resources for all involved in closer families
of schools. Governors and school leaders are working together to ensure the longterm viability of schools in a more di cult economic environment.
Amid uncertainty come alternative plans, imagining di erent futures that will serve pupils over the coming decades. For those involved, education is a serious business with the aim of safeguarding the future of a relevant education, enabling care and inspiring hope for future generations. Where in the past, school leaders might have focussed purely on learning and teaching, they now have to be strong in marketing and commercial aspects of schools to ensure success.
Recognising the growing demand for a ordable childcare options, some schools are expanding nursery provision. Some singlesex schools are turning co-educational. Larger schools with more reserves are branching out overseas, opening satellite campuses to grow their portfolios and support operations at home. For those in a position to do this, diversi cation means they are not solely dependent on income generated by fees – a valuable safety net in the post-VAT landscape.
Communication and consultation
Fee assistance worth over £1.5 billion was provided last year; a new record …
As the umbrella body advocating for independent education, our small team at the ISC works tirelessly to raise awareness of the unintended consequences of the VAT policy, including research, lobbying and over a hundred live interviews within our media work. Now Labour’s tax policies are in place and we can see the e ects in operation, it is important that we continue to hold the Government to account for the consequences, and work with those who are developing future policy positions in order to ensure that more damage is not done to our country’s independent education sector.
At the time of writing in March, ISC is responding to four government consultations and two calls for evidence for select committees, all of which could a ect our schools. We continue to engage with ministers and civil servants behind the scenes so that independent schools are not forgotten in this context. In a world of increasing bureaucracy and state intervention, we work for the continued independence of fee-charging schools to deploy their independence in admissions, curriculum and assessment matters in particular.
ISC and our member associations have been amplifying the signi cant contributions of independent schools to the economy and the wider
education system, particularly in areas deemed to be key priorities for the Government (SEND, mental health, AI, oracy and teacher training, to name a few). Independent schools are using their freedoms to do sector-leading work, and we will continue to highlight how, in collaboration with government and state partners, they can help provide transformative educational experiences for increasing numbers of children and young people.
Education ecosystem
Independent schools are a key part of the education ecosystem. The sector remains globally respected – as evidenced by the rapid growth of overseas schools – and locally valued. The past year has highlighted the adaptability of independent schools; they are able to respond quickly to demand, innovate in curriculum and co-curricular provision, and shape their o er around the needs of pupils.
Perhaps the biggest priority of all is the imperative for all of us across the independent school sector to be able to demonstrate their value. We know the sector has so much to o er, both to families and wider society, and it’s more important now than ever that schools can communicate that e ectively. ●
JULIE ROBINSON is Chief Executive of the Independent School Council.
VAT, VIABILITY AND THE FUTURE OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS ONE YEAR ON
James Leggett and Duncan Murphy consider the varied impact that the introduction of VAT on fees has had on the independent school sector and urge schools not to wait for better days but to take remedial action immediately based on data-driven insights into their market position.
One year after the introduction of VAT on independent school fees, the sector is no longer reacting to the policy, it is living with it.
When the change was rst announced, the conversation naturally centred on immediacy: a ordability, potential enrolment losses and the ability of schools to absorb or o set the impact. Twelve months on, the picture is clearer, more complex and, in some cases, more sobering. The closure of Exeter Cathedral Prep School serves as a stark reminder that, for some institutions, the margin for adaptation was already perilously thin.
whether passed on in full or absorbed in part – have altered parental decisionmaking, particularly among families on the margin between state and independent provision. In some areas, this has manifested as softening demand, heightened sensitivity to value and increased competition for places.
VAT did not create vulnerability; it exposed it.
Yet a year on, it is equally evident that the sector’s response has been far from uniform. Some schools have borne the brunt of the change, while others have stabilised, and a few have adapted with surprising agility. This divergence is instructive, pointing to the contours of strategy that the next phase must embrace.
This is not a moment for complacency, nor for fatalism. It is a moment for clarity, for re ection and for deliberate action.
The immediate impact
The most visible e ect of VAT has been on a ordability. Fee increases –
There has also been a subtle but important compositional shift. Perhaps surprisingly, what we are witnessing is a reduction in the proportion of ‘super street’ families (the most a uent households in the UK, typically seeking a ‘wow’ factor in a school) alongside an expansion of aspirational areas. Aspirational families, often making signi cant nancial sacri ces and choosing against the state sector, are selecting independent education to provide opportunities for their children that they themselves did not have and are frequently rst-time buyers of such provision. This raises intriguing questions: where are the super street families going – leaving the country, or simply recalibrating their expectations? More research on this is forthcoming. The implications of these shifts extend beyond admissions, in uencing bursary demand, community mix and long-term pipeline planning.
Operational pressures have compounded the nancial challenge. Rising sta costs, energy prices and the loss of charitable business rates relief have created a perfect storm for schools already operating close to breakeven. For these institutions, the cumulative impact has been destabilising.
Yet while these challenges are real, they tell only part of the story.
Divergence of outcomes
One of the most striking features of the past year has been the variation in outcomes among schools that, super cially, appeared similar.
It is now apparent that VAT has not acted in isolation. Rather, it has
LESSONS FROM THE PAST YEAR:
Reputation Is a measurable asset: Institutions with strong, clearly understood reputations have proven more resilient. Reputation is no longer a soft asset; it carries tangible nancial value. Insight into alumni engagement, parental satisfaction and regional perception can guide investment and reinforce credibility.
accelerated existing structural realities.
Schools that entered this period with clear demographic alignment, strong reputational equity, well-articulated value propositions, disciplined cost structures and diversi ed income streams have, by and large, weathered the storm with resilience.
Conversely, schools relying on historic demand, informal reputation, or assumptions about parental loyalty have found the adjustment more di cult. VAT did not create vulnerability; it exposed it.
This distinction matters profoundly. The question is no longer merely ‘How do we respond to VAT?’ but ‘How resilient is our model in a more demanding and discerning market?’.
Shifts in parental behaviour
Evidence is emerging that parental behaviour has changed in ways unlikely to reverse. Parents are now more analytical, more comparative and more explicit about value. Tradition alone carries less weight; decisions are increasingly framed as investment choices rather than defaults.
Even committed families are asking sharper questions: about outcomes,
pastoral support, exibility and long-term bene t. This does not suggest that parents value schools less, but rather that schools must articulate their value with clarity, precision and evidence. Those that fail to do so discover that loyalty, once assumed, is no longer su cient.
Closures: Symbolic but not determinative
School closures understandably dominate headlines, and each represents a tangible loss: of history, community and opportunity.
Yet it is important to contextualise such events. Not all closures are directly
A measured review of the past 12 months o ers several enduring lessons for the sector.
Strategy must be rooted in data: Schools that invested in demographic analysis, market sizing and demand forecasting have consistently made more informed decisions, whether about pricing, provision or recruitment focus. Data allows leaders to anticipate shifts in parental choice, identify emerging market segments and model the nancial consequences of alternative strategies with con dence.
Admissions and marketing must be strategic: The schools adapting most e ectively are those where admissions and marketing are integrated into senior decision-making. Far from being operational afterthoughts, these functions now serve as instruments for strategic positioning, enabling schools to attract the right families, communicate value convincingly and manage demand e ectively.
Diversi cation is essential: Diversi cation, both in income streams and studentdemographics, is increasingly vital. International recruitment, partnerships, summer schools and satellite campuses o er nancial resilience, while careful demographic analysis allows schools to broaden the reach of their mission locally.
on Fees
elasticity and reallocating resources towards high-value initiatives – from bursary support to sta development – ensures that every pound spent strengthens long-term sustainability.
• Strategic partnerships
Collaboration with local schools, universities or international institutions can open new revenue streams and enhance provision. Data helps identify partnerships likely to deliver measurable bene t rather than symbolic association.
• International recruitment
Global demand for UK independent education remains strong, but entry must be strategically informed. Data on market trends, visa policy, competitor performance and fee sensitivity is indispensable in targeting growth e ciently.
It is a moment for clarity, for re ection and for deliberate action.
attributable to VAT, but the tax has reduced the margin for error. Where governance, nances or positioning were already fragile, the additional burden has tipped the balance. The lesson is not inevitability; it is urgency. Waiting for conditions to improve is not a strategy.
Strategic options for the next phase
The coming years will not o er relief from scrutiny, rising costs or parental expectation. The sector’s next phase must therefore focus on building structural resilience. A spectrum of strategic options presents itself, each requiring careful evaluation and evidence-based decision-making.
• Resizing and refocusing
Some schools may need to adjust capacity, restructure age ranges or refocus curricular and co-curricular provision to re ect market demand more accurately. Longitudinal data on enrolment and retention can identify where such adjustments will yield maximum bene t.
• Financial discipline and targeted investment
Robust nancial modelling is essential. Stress-testing budgets, assessing fee
• Bursary strategy
Data-driven bursary allocation allows schools to balance accessibility with nancial sustainability. Insight into family demographics, retention and outcomes ensures that bursary investment achieves both social and institutional objectives.
• Reputation and value articulation
The ability to communicate outcomes credibly, academically, pastorally and developmentally, is now a strategic di erentiator. Surveys, alumni engagement metrics and performance data provide the evidence needed to
present value convincingly to current and prospective families.
Data as the strategic compass
Across all options, data is the di erentiator. Schools that harness insight into pupil outcomes, parental behaviour, market dynamics and operational performance are able to anticipate challenges, make con dent investments, target resources e ectively and align mission with measurable reality. A culture of evidence-led decisionmaking transforms uncertainty into opportunity, ensuring that VAT and other structural pressures are met not with panic but with strategic poise. ●
DUNCAN MURPHY leads MTM Consulting’s Strategy Services team and is a respected educationalist, leader and advisor, guiding independent schools in strategy, mergers, governance and advocacy for children’s interests.
JAMES LEGGETT, Managing Director of MTM Consulting, is a leading educational market researcher, supporting independent schools, MATs and school groups globally with insight, innovation, data-driven strategy and collaborative leadership.
CALL TO action
A year on from VAT, the independent school sector stands at a crossroads. Independent education in the UK remains respected globally. Demand has not disappeared; it has become more discerning. The schools that will succeed over the coming decade are those that accept this reality and respond with clarity rather than caution.
The imperative is not merely survival but evolution:
• Question assumptions relentlessly.
• Invest in understanding markets and families.
• Align mission with measurable outcomes.
• Evaluate strategic options deliberately.
• Use data as the foundation of every decision.
Those who do so will not simply weather the current climate, they will emerge stronger, more resilient and strategically agile, prepared to thrive in a post-VAT world and beyond.
CONSOLIDATION THE BEST MECHANISM FOR CONTINUITY?
Hamish Martin argues that with more and more independent schools facing financial challenges, the option of consolidation is looming large across our sector.
J…
ust over a year after the introduction of VAT on private school fees, the UK’s private education sector is in a challenging position. What was initially framed as a manageable tax change has, in practice, accelerated pressures that were already building across the UK’s independent education sector: rising sta ng costs, energy price volatility, higher employers’ National Insurance contributions and regulatory demands have all left their mark.
school leaders
must
they
be discerning if
are considering private equity-backed consolidation.
Early estimates suggest that more than 25,000 pupils have exited private education since VAT was applied to fees, equating to roughly 4% of the students in the sector. For some families, the sudden increase in costs has tipped a ordability beyond reach; for others, it has forced a reassessment of value. Either way, pupil numbers are falling worryingly, and that has immediate consequences for school nances.
Fees have continued to move upwards as schools attempt to plug the gap, but this only deepens the challenge. As costs are passed on, more parents are reassessing whether UK independent education remains viable. The result is a feedback loop that disproportionately a ects smaller and mid-sized schools with less nancial resilience.
charitable institutions all face the same headline tax, but their ability to absorb it varies signi cantly depending on governance, balance sheet strength and operational sophistication.
Charity-status schools typically bene t from structural advantages that might have softened the blow for some. Reliefs linked to business rates, the ability to attract donations, legacy income and established bursary funds can provide alternative revenue streams that fee-only models lack. In some cases, endowments or active fundraising communities will have bought time, but belts will still have been tightened. However, charitable status is no guarantee of resilience.
Many charitable schools remain culturally and operationally similar to family-run institutions, with limited commercial capability or data-led planning. Where cost control, forecasting or strategic growth have not been traditional priorities, VAT on fees has exposed underlying fragilities rather than created new ones.
Disproportionate punishment
The VAT change has not landed evenly across the sector. Large independent school groups, single-site familyrun schools and
Independent private school groups, by contrast, often have greater access to capital and centralised systems. Well-run groups can spread risk across multiple sites, share backo ce functions and take a longerterm view on investment. Still, margins are tightening, and group boards
are becoming more selective about where they deploy capital, with underperforming or poorly located schools increasingly vulnerable.
While di erent parts of the sector face di erent challenges and risks, institutions on all sides face a ticking clock as rising overheads and dwindling revenues threaten to put them out of business. Increasing fees won’t x it, and relying on minority investment only kicks the problem down the road. For a lasting solution, the best bet for many schools will be consolidation.
Consolidation, not capitulation
Consolidation is often framed as a loss of independence, especially for schools with a long history of independent operation. However, faced with a choice between consolidation and closure, the former is increasingly the best mechanism for continuity.
Strategic mergers, group integration or investment partnerships can provide immediate relief by spreading xed costs, professionalising management and restoring nancial headroom. Shared services, central procurement and pooled expertise allow schools to maintain educational standards while operating more e ciently.
For charitable schools in particular, joining a larger platform does not have to mean abandoning mission or ethos. With the right structure, consolidation can protect bursaries, safeguard teaching roles and maintain community outreach, while reducing existential nancial risk.
At its best, institutional investment brings capital, governance discipline and long-term planning capability. At its worst, it prioritises short-term margin at the expense of culture. The distinction matters, and school leaders must be discerning if they are considering private-equity-backed consolidation.
… institutions on all sides face a ticking clock as rising overheads and dwindling revenues threaten to put them out of business.
The strongest outcomes occur where investors or acquirers understand that education is not a conventional commercial asset. Schools succeed when nancial sustainability and educational integrity are treated as mutually reinforcing objectives, rather than competing ones.
Blink and you’ll miss it
The most damaging response school leaders can take right now is inaction. The belief that enrolment will stabilise, costs will fall, or policy will reverse is not a valid strategy in the short or long term.
Schools that react fastest will be best placed to retain choice and leverage. Those that delay until pupil numbers crash or cash reserves evaporate will nd themselves negotiating from a position of weakness.
Schools succeed when financial sustainability and educational integrity are treated as mutually reinforcing objectives …
One school that approached us had invested heavily in new facilities several years earlier, funded by borrowing that assumed steady enrolment growth. When post-pandemic cost in ation collided with VAT and loan repayments peaked, the model collapsed. By the time conversations about partnership or sale began, the school had no viable route forward and ultimately closed, with its assets sold o rather than the institution preserved.
This is not an isolated case. Recent media coverage has highlighted schools coming within weeks of closure, forced into last-minute fundraising or emergency crowdfunding simply to survive another term, an emotionally draining process for sta , parents and pupils alike.
What is clear is that the era of the stand-alone institution operating in isolation is fading. Demographic change, global competition for pupils and more demanding parents all point towards a sector that must adapt.
What school leaders need to know
For governors, trustees and owners, timing has become critical. The past year has shown that waiting for conditions to improve carries real risk. Schools that assumed enrolment would recover or costs would ease have often found that valuable time has been lost; those that begin conversations with advisers, peer institutions or potential partners early, while stability remains, retain far more control over the outcome.
A clear view of nancial resilience is also essential. That means realistic enrolment assumptions, honest cash ow forecasting and a proper understanding of debt and future obligations. Without this clarity, even well-run schools can drift into reactive decision-making.
It is equally important to distinguish between a school’s identity and its ownership structure. Protecting ethos, standards and community does not always require remaining independent at all costs.
The rst year of VAT has been a trial by ordeal for private schools. The next year will likely determine which adapt, and which quietly disappear. Consolidation, done thoughtfully and early, remains one of the most e ective tools to ensure that excellent education continues uninterrupted, and that fewer independent schools are forced to close their doors forever. ●
HAMISH MARTIN is a Partner at LAVA Advisory Partners.
CLOSING A SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THROUGH CHALLENGE AND ADVERSITY
An experienced Head in the UK and overseas, Nicola Dudley explores the key lessons she learned as the school leader responsible for managing the closure of Queen Margaret’s, York and underlines the importance of personal resilience in supporting the broad-based school community through a challenging and often distressing time.
The experience of being the Head of a school that closes is not something that is openly talked about. Since managing the closure of a school last summer, I have tried several times to put pen to paper to share my re ections on leading through challenge and adversity. But each time, I have struggled with framing my thoughts.
Independent schools in the UK are currently facing huge levels of change, and no school is immune to the level of turbulence currently faced by the sector. Restructuring, reducing costs, redundancies, mergers and acquisitions, diversifying income streams and, in the worst case scenario, closure are all very much in the minds of – and drawing on the energy and resources of – independent school leaders in the current climate. All this whilst they remain passionate and steadfast in their commitment to ensuring the very best education and care for the children and young people in their schools.
… it is the leader’s burden to carry this con ict within.
Agile and decisive
In my situation, having arrived at the school in September 2024, I immediately conducted a comprehensive review and implemented a wideranging action plan. Gone are the days when the advice to new Heads is to observe and not to make any big changes within your rst year in post. Today’s challenges require agile and
… no school is immune to the level of turbulence currently faced by the sector.
decisive leadership. In the space of ten months, we navigated restructuring and rightsizing processes, M&A discussions and, ultimately, closure. Sadly, there was simply not enough time to turn the tide with ever-increasing headwinds. Each of these processes involves loss and requires strong and compassionate leadership.
Managing the challenges: key considerations
So, with re ection, how did I manage the challenges and pressures in the best way I could?
Be clear about the kind of leader you are and remain true to yourself
In my case, this meant being open, accessible and compassionate, whilst not being afraid to take tough decisions. With this approach, I was able to remain connected to colleagues, pupils and parents, even when delivering di cult messages. Whilst I pride myself on open and transparent communication, I also recognised more than ever through this period that there are unique situations where this is just not possible and that it is the leader’s burden to carry this con ict within.
Remain true to the school’s strengths and values
Regardless of the situation, clarity and direction are needed, and communications and decisions should
Draw on external expertise to support in key areas …
continue to draw on the strength of the school’s values. This remains as important when the very existence of the school is threatened. In the nal weeks, our school’s emphasis on community, fun and friendship was celebrated up until the last day.
Be clear about your KPIs
Know your key data points and ensure these are understood by your leadership team and governors. It sounds obvious but is critical. These provide a vital reference point to keep returning to in evaluating the situation and making critical decisions.
Put the school community front and centre
You need to carry your community with you and draw on its strength in the tough moments. Remember to keep all members of the community in mind in communications, planning and any consultation: sta , parents, pupils, alumni, partners and agents (if you have international boarders). Detailed planning around key communications is vital. If there was an area I underestimated in our planning, it was the emotional outpouring from alumnae. Our alumnae afternoon in the nal week welcomed the biggest turnout of alumnae in recent times.
Plan meticulously for the period post announcement
Whatever the signi cant announcement relates to, whether it be restructuring, merger, acquisition or closure, there will be a high level of emotion and uncertainty, a huge number of questions from sta , parents and pupils, and a lot of work to do to maintain momentum over the ensuing period.
In the case of closure, we carefully anticipated how we could best support all sta and pupils with their next steps, whilst ensuring the nal weeks were a tting tribute to the school community and brought a sense of closure, with moments of joy as well as sadness. Ensuring there is a plan that can be communicated as to what will happen next and, in parallel, providing immediate reassurance of support being available, is key to helping people deal with the immediate emotions and concerns that follow.
Know who you can turn to as a leader
You will be working closely with the governors, and I was fortunate to have the support of a strong senior leadership team. Draw on external expertise to support in key areas, particularly if you have gaps in your team. When budgets are tightly stretched, this seems counterintuitive, but it is essential to navigating such complexity.
Turning to objective external perspectives can help bring clarity and ensure blind spots aren’t missed. We drew on external consultancy support in nance and HR. There is a wealth of practical support out there for schools, through membership associations, networks and consultants. No one can have the complete breadth of insights and knowledge to confront the multiple pressures school leaders and governors are currently facing, and knowing where to look for trusted and con dential external support is invaluable, even just as a sounding board.
The pressure on Heads in these situations is intense, and the circle of those you can turn to as you navigate your way through highly con dential discussions is tight. Having a coach helped me maintain strength and focus and was invaluable in managing my own emotional rollercoaster to remain strong for the community.
Give yourself time
These situations are all-consuming, and it is vital to make time for yourself: easier said than done but essential in order to remain clear-sighted! In the case of a closure, I was given wise advice not to rush into my next job but to take time to decompress. So, I am taking time this year for personal adventures whilst building my experience in coaching and consultancy, amongst other professional development.
In the autumn, I seized the opportunity to head o on a supported two-month expedition, cycling 5,000km across Africa, from Cape Town to Kilimanjaro – an incredible experience all round. I am now in training for the legendary Marathon des Sables in April – a desert ultramarathon covering 270km over seven days, which I will be taking on for charity.
Whilst working full-time in a school, I would never have the time to complete the necessary training or to be completely o -grid for the duration of the race, and so it is now or never! I have found time and again that endurance challenges provide an optimum environment to test and develop my resilience, positive mindset, inner strength and
self-belief, alongside my ability to have a singleminded focus on achieving a signi cant goal, and pace myself. All skills required in school leadership. I am not yet ready to step away from school leadership, and after making the most of this time out, I am looking forward to hopefully returning to school life.
Tough yet rewarding Leadership is hugely rewarding; it can also be incredibly tough. I have managed both a school start-up and a school closure, and in between all manner of other leadership challenges faced regularly as a Head. All have drawn on reserves of emotional energy and resilience as well as strategic strength. I have continued to learn and develop as a leader throughout, and all experiences have added to my depth of professional perspective and knowledge. ●
… we carefully anticipated how we could best support all sta and pupils with their next steps …
Leadership in adversity
Fundamentally, leadership is about being human. You have to follow due process, know your key data and make sometimes very tough decisions, but ultimately your leadership lies in your human touch and your ability to connect with and support your community through the change.
NICOLA DUDLEY is former Head of Queen Margaret’s York, having previously held leadership roles in schools in Switzerland, Hong Kong and Scotland. She is currently an educational consultant.
COVID: HAVE WE ACTUALLY LEARNED ANYTHING? THE OPPORTUNITY FOR RENEWAL
Having demonstrated remarkable resilience during the pandemic, Gavin Horgan questions whether schools are now at risk of falling back on old habits and missing the opportunity to build on the lessons that COVID should have taught us.
Six years after the rst lockdown, education is still living with the consequences of COVID. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the biggest mistake we could make now is to frame the pandemic as a temporary disruption. It wasn’t. It was a stress test. And in too many areas, the system failed.
For school leaders, the question is no longer about recovery. It is about whether we are prepared to confront what COVID revealed about schools, leadership, equity and the wider system. Because while the language has shifted back to ‘standards’ and ‘accountability’, the reality in classrooms, corridors and communities tells a very di erent story.
There were huge learnings for schools and many accelerated or pivoted radically and in a way that they never believed possible beforehand. This article explores the lessons that still matter – drawing on recent research and evidence – and asks a more provocative question: have we actually learned anything?
Inequality
Let’s start with the most obvious and most uncomfortable lesson. COVID did not create inequality. It exposed it. Recent Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) research con rms that the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers widened during school closures, particularly in maths. One longitudinal study found that the gap increased by the equivalent of around a month’s additional progress lost, with the
largest impact during the rst lockdown1 But that statistic alone risks becoming a distraction. Because the more important question is: why were some pupils so vulnerable to disruption in the rst place? Access to devices. Quiet space. Parental capacity. Stability at home. None of these suddenly appeared in 2020. They were always there. COVID simply removed the illusion that schools could compensate for wider social inequality on their own. The uncomfortable reality is that many school improvement strategies before 2020 treated disadvantage as a programme or funding stream. The strongest schools now see it as the organising principle. The challenge for leaders is whether this mindset has genuinely stuck. Or whether, as pressures rise, equity is quietly slipping back down the agenda.
Attendance
If there is one post-COVID issue that has fundamentally reshaped the system, it is attendance. And the scale of the shift is still not fully understood. Persistent absence in England remains far above pre-pandemic levels. Recent o cial statistics show that around 17.8% of pupils were persistently absent in autumn 2024-25, compared with around 11% before the pandemic. Severe absence has more than doubled2. We need to be honest about what this means. This is not a short-term blip. It is a structural change in how families view school.
Research from the Education Policy Institute suggests that absence is now a major driver of the disadvantage gap, contributing signi cantly to widening outcomes by the end of secondary school3. Government has highlighted the issue and put pressure on schools, typically through inspection processes, to address attendance as a priority. Yet the policy response has often defaulted to enforcement: nes, legal processes and tougher messaging. The evidence suggests this alone will not work. The most successful schools have shifted their mindset. Attendance is not compliance. It is belonging. It is trust. It is whether school feels safe, meaningful and manageable.
If we are honest, this challenges the system’s assumptions about accountability. If pupils are not in school, test scores become a lagging indicator. The real work is relational, complex and slow. This is backed up by the work of the OECD especially on the importance of human ourishing in schools and away from simplistic targets or scores4
This is uncomfortable. But it is real.
Mental health
The scale of emotional and mental health need among pupils is one of the clearest post-pandemic legacies. Surveys suggest that signi cant numbers of pupils now avoid school due to anxiety and related challenges. The emerging picture from ongoing national studies, such as the Government’s longitudinal ‘Growing Up in the 2020s’ research, is that wellbeing, belonging and identity are central to engagement with learning5
We cannot keep talking about academic recovery without addressing this reality. But here is the provocation: schools cannot solve this. And pretending they can is part of the problem. There is a growing risk that education becomes the default provider for every unmet need in society. Leaders know this. Sta feel it. Yet the system continues to expand expectations.
The lesson from COVID was clear: when external services fail, schools absorb the pressure. The question now is whether the wider system will step up
– or whether education will continue to stretch until it breaks.
Teaching quality
One of the strongest messages from EEF and National Audit O ce analysis is that high-quality teaching remains the most powerful driver of outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged pupils6. This is not new. What is new is the context. The pandemic accelerated workload, burnout and attrition. Recruitment and retention challenges are particularly acute in disadvantaged areas, where shortages and subject expertise gaps are most signi cant.
The uncomfortable question is whether the system is serious about addressing this. Because without a stable, expert workforce, every other reform becomes performative. Many leaders report that collaboration around curriculum and pedagogy improved during lockdowns. Departments shared planning, focused on clarity and reduced unnecessary workload. Yet in some schools, old habits are creeping back: performative marking, excessive data, super cial accountability. Again, the OECD has clarity on this matter and it is clear that we must invest like we have never done before in relational teaching in the classrooms and that the impact on a teacher of circa one hour more of paperwork and compliance is akin to 10 hours more with students in classrooms. If we learned anything from COVID, it should be this: clarity and expertise matter more than compliance.
Technology
worked but not as expected
The edtech revolution did not replace teachers. It exposed the importance of teaching. Schools with strong curriculum design and professional culture adapted fastest. Technology ampli ed quality. It did not create it. However, the pandemic did shift expectations. Hybrid communication, online homework, digital feedback and remote meetings are now embedded. There are opportunities and risks which schools must address.
Behaviour
Many leaders report shifts in behaviour, resilience and social development. Research and policy discussions increasingly link these to disrupted socialisation during lockdown. The most concerning trend is low-level disengagement. Pupils physically present but emotionally absent. Recent government analysis suggests signi cant lesson time continues to be lost to disruption, with concerns about teacher con dence and classroom climate6. This is not simply about discipline. It is about purpose. The generation currently in secondary school has experienced disruption at key developmental stages. They are not ‘worse’. They are di erent. The schools making progress recognise this and focus on relationships, routines and belonging rather than quick xes.
Leadership beats strategy
If there was one clear di erentiator
during COVID, it was leadership. Not the leadership of frameworks or initiatives. The leadership of presence, communication and values. Sta , children and their families remember:
• who was visible
• who listened
• who protected workload
• who made decisions quickly
• who showed humanity.
Crisis stripped leadership back to fundamentals. The challenge now is maintaining those fundamentals when the crisis has faded. Because it is easier to lead with clarity when survival is at stake than when complexity returns.
Collaboration
COVID triggered unprecedented collaboration between schools. Resource sharing, joint problem-solving and mutual support became normal. Yet collaboration is fragile. It requires time, trust and space. The danger now is a return to competition, driven by accountability pressures and resource scarcity. The opportunity is system redesign. Teaching school hubs, multiacademy trusts and local partnerships could embed collaboration as the norm rather than the exception. But this requires courage. It means moving beyond rhetoric. The system still rewards the wrong things.
Unnecessary practices
Perhaps the most provocative lesson from COVID is this: many of the practices schools dropped during the pandemic were not missed.
Leaders reduced:
• excessive marking
• performative data
• unnecessary meetings
• compliance-driven processes.
Yet in some settings, these have quietly returned. Why? Because the accountability system did not change. If we want genuine improvement, we need to ask hard questions:
• What actually improves learning?
• What exists only to provide reassurance?
• What would we design if we started again? COVID showed that schools could change rapidly when required. The issue now is whether we choose to and
whether Government will allow that change.
Recovery, renewal or return?
The dominant narrative after COVID was ‘catch up’. But the deeper opportunity is renewal. This includes:
• a sharper focus on curriculum
• evidence-informed professional development
• integrated support for disadvantage
• strategic use of technology
• sustainable wellbeing
• system collaboration
• relational teaching.
Globally, research continues to show the lasting impact of closures, with international studies reporting measurable declines in attainment and long-term risks for equity. But this is not destiny. Schools remain one of the most powerful forces for social mobility and community stability. The pandemic proved their resilience and creativity. The question is whether policy and leadership will match that ambition. The risk is not failure. It is forgetting.
COVID was traumatic. It was exhausting. It was disruptive. But it was also clarifying and provided a time of accelerated change and innovation for schools. The greatest danger now is not that we failed to respond in 2020. It is that we slowly drift back to pre-pandemic assumptions. The best leaders are not asking how to recover, they are asking how to build something better. The system has a choice to return to normal and accept widening gaps, disengagement and workforce strain, or redesign education around the lessons we have already learned. Six years on, the question is not what COVID did to schools; it is what will we do with what COVID taught us? ●
References
1 EEF. 2 Explore Education Statistics. 3 The Guardian. 4 oecd. org/en/about/projects/future-of-education-and-skills-2030. html. 5 educationhub.blog.gov.uk 6 The Times
GAVIN HORGAN is the eadmaster of illfield chool
HELPING SCHOOLS SAVE:
APETITO LAUNCHES
NEW GUIDE ON DELIVERING COSTEFFECTIVE SCHOOL MEALS
The current turbulent nancial situation for independent school sector appears to show no signs of abating, following several stormy years. The introduction of VAT on school fees in January 2025 led to an increasing number of families moving their children from independent schools into the state system.
According to Julie Robinson, CEO of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), this is a trend that is set to continue:
“Pupil numbers have fallen by more than the government estimates already, and for the OBR’s forecast to hold, pupil numbers would have had to remain steady this year – early indications are that this is not the case and further decreases are expected.” 1
The fall in pupil enrolment has undeniably resulted in substantial financial repercussions, the effects of which are already clearly emerging, with more than 100 independent schools closing down since the introduction of the VAT on fees policy was introduced. 2
The removal of charitable business rates relief, rising in ation and higher payroll costs has placed even more additional pressure on remaining independent schools. These cost challenges are now stretching to the kitchen, as the combination of rising food and sta ng costs and shrinking budgets are having serious implications.
Tackling the Rising Cost of School Catering
It is against this challenging backdrop that school meals provider, apetito, is launching a free guide packed full of useful information and guidance for schools on how to e ectively manage and reduce the rising cost of school catering.
apetito’s guide, titled Helping Schools Save: A Guide to Delivering Cost-E ective School Meals, explores numerous aspects including strategies for reviewing catering costs, how to tackle rising sta ng costs and reduce meal costs.
The guide also examines how reducing food waste and increasing student engagement can have a real impact on the cost of catering and gives practical and actional steps that schools can take in this area.
Rupert Weber, General Manager for Education at apetito spoke on the importance of helping schools to reduce the rising costs in the kitchen:
“Anyone working in a school knows that kitchens are facing unprecedented challenges, and the last few years have been some of the most turbulent in recent memory. Rising food prices, increasing sta ng costs, and additional nancial pressures across the independent school sector mean that many catering teams are being asked to do more with less, all while
trying to maintain the high standards that pupils deserve.
“Good nutrition is fundamental to a child’s ability to focus, learn and thrive in the classroom, so compromising on quality simply isn’t an option. That’s why we felt it was essential to create this new guide, which aims to give schools clear, practical and genuinely actionable steps they can take to control costs without reducing the standard of meals they serve. Whether it’s reassessing sta ng structures, reducing food waste, streamlining menus or improving operational e ciency, there are real opportunities for schools to protect both quality and budgets.
“Our aim is to empower school leaders and catering teams with the tools, insights and con dence they need to deliver a high quality, cost e ective meal service that makes a meaningful di erence to pupils every single day.” ●
Download your FREE Guide here: apetito.link/ ISMP-CostG
1. Independent Schools Council. (2026). Pupil numbers: ‘Further decreases are expected’. [online] Available at: https://www.isc.co.uk/media-enquiries/ news-press-releases-statements/pupil-numbers-further-decreases-areexpected-isc-ceo-warns. 2. Independent Schools Council. (2026). VAT on fees ‘a bridge too far’ for many independent schools, ISC CEO warns. [online] Available at: https://www.isc.co.uk/media-enquiries/news-pressreleases-statements/vat-on-fees-a-bridge-too-far-for-many-independentschools-isc-ceo-warns
DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WITH EMPLOYEES THE LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
Louise Brenlund looks at how to conduct the di cult and challenging discussions with colleagues which all employers will encounter.
Independent schools are uniquely people-centred organisations. They combine the complexity of employment relationships with heightened safeguarding duties. Leadership teams may be faced with challenging situations where they are required to have discussions with sta about a range of sensitive issues, which may extend to conducting exit conversations.
This article addresses the legal considerations for schools and their leadership teams when navigating these complex scenarios.
at is a ifficult conversation?
A di cult conversation is de ned by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), as a discussion that is potentially contentious, sensitive or emotional, often resulting in anxiety or avoidance. These include addressing underperformance, delivering bad news or managing con ict in a context where strong emotions make the interaction hard to control.
Research by CMI, found that 57% of respondents would do almost anything to avoid a di cult conversation! So, it’s no wonder these conversations get pushed to the bottom of the to-do list! But the costs of avoiding them are high and can
impact on sta morale, pupils and the wider school experience. It is therefore important that they are addressed.
The legal and regulatory context Safeguarding duties
Schools have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Keeping Children Safe In Education (KCSIE) sets out expectations around safer recruitment, managing allegations against sta , low-level concerns and maintaining a culture of vigilance.
Independent schools must also ensure compliance with the Independent School Standards (ISS).
Where a sta issue could impact pupils, leaders must prioritise safeguarding processes to include:
• consulting the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
• considering Local Authority Designated O cer (LADO) referral
• assessing whether suspension or alternative duties are necessary
• ensuring accurate record-keeping.
Teachers’ Standards; Headteachers’ Standards
All teachers must act with honesty and integrity and follow the Teachers’ Standards, which de ne the minimum
level of practice expected by teachers in England and sets out the personal and professional code of conduct which applies to teachers.
Headteachers are also expected to follow the Teachers’ Standards but in addition must meet the high expectations of the Headteachers’ Standards, which includes the standards and responsibilities of headship, ethical and professional conduct and behaviours expected.
You should consider whether these Standards are applicable to the conversation that needs to take place.
Nolan Principles
The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) cover all those appointed and/or working in the education sector. The Nolan Principles include sel essness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. These ensure meaningful outcomes of good governance are achieved and are integral to the governance and leadership of independent schools, so may also be a relevant consideration when having conversations.
Employment law considerations
Independent school sta are employees with statutory rights, including protection from unfair dismissal
(if over two years' continuous employment but likely moving to six months from January 2027), discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Key legal principles include:
• procedural fairness (following a fair and transparent process)
• consistency
• proportionality
• con dentiality
• compliance with contractual terms and policies. Where capability or conduct processes are triggered, leaders must ensure policies re ect current employment legislation and are applied correctly.
Governance and nancial oversight
The Academy Trust Handbook (ATH) places clear expectations on academy trusts regarding regularity, propriety and value for money, including oversight of sta ng decisions and severance payments. Independent schools are not governed by this in the same way but must ensure compliance with the ISS and any internal policies and procedures.
Effectively managing conversations
Di cult conversations can often be resolved early with clarity, empathy and professionalism. Key to this approach is being prepared, which can be assisted by having a framework in place. There are various frameworks available. Strategies will di er depending upon the circumstances and individual. A general
approach for leaders or managers dealing with these situations:
• Review policies and legal framework.
• Gather facts: what’s happened, how often, and what’s the impact?
• Clarify your outcome: what change are you hoping to see?
• Plan the logistics: choose a private, neutral space, allow enough time and decide who should attend (e.g. HR, DSL, etc).
• Rehearse your points: practise tone and body language.
• Anticipate reactions: think through how the employee might respond.
• Schedule follow-ups: change rarely happens overnight, support and checkins matter.
• Stay calm and compassionate but focus on facts not feelings.
Do:
• Use open questions and listen actively.
• Acknowledge the employee’s feelings.
• Summarise key points and agree on actions.
• Always follow up.
Do not:
• Interrupt or rush the conversation.
• Get derailed by emotions.
• Go in unprepared.
2. Focus on professional impact rather than moral judgement.
3. Clarify expectations around boundaries.
4. Record discussions appropriately.
5. Review reporting lines where necessary.
Concerns relating to inappropriate conduct with pupils is not addressed in this article as we are focusing on sta .
Substance misuse – drink and/ or drugs
Substance misuse may present as:
• repeated lateness or absence
• reduced performance
• mood changes
• smell of drink/regular hangovers
• unkept physical appearance
• weight gain or loss
• moody, volatile, unpredictable
• disappears for periods of time.
Leaders must balance safeguarding, welfare and capability considerations.
Key steps include:
Sensitive sta issues are an inevitable part of leadership in independent schools.
• Forget to recognise improvements, it matters.
e ifficult atters t at may arise
Workplace relationships
Relationships between colleagues are not unlawful in themselves. However, they may become problematic where: there is a power imbalance (e.g. line manager and direct report)
• safeguarding risks are identi ed
• con icts of interest arise professional boundaries are compromised.
Schools should have clear policies requiring disclosure of close personal relationships between sta where there is a potential con ict; some schools even ban this. Leaders should:
1. Meet privately and calmly.
• assessing immediate risk to pupils
• removing sta from duties if safety is compromised
• referring to occupational health where appropriate
• distinguishing between misconduct (e.g. attending work intoxicated) and underlying health issues.
Addiction can constitute a disability in some circumstances, potentially engaging equality legislation. A supportive and reasonable-adjustments approach may be required, alongside clear expectations about professional standards.
Personal presentation, dress and hygiene
Conversations about hygiene or dress are often among the most uncomfortable for leaders. However, they may be necessary where:
• presentation impacts safeguarding on health and safety
• it undermines professional standards
• it causes concern among colleagues, pupils or parents.
Best practice includes:
• ensuring policies are clear and non-discriminatory
• avoiding gendered or culturally biased assumptions
• holding the discussion privately and respectfully
• framing the issue around professional expectations, not personal criticism
• allowing space for underlying health or wellbeing explanations and being aware of possible medical issues.
Sensitivity is crucial. Some issues may relate to mental health, nancial hardship or medical conditions, which again could mean that an individual is considered disabled under equality legislation, meaning they will have appropriate protection and a need to consider reasonable adjustments.
It is important to have clear policies and procedures within a dress code that you can rely on when having any discussions. Any rules should be applied equally but also taking into account potential for discrimination such as in relation to speci c religious requirements.
Key principles for school leaders
Across all scenarios, the following principles should guide decision-making:
1. Safeguarding rst.
2. Fairness and consistency.
3. Professional boundaries.
4. Clear documentation.
5. Lawful process.
6. Board oversight where required.
7. Dignity and respect.
Conducting ‘without prejudice’
and protected conversations
Exit discussions can be appropriate where employment relationships have broken down or where capability processes are unlikely to succeed. It is important to consider whether your conversation might be covered by these principles or not.
Understanding ‘without prejudice’
A ‘without prejudice’ conversation generally applies where there is an existing dispute between the employer and employee. Communications
Settlement Agreements in Independent schools
Settlement agreements are legally binding contracts under which an employee waives certain claims in exchange for compensation. If a settlement agreement is being proposed, we strongly recommend that you obtain legal advice rst.
To be valid, they must:
• be in writing
• relate to particular complaints
• con rm the employee has received independent legal advice
• identify the adviser and con rm insurance
• state statutory conditions are satis ed.
You should follow the ACAS Code of Practice on Settlement Agreements; ACAS also provide a guide that will assist you in planning your meeting and timings.
Governance considerations
Schools should consider whether:
• payments made under an agreement represent value for money
• they are not being used to mask poor governance
• there is proper authorisation
• relevant disclosures are made in nancial statements where required
• safeguarding and regulatory reporting obligations are met
• lawful whistleblowing or safeguarding disclosures are being constrained.
made in a genuine attempt to settle that dispute is inadmissible in most tribunal proceedings.
Protected conversations
Under section 111A of the Employment Rights Act 1996, employers can have ‘protected conversations’ about ending employment on agreed terms, even where no formal dispute exists. Important limitations:
• Protection applies only to ordinary unfair dismissal claims.
• It does not protect discriminatory or automatically unfair dismissal claims.
• Improper behaviour (e.g. undue pressure, bullying, misleading statements) removes protection. Leaders should always seek specialist HR or legal advice before initiating such discussions.
Safeguarding implications in exit situations
Con dentiality agreements must never override safeguarding duties. KCSIE
is clear that settlement agreements cannot prevent appropriate referrals and payments should not be made where there are such concerns.
Open and honest
Sensitive sta issues are an inevitable part of leadership in independent schools and leaders must balance empathy with accountability and legal compliance. Handled correctly, di cult conversations do not weaken a school culture, they strengthen it. Open and honest communication is crucial for any successful workplace. Although it may be tempting to avoid a di cult conversation, any issues will only become more intractable, impacting both your team and your school’s wider success. ●
LOUISE BRENLUND is is a Partner and Head of Employment at Warners Solicitors.
WOULD YOUR SCHOOL SURVIVE A REAL CYBER ATTACK?
EXECUTIVE-LEVEL IT LEADERSHIP ON DEMAND
Our Top 5 Actions to ensure your school is prepared:
PFbuilding con dence, protecting the community, and maintaining trust. With the digital landscape growing more complex, a clear, well-tested plan ensures schools can act quickly and e ectively when challenges arise.
“Parents were tricked into paying school fees to a fraudster instead of the school.”
“The school website and parent portal are suddenly o ine - no one can get in.”
“Suspicious software has been found spreading across our school computers.”
eriods of change whether a leadership transition, school merger, or expansion bring a digital integration challenge: unifying systems, safeguarding data, and maintaining operational continuity. For independent schools, technology is no longer simply an operational function; it is a strategic capability that underpins teaching, administration, cybersecurity, compliance, and financial sustainability.
“A sta or student account has been accessed without permission.”
“We received a threatening message demanding money to stop the attack.”
MSP LAB provides executive-level IT leadership on demand, giving schools immediate access to experienced strategic leadership when direction, stability, and progress are needed.
“Our student records and lesson plans have been locked - we can’t use them.”
We provide interim IT leadership that maintains operational continuity while supporting schools through periods of change. MSP LAB can
The scenarios above re ect the types of cyber incidents we commonly see in Independent Schools. We work alongside sta and leadership teams to support recognition and response, but rst and foremost, we help ensure a robust plan is in place for when the inevitable happens. In today’s environment, cyber incidents are no longer a question of if but when - and with the right preparation, schools can respond swiftly to minimise disruption and protect their communities with con dence.
Our free Cyber Assessment identi es ve key priorities to help schools prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents. Here’s a quick look:
1. Establish a Cyber Security Response Team
operate as a Virtual IT Director, embedding executive oversight, strengthening governance, and guiding technology strategy while supporting the recruitment and appointment of a permanent Head of IT. This ensures that momentum is maintained, risks are managed, and technology decisions remain aligned with the school’s long-term objectives.
Through our Virtual IT Director and Retained Counsel services, we partner closely with independent schools to shape digital strategy, strengthen technology governance, and guide delivery across key initiatives. Our support commonly includes:
De ne clear roles and escalation procedures to ensure a coordinated response. Core members typically include an incident lead, DSL, SLT, IT, communications lead, and legal support. An extended team may involve HR, insurers, and external consultants.
strategic advisor even after permanent leadership appointments are made.
If your school requires experienced IT leadership, independent strategic insight, and practical delivery support, speak to MSP LAB to discuss your school’s needs and availability. ●
breaches, malware, fraud, or unauthorised access and assign priorities, escalation routes, and response times to ensure swift, e ective action and minimise risk.
5. Use an Action Tracker
• Cybersecurity and digital resilience
2. Create an Incident Reporting Plan
• Infrastructure and cloud modernisation
• MIS transformation and data strategy
• Technology governance and risk oversight
Set out how incidents are reported from di erent sources and de ne the appropriate response for each type, ensuring they’re recognised quickly and handled consistently.
Contact
• Strategic planning for digital investment
3. Plan for the Full Incident Lifecycle
Our consultants bring first-hand
Our Cyber Incident Response Plan gives schools a clear roadmap to identify, contain, and recover from incidents while protecting the community. Our Incident Response
MSP LAB at experience@ msplab.cloud or 0333 880 6740.
Equip the Incident Manager with step-by-step guidance covering communications, evidence collection, reporting, and post-incident review with actionable recommendations. Drawing on our experience working exclusively with Independent Schools, our Incident Response Framework gives Incident Managers clear guidance on what to do, who to involve, and how to keep the community informed. Tailored to each school, it builds resilience with incident planning to safeguarding sensitive prepared, compliant, and con dent in their
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR PARENTS
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEHAVIOURAL DATA COLLECTED BY SCHOOL SEARCH TOOLS
James Dobson explains how a new generation of online school search tools can provide admissions teams with crucial insights into the individual priorities of prospective parents.
For more than a decade, I have worked in independent school sector media, much of it in print. During that time, I watched schools become better storytellers, better marketeers and better at shaping their public narrative. Awards multiplied, prospectuses thickened, magazines launched and websites became more cinematic.
Yet behind the gloss and rise in marketing platforms, something fundamental never really changed: families were still being asked to make one of the most important and expensive decisions of their lives with remarkably little accessible, comparable data.
Schools invested impressively, improving visibility through their own channels with stronger branding, open days, social media, virtual tours and websites. Yet meanwhile, thirdparty marketing platforms were mostly limited to legacy formats: magazines, shows, award supplements, static directories. While these outlets can be e ective for raising awareness, they do not surface the priorities and preferences of families engaged in their speci c school search. Nor do they provide schools with insights into how families compared, ltered and shortlisted candidate schools before making an enquiry. Yet these are surely mission-
The most important stage of the school search journey – the formation of the shortlist –has historically been invisible.
critical key data points for every admissions department?
Better data
What struck me, coming from print media, was how di erent education looked compared with other sectors. Property, travel, nance and automotive have all undergone deep digital transformation. Not just better websites, but better data.
These sectors learned to track behaviour, test assumptions, personalise customer journeys and use real insights to shape future strategy. They modernised both their messaging and their understanding of their consumers.
Education has been slower to make that shift. Schools have largely relied on circulation gures, event footfall, enquiry volumes and impressions – all useful metrics, but blunt ones. Schools could see how many
people attended an event or clicked on a listing, but not what information those families compared beforehand or which search criteria mattered most, or why certain options were ruled out. In short, lots of activity, but little to no intelligence prior to a family’s contact.
The school search process
This matters because the school search process is not simple. Parents are not casually browsing. They are navigating nerves, aspirations, budgets, geography, values, academic standards, social pressure and more – often all at once. They are trying to answer deeply personal questions with information scattered across dozens of sources.
Prospective parents are not thinking in categories. They are thinking of their own circumstances in relation to the available school choices:
• Can we a ord it?
• Is it too academic, or not academic enough?
• Is the ‘school run’ manageable?
• Are there better options I haven’t seen yet?
Magazines, listings and league tables were never designed, or equipped, to answer these kinds of questions at scale.
Search engines have stepped into this gap, but only partially. Google can surface options, but not insight. It ranks visibility, but not suitability. It tells parents what is popular according to SEO ranking or advertising logic, but not what is right for their child.
It is also time-consuming, requiring families to piece together information sourced from multiple school websites to try to build their own comparison set.
The problem is not information, but rather a lack of personalisation.
Parents don’t need longer lists of search results, they need fewer and more personalised matches. They need context, ltering, and reassurance that they are aware of all their options – and that the options in front of them t their circumstances.
Behavioural insights
There is also a structural issue. Most traditional third-party school search platforms were built to promote schools, not to capture behavioural data. They can tell schools who clicked or attended, but not:
• what parents searched for before arriving
• what criteria mattered most
• which alternatives were considered
• why some schools made the shortlist and others did not.
The missing layer is behavioural insight: understanding how parents actually move through the decision-making process, what they compare, what they abandon, what they search for but never quite nd.
The most important stage of the school search journey –the formation of the shortlist –has historically been invisible. Parents did their research privately, across dozens of disconnected platforms. Schools saw only the nal step: the enquiry, the visit, the application.
Everything before that – the shortlisting, the comparison, the quiet elimination –remained hidden. Which meant schools had to make strategic decisions on their marketing, indeed on their overall approach to student recruitment, without the full picture.
A new style of platform
What is emerging now, through platforms like School Scout, is something structurally di erent from legacy media and listing sites. Not another directory. Not another advertising channel but an interactive, data-led search and insight platform built around how families actually behave.
This is where the model starts to change.
Platforms of this nature are not trying to replace visits, prospectuses or school marketing teams. They are not encouraging parents to commit to important, lifechanging decisions online. Rather, they sit earlier in the
Parents are not casually browsing. They are navigating nerves, aspirations, budgets, geography, values, academic standards, social pressure and more …
school search journey – at the top of the admissions funnel – where families are still asking: “Which schools suit our needs? Which should we visit?”
We know from the emerging data that most parents do not start the search process with school brands. Instead, they start with themselves: their child, their budget, their location, their priorities. From there, interactive lters underpinning the new-style platforms narrow a vast, noisy marketplace into a manageable set of personalised options for further enquiry.
The result is not a recommendation. It is a shortlist. A starting point to build around.
That shortlist is used to drive the next step in the process: enquiries, open days, tours, conversations and, ultimately, a decision made once families have visited schools in person.
Search patterns revealed
When analytics is used e ectively in these searches, something new becomes possible. Aggregated, anonymised behaviour trends begin to reveal patterns:
• what families lter by rst
• which features consistently
in uence decisions
• how preferences di er by region or educational stage
• which schools are repeatedly compared side by side.
For parents, this means greater clarity and con dence, while for schools it means nally seeing how they are being discovered and evaluated before contact is –or isn’t – made.
Meaningful connections
Importantly, the rise of such platforms does not diminish the importance of visiting a school. If anything, it makes those visits more constructive. Families arrive having already reviewed the market and with a sense why the school might be a good t. This leads to enquiries being better informed and open days being more e ective.
The future of school choice is unlikely to be determined by who can produce the loudest marketing or heaviest prospectus. It will instead be shaped by personalisation and insight to help families become better informed, leading to more meaningful connections with schools.
Crucially, that process starts at the very top of the search funnel before enquiries are made. ●
JAMES DOBSON is Managing Director of School Scout. He previously founded the Independent Schools of the Year awards. schoolscout.uk
MILITARY AND FCDO FAMILIES
BOARDING SCHOOLS AND THE CEA
Andrew Lewer believes that boarding students from military families make an enormous contribution to their schools and argues that the Continuity of Education Allowance should be valued by all its stakeholders.
Most of the boarders at my old school were from military families and I remember fondly the friendships I had with them and what an asset to the school they were. Boarding at my school was indeed so dependent upon military families that the end of the Cold War and the consequent reduction in the armed forces was an important factor (of several) that led to the boarding houses closing after over 400 years of provision. The closure gave us an especially personal connection to the military, as my parents took in the daughter of an army Major as a lodger for her Upper Sixth year because boarding ended mid-way through her A Levels. We were pleased to ensure that she had, quite literally, continuity of education.
Consequently, the subject of military families and boarding – and by extension the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) – has a long history with me, from those school days to my time as a politician and now as an education consultant. The CEA – of which there are versions for both the armed forces and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development O ce (FCDO) – is the contribution that the Government makes towards the school fees of those who are posted overseas or who are assigned roles that may require a redeployment within four years (this latter category being important and not always fully understood). The Army Families Federation records this contribution as £8,918 per term for junior boarders and £11,130 per term for senior boarders (with the FCDO paying out slightly more).
… schools that have the children of military personnel attending them consider them to be a precious asset.
A contribution of 10% is required from the parents (8% for state boarding).
Protecting the CEA
Protecting the CEA was a prominent part of my work as the Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Independent Education. I raised the concerns of military families in the Chamber of the House of Commons several times, including this exchange with the Defence Secretary on 5 July 2021: Andrew Lewer MBE MP: What is the Ministry of Defence doing to ensure that eligible personnel know that the Continuity of Education Allowance – an important and necessary support for young people from military families, the vast majority of whom are a great asset to the schools they attend – is available to NCOs as well as to o cers?
Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP: The CEA is available to all ranks, and we should encourage as many people as possible to take it up. It is used to achieve essential continuity of education for children, providing educational stability when personnel are assigned to service locations to meet the obligations of their service. Service personnel of all ranks may qualify, subject to their satisfying eligibility criteria, and they are encouraged to seek advice from the chain of command if they wish to take it up.
Dandelion children
Military family boarders are sought after, both in state schools with boarding (of which there are 32 now, though there were nearly double that when I was at one) and the independent boarding school sector. They are sometimes referred to as ‘dandelion children’ (and indeed a dandelion is the emblem of the Month of the Military Child, which is April). Anne Megdiche, Director of Admissions at Sherborne School,
describes them as having a “strong sense of purpose and loyalty, demonstrating great resilience”.
Dandelion children often start boarding earlier than most other students and thus not only ll those much-depleted junior boarding houses but assist other children coming to boarding when older. They bring an added degree of reality and experience to Combined Cadet Forces as well. Children of armed forces families have particular needs: having parents deployed abroad – or in readiness to be deployed abroad – can be stressful. There are bene ts to having other children with similar experiences at the same school, or at least members of sta who understand the situation (and independent schools are often well served by former military sta ).
There are some state boarding and independent schools that specialise in having military family boarders and are well known for it, such as The Duke of York’s Royal Military School, Cranbrook and Gordon’s in the state sector and Taunton, Strathallan, Stonar and Bromsgrove in the independent sector. However, numerous experts I spoke to report signi cantly enhanced interest and focus on armed forces and FCDO families from a much wider range of schools today.
In 2023, 514 children were receiving the FCDO equivalent of CEA for boarding school education, whereas from the armed forces the number was 4,210. Taken together, this is a signi cant segment of UK-born children at British boarding schools, the overall numbers of which have been declining. They represent a welcome source of pupils for our schools, therefore.
Challenging process
However, for parents, the process of applying for CEA can be challenging, complex and time-consuming. Thus, rather than relying on the ‘guidance’ that the FCDO or Ministry of Defence provide, many military parents look to the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) and commercial providers such as Panoba, Anderson Education and the Claire Calder Consultancy to give them advice. This is particularly important for armed forces families because, once a decision is made, the Ministry of Defence makes it quite challenging for parents to change their child’s school.
Changing times and attitudes
Many who qualify for CEA do not take it up. Many FCDO parents are located in capital cities or other large population centres. These often have British or international schools. Therefore, having one’s children educated ‘in country’ has become more straightforward, aided by policies of slightly longer placements for families. Additionally, FCDO sta have become either more modern or more ‘woke’, depending on one’s view, and this has mitigated against what they might describe as ‘sending your children away’ to boarding school. This is, perhaps, a less identi able outlook within the armed forces, but they are not immune either to changing attitudes to boarding.
Furthermore, although willingness to be redeployed (as well as actually being redeployed) is an acceptable criterion – sometimes – for military personnel to qualify for the CEA, there are signi cantly fewer settled overseas bases for military
families to go to. And even more important than the changing nature of the military is the simple fact that there are far fewer full-time people in our armed forces: 147,000 in 2025 versus 326,000 in 1985.
Notwithstanding these reductions and social changes, it is very clear that schools are chasing military family boarders like never before. Beyond the personal qualities of the children, there is a straightforward desire to be supportive of our armed forces amongst our schools. However, there are sometimes other factors at play.
Valuable cohort
Boarding schools have a far higher proportion of overseas pupils than ever before. Their parents are looking for a classic British boarding school experience to some extent or another. Who could be more classically British than the children of UK armed forces personnel? Who – and this is crucial – are also the cohort most likely to be around at weekends, as the rest of the weekly and exi-boarding British students empty out? That said, those schools supporting military families I have spoken to are wary of armed forces children being used in this way, however, because they too need a vibrant boarding environment at the weekends. Furthermore, a school chasing boarders from an international wealthy elite can also be of concern to military families; in terms of atmosphere and also the risk of such a school having una ordable fees, way beyond what is covered by CEA.
… schools are chasing military family boarders like never before.
Affordability
The a ordability challenge versus the desire to attract boarders from military families can be seen in the increasingly common o er of ‘CEA plus 10%’. This o er ensures that even if a particular school’s published boarding fee far exceeds CEA, it is still an a ordable prospect to as wide a range of military families as possible. Putting VAT to one side, whether this divergence between full fees and CEA is down to fee in ation or the MoD not funding its provision properly is debatable.
In an increasingly uncertain and dividing world, there may be fewer overseas boarders from some sizeable parts of the world in future. The presence of – and support for –children of military families attending boarding school is, therefore, a counterweight to excessive reliance on these sources of pupils. However, whether the much talked about increase in defence expenditure – in response to this more dangerous world – actually happens is questionable, notwithstanding the inadequacy of support for the armed forces that has recently been revealed in the Mediterranean. Even if an increase in defence spending happens, would it lead to signi cantly higher numbers of personnel across the branches of the armed forces? Even then, would such an increase in military personnel lead to signi cantly more children qualifying for CEA and attending boarding school? It somehow seems hard to believe that it would.
What is clear, though, is that schools that have the children of military personnel attending them consider them to be a precious asset. They are right to do so. Indeed, all those who support independent education and seek to assert its relevance to wider society should do likewise. ●
ANDREW LEWER MBE is an independent school governor and works with a number of independent education businesses. As an MP, he founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Independent Education 2017-24.
HOW SCHOOLS CAN PREPARE FOR THE NEW OXFORD TESTING FRAMEWORK
The University of Oxford has recently made a signi cant shift in its undergraduate admissions process by scrapping its individualised entrance tests. For the 2026/27 cycle and beyond, legacy subject-speci c exams such as the MAT and PAT will be replaced by the TMUA (Mathematics) and the ESAT (Engineering and Science), alongside the introduction of the TARA (Academic Reasoning), a new digital assessment for several highly competitive humanities and social science courses.
For many independent schools, these exams are not entirely unfamiliar; departments have long prepared Cambridge applicants for these speci c assessments. However, the shift remains signi cant for Oxford-bound pupils who must now pivot to a di erent testing
style. Unlike their predecessors, which bene ted from decades of past papers, these new computerbased exams o er limited historical data. The format and the speci c skills being assessed have evolved, requiring a more agile approach to student support.
Because UAT-UK tests are designed to di erentiate between the highestachieving candidates in a global eld, marginal score di erences can have a disproportionate impact on shortlisting. To ensure pupils remain competitive, schools must ensure their internal tutoring and structures are calibrated to these new digital benchmarks.
At Crimson Education, our strategy is informed by years of experience with these exact testing models at Cambridge
1,492
3,280
and Imperial. Our mentors and tutors provide the most up-to-date, data-driven preparation for these exams, ensuring that students are equipped with the speci c reasoning skills demanded. By aligning with expert insights, schools can navigate this transition with con dence. ●
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– IN CONVERSATION WITH –
Melanie Bushell
Melanie has held senior roles in fundraising, marketing and communications, with 30 years of experience in the charitable and education sectors.
Melanie rst explored a role in development in the late 1990s at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Moving to London, she worked in marketing and communication roles for the Cadet Forces from 2001-2013. As Director of Development at The Portsmouth Grammar School for ten years, Melanie found her professional home in the independent school sector: “It brought together everything else I’d done. Looking back, I’d always been interested in education and opportunities for young people, opportunities that I didn’t have.”
Melanie’s commitment to development in the education sector has most recently taken her to Winchester College, where she has been Director of Development for three years. Melanie is also Chair of the Board of Trustees for IDPE.
MELANIE BUSHELL
Zoe MacDougall talks to Melanie Bushell about her dual role as Director of Development at Winchester College and Chair of IDPE at a time when VAT on fees has thrown a spotlight on alternative income streams as never before.
As Chair of the Board of Trustees for IDPE, Melanie Bushell is in a perfect position to highlight the challenges and opportunities experienced by development professionals in the independent school sector.
What is IDPE?
Established in 1999, IDPE is the professional organisation for people working in development in education, primarily but not exclusively in the UK. Membership includes schools in the maintained and independent sectors. Its function is to unite development professionals, provide training and networking opportunities, raise awareness of development in the education sector and present benchmarking data in an annual report much valued by its members.
Networking opportunities for development professionals
IDPE has a regional structure and branches hold regional meetings twice a year. Additionally, the national Annual Conference in
May is very well attended. Melanie acknowledges that “One of the strongest bene ts of IDPE is the networking opportunities it o ers. In development, we’re not competing with each other in the way that is sometimes inevitable for schools’ marketing and admissions professionals. Members can nd out about lots of brilliant things going on in other schools across the country.” IDPE provides a listening, supportive community that’s readily available to all.
Training for school leaders
IDPE o ers training courses for development professionals, including a popular ‘New to Development’ course, which Melanie completed in her early days at The Portsmouth Grammar School, as a means of meeting others in the eld. Signi cantly, IDPE also o ers development support for school leaders, including: courses for Headteachers and bursars designed to fast-track them to set up and lead e ective professional fundraising programmes. The ‘Fundraising for Governors Support Service’
provides access to tailored guidance designed to empower governing bodies to enhance their school’s fundraising potential.
As Melanie relates, “Increasingly, development is on the front page of a Head’s job description, rather than buried somewhere near the end.” The role of school leaders in development represents a signi cant shift in awareness, driven in part by the increasing importance of fundraising as an income stream. With the pressure on independent school nances as a result of changes to VAT on fees, business rates and National Insurance increases, something has to change. As Melanie admits, “Schools can’t just pile more fees onto parents”. Assessing the current climate, she sees philanthropy as a signi cant player in the future of school nance: “In the UK, independent schools are reliant on fees for 98% of their income. In the US, income from fees is 65%. Philanthropy has been part of the culture in American independent schools for much longer. That’s the direction of travel we’re looking at.”
Building revenue by raising awareness
To build up a philanthropic revenue stream, school leaders need to raise awareness of development with stakeholders throughout the community. Melanie explains why this matters and
how to achieve it: “A development o ce can’t operate as a stand-alone function. Donors want to know about everything that’s happening in a school. When decisions are being made at a board level, you want fundraising and the experience of the donor to be in the mix, so it’s really important that you have governors who understand development as well.
“Whatever fundraising you want to do, it needs to be fully aligned with the vision and strategy of the school. When the school is making plans, it needs to consider what role philanthropy might play. There will always be donor opportunities when there are new buildings, bursary schemes and outreach programmes.”
In fact, published in 2025, the IDPE Fundraising Futures report makes clear six factors for fundraising success, all of which relate to leadership and governance: active leadership, coherent strategy, sustained investment, consistent engagement, philanthropic culture and demonstrable success.
Benchmarking
The IDPE’s Schools’ Benchmarking Report, published every year, is a signi cant bene t to members. It provides data about philanthropic income from donations, pledges and legacies, development activity, sta resourcing, expenditure and the level of engagement with development from school leaders.
Members are strongly encouraged to engage with the survey, after which the ensuing data is analysed independently. IDPE, alongside an advisory board, then put together the Benchmarking Report.
As Melanie suggests, “The Benchmarking Report data can guide strategic planning. It can be used to demonstrate to school leaders that development isn’t a quick x – it takes time – but it does bear fruit.” There’s strength in numbers, as IDPE members know well. The connections, shared experiences, vision and practical support o ered by IDPE are hugely bene cial to school development o ces nationwide and beyond.
Director of Development at Winchester College
Established in 1382, Winchester College has the longest continuous history of any school in England. For the rst 640 years its pupil intake was all boys, all of whom attended as full-time boarders. In 2021, the College announced a new vision, recognising the importance of bursaries and deciding to admit girls in the Sixth Form, as day pupils from 2022 and as boarders from September 2026.
Winchester’s Development O ce is resourced by the equivalent of seven fulltime members of sta , covering alumni relations, fundraising, legacies, events and communications. Melanie takes particular
Above: Winchester is home to Europe’s largest private War Memorial and raised over £1 million in 2024 for a centenary conservation project.
responsibility for major donor fundraising.
Warmly, Melanie describes what she loves most about her job as Director of Development: “Fundraising is about relationships. I love meeting new people, nding out what makes them tick, developing my relationship with them, trying to understand where they’re coming from and what they would like to achieve through their philanthropy. Development is like a puzzle, putting together what we need with what the donor wants to achieve and trying to nd the middle ground.
“At Winchester, I love the international aspect – about 20% of our pupils are from overseas. We receive donations from over 30 countries annually! A lot of my major donors are from overseas, people I’m dealing with on a regular basis and understanding them and their context –I get a real buzz out of that.”
Development opportunities
Speaking about her role at Winchester, Melanie is very clear that “for fundraising to be successful, it needs to be part of the school’s DNA”. Development needs to resonate at di erent levels, for di erent people across diverse stakeholders in the school community. Her stories about her experiences exemplify her aims.
Giving Day
A big biennial push, Giving Day encourages the whole school to acknowledge philanthropy: “Our aim is to get people to donate for the rst time, with a one-o gift. That rst donation is our biggest challenge, it’s far easier to encourage people to donate once they have done so before.
“Sometimes Giving Day prompts donations from current pupils. In 2022, our Giving Day rounded o the sports centre campaign. We incentivised pupils by promising pizza to the boarding house, including its parents and alumni, which got the highest number of donations, with a minimum donation of ve pounds. They loved that! We also pledged to put all donors’ names on the wall in the sports centre – the balustrade on the staircase has over 500 names on it.”
Relationships
Melanie recognises that relationships are the beating heart of fundraising. She describes how these relationships work: “People outside of fundraising say to me, I could never ask anyone for money. And I say, ‘you would be surprised at how rarely I ever actually ask anyone for money’. With current parents, the maximum time I’ll have to get to know them is ve years, even less for Sixth Form parents.
“I start the process with some research, working out who might be interested in philanthropy. Then I get in touch and suggest a co ee, where we can get to know each other. If they say yes at this stage, then the door is open. They know what my job is! So then they tend to volunteer further information and we take things forward together.”
Alumni
A very signi cant percentage of donors are past pupils of the school. Old Wykehamists are connected through the Winchester College Society with current pupils and with each other in a meaningful way through the Development O ce.
Melanie describes how these connections are nurtured: “Volunteering opportunities for younger alumni is a way for them to start making a contribution before they hit that stage in life when they might be able to contribute nancially. We invite alumni who are currently at university, and who are in the early stages of their careers, to talk to our
Above: The Headmaster’s weekly reading hour with rst year pupils.
current students about their experiences.
“The development dream is to get someone donating at a young age who then stays with us. Something our development o ce has worked on in the last few years is to get to know our pupils whilst they’re in the Sixth Form. We have a messaging platform for Sixth Formers to contact alumni directly to ask questions about universities. I go to lunch in di erent boarding houses a couple of times a week; when I sit down with pupils who don’t know me they’ll ask me about my job and I talk to them about alumni opportunities. It’s the beginning of a relationship”.
In conversation with Melanie Bushell, the impact of meaningful, productive development in independent schools is clear to see. It’s inarguable that the sector is currently facing political and nancial pressures. Perhaps now is the time for development o ces to illuminate a way forward through a whole-school approach to philanthropy. ●
ZOE MACDOUGALL is an educational commentator with extensive teaching experience in both the maintained and the independent sectors.
LEADERS NEED TO THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT HOW THEY MODEL LEADERSHIP
Dr Jill Berry discusses the approach to leadership which she believes will be most e ecti e in a time of man challenges
Sparking debate and conversation in girls’ schools, The Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) sat down with Dr Jill Berry to get her views on the vital importance of continued professional development for colleagues, particularly at times of challenge. Read the full
interview on the GSA website: gsa.uk.com/category/opinion/
Q“Since I left headship, after ten ful lling years in a girls’ independent day school, I have refocussed my professional activity on supporting the development and learning of aspiring and serving leaders at all levels. I am committed to the belief that if we want our students, and our sta (teaching and support sta ) to ourish in strong schools, then valuing them, investing in them and developing them is key.”
always to value, invest in and develop those with whom and through whom they work in order to o er the students the best possible education and care.”
QWhere is leadership talent most at risk of being lost in schools?
“I work with aspiring and serving middle and senior leaders, and heads, and meet so many impressive individuals who are responsive, keen to learn and eager to embrace the next professional challenge. It gives me hope for the future!
“Leaders need to think carefully about how they model leadership and ensure that those who may aspire to leadership in the future see the rewards and the potential for joy in leadership, not just the stresses and the pressure.”
Do girls’ schools require a di erent kind of leadership right now?
“Girls’ schools require the strong leadership they have always needed – at all levels. Middle leaders, senior leaders, headteachers and leaders of groups of schools working with governing bodies and the whole school community can establish clear vision and values, underpinned by sound judgement and secure knowledge of their context, building the most positive relationships founded on mutual respect and compassion. E ective communication is key; collaboration makes us stronger, and leaders need
QIf girls’ schools want to grow the next generation of con dent, ethical and bold leaders, what should they stop doing – and what should they start to do?
“When schools are addressing nancial pressures, they need to ensure that they are targeting resources as e ectively as possible and investing in the future. When I hear of schools dramatically reducing the budget for the professional learning and development of sta , it alarms me. That’s what I would stop.
“In terms of what they should start, I would say it’s about continuing what is working well. I’m a great fan of Appreciative Inquiry, a credit, rather than a de cit, model of improvement which maintains that if we want to make things better, we should focus on the ‘bright spots’ - in other words what is working well, what can we learn from it, and how can we do more of it – rather than obsessing about what is broken and how we can x it.” ●
DR JILL BERRY taught for ears across si di erent schools in the oth state and independent he was resident in ince she has completed a doctorate researching the transition to headship and written a ing the eap o ing from eput to ead rown ouse he has also pu lished four no els
PRACTISING WHAT WE PREACH SHOWING RESILIENCE AS A SECTOR
One year on from the introduction of VAT on school fees, the Boarding Schools’ ssociation re ects on a sector tempered tested, but ultimately resilient in response
It’s been a year like no other. Schools across the country have navigated a complex and often emotionally charged period which has reshaped conversations about access, a ordability and the future of independent education. While the policy shift was signi cant, what stands out most clearly is not disruption, but determination.
Adaptability
The past 12 months have demanded adaptability. Schools have had to rethink nancial planning, revisit bursary strategies and communicate more transparently than ever with families. For many institutions, this meant making di cult choices while holding rm to core values. The introduction of VAT was never going to be just an accounting change – it touched the human side of school life. Parents worried about a ordability, pupils worried about stability and sta worried about sustainability. Whilst schools have been required to act fast at times, the response has also been measured, thoughtful and rooted in responsibility.
What has emerged is a stronger culture of collaboration. Schools are no longer operating in isolation but sharing solutions, data and best practice through sector networks. This collective approach has helped schools avoid fragmentation and instead move forward with a sense of shared purpose. In a
… boarding schools have used this moment to rearticulate their value proposition.
time when it would have been easy to retreat into institutional self-preservation, the sector has chosen solidarity. According to VWV, transactions between independent schools have increased
substantially in the last year, supporting the view that consolidation is increasing within the sector.
Evolution
… a complex and often emotionally charged period …
Resilience, however, is not just about survival – it is about evolution. Many boarding schools have used this moment to rearticulate their value proposition. The conversation has shifted beyond fees to focus on outcomes: pastoral care, holistic education, global outlook and the unique stability that boarding environments can o er. Schools are increasingly telling their stories better, clarifying not just what they cost, but what they contribute to young people’s lives and futures.
Importantly, this year has also prompted deeper re ection on inclusion and access. VAT has intensi ed existing conversations around bursaries and widening participation, and many schools are responding by strengthening support structures and rethinking funding models. While challenges remain, there is a growing recognition that long-term resilience must be rooted in fairness, diversity and social responsibility – not just nancial viability.
Resolve
Resilience is rarely neat or immediate. It is built through steady leadership, clear values and the willingness to adapt without losing identity. One year on, the boarding school sector has demonstrated all three.
To ‘practice what we preach’ has always been about more than resilience as a buzzword. Boarding schools talk about character, perseverance and adaptability every day in their educational mission. This past year has required the sector itself to embody those same qualities.
The story of the past year is not one of retreat, but of resolve. The sector stands changed, yes – but also more connected and self-aware. And that may prove to be one of the most valuable outcomes of all. ●
DAVID WALKER is irector
AN AGILE, SECTOR-AWARE APPROACH TO GOVERNANCE SUPPORT
For bursars, clerks and governors, e ective governance is no longer simply about compliance. It is about judgement, foresight and con dence in decision-making, underpinned by a clear understanding of regulatory expectations, sector practice and the individual context of each school. This is where AGBIS has deliberately positioned its work: providing bespoke, agile and up-to-date support that re ects the realities of independent schools in the UK and internationally.
At the heart of AGBIS’s approach is a clear recognition that one size does not t all. Governance structures, board cultures and strategic pressures vary signi cantly between schools. As set out in successive editions of Principles of Good Governance in Independent Schools, AGBIS focuses on supporting boards in ways that are practical, proportionate and rooted in real school experience rather than abstract theory.
... e ective governance is no longer simply about compliance.
Training
that responds to need, not just requirement
AGBIS training is designed around the realities faced by governors, clerks and senior leaders. While safeguarding remains the only area with explicit statutory training expectations, AGBIS has consistently highlighted the importance of best practice beyond compliance, including governance e ectiveness, committee working, trustee responsibilities and strategic oversight.
HOW AGBIS WORKS WITH INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Alex Mitchell considers the training and support which AGBIS provides for governance teams at a time when good judgement and clear foresight are essential attributes.
Training is delivered through a deliberately exible mix of formats: online webinars, e-learning modules, brie ngs, conferences and bespoke onsite sessions. This allows boards to engage at the right depth and pace, whether inducting new governors, supporting clerks in their professional role, or developing chairs and committee leaders. Regular updates ensure content remains aligned with changes to statutory guidance, inspection frameworks and sector expectations.
Reviews of governance that are supportive and constructive
AGBIS Reviews of Governance are not inspections, nor are they generic audits. They are structured, con dential reviews that help boards re ect on how e ectively they are operating against recognised principles of good governance. Drawing on deep sector knowledge, these reviews consider composition, culture, clarity of roles, committee e ectiveness and the quality of strategic oversight.
Crucially, the emphasis is on support and improvement. Feedback is practical and proportionate, helping boards identify strengths as well as areas for development, and enabling chairs, clerks and senior leaders to prioritise next steps with con dence.
Advice and support when it matters
One of AGBIS’s most valued services is its ongoing advice and support. Clerks,
bursars, Heads and governors can access timely guidance via telephone and email, enabling them to sense check decisions, respond to emerging issues or navigate unfamiliar territory. This is complemented by member resources, brie ngs, regular communications and topical updates that keep boards informed in a fast-moving environment.
International perspective, sector credibility
AGBIS’s work with schools beyond the UK brings an additional dimension. While regulatory frameworks di er, the principles of good governance are consistent. AGBIS’s sector-aware approach enables it to adapt advice and training appropriately, ensuring relevance while maintaining high standards.
For bursars, clerks and governors seeking governance support that is informed, exible and rooted in real school experience, AGBIS o ers more than services: it o ers partnership. Through bespoke training, thoughtful reviews and responsive advice, AGBIS helps boards govern with clarity, con dence and purpose. ●
ALEX MITCHELL is Head of Consultancy and International at AGBIS. For further information, or to re uest a confidential chat please contact Alex at: consultancy@agbis.org.uk
WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?
Acknowledging the constant time pressures faced by colleagues, in this article Oliver Smith urges marketing and admissions teams to work smarter by adopting new technolog and re ects on the lessons our schools can learn from businesses facing many of the same challenges.
At every event AMCIS has hosted over the past nine months we’ve asked the question of our marketing and admissions audience: ‘What is the biggest challenge you face right now?’ Every time the loudest response is ‘time’.
Learning from business
We know that independent schools are facing a period of signi cant change – nancial, structural and behavioural. The pressures now reshaping the sector are mirrored across businesses in other markets.
To survive and thrive, how can schools solve the challenge of time and learn from other businesses?
… those professionals who have a growth mindset are open to change, and ready to learn from others …
Net ix demonstrates that equipping employees with trust, autonomy and resources leads to innovation and quickly adapting to change.
Toyota empowers teams with the tools, the skills and autonomy to improve their own roles.
John Lewis Partnership (always close to my heart) empowers ‘Partners’ with a meaningful stake and say in the business.
Investing in your people
Business theory consistently evidences that teams succeed when leaders invest in people and the infrastructure required to thrive. So, for independent schools, this means leaders should:
• resource marketing and admissions teams properly with people, tech and training
• o er a strategic seat at the table to marketing and admissions so that the revenue generators can in uence outcomes – it has been said many times!
• encourage creativity and a safe space where occasionally getting it wrong is okay.
In equal measure, marketing and admissions colleagues themselves should strive to tackle the challenges and embrace change by:
• getting to know the potential of your systems because it will probably do what you want it to do, if you ask nicely
• pushing yourself out of your comfort zone with AI and other forms of technology
• digging into your data to evidence what activity is working and what is not – this could be your route to a bigger budget!
The evidence points towards outperforming schools as those that empower marketing and admissions departments rather than treating them as administrative units. And those professionals who have a growth mindset, are open to change and ready to learn from others, can be the driving force for success in our sector.
Benchmarking
I’m keen to see what this year’s Con dence Index brings. A benchmarking survey delivered by MTM Consulting in partnership with AMCIS, the Index gets beneath the skin of how con dent marketing and development sta are within our sector. This year’s ndings will be revealed at the AMCIS Annual Conference and will no doubt be an interesting insight into whether time remains an issue – I have no doubt it will – and the opportunities that lie ahead for us all.
Solving the challenge of time is not easily done, but the independent schools that will thrive in the next decade will be those whose leaders and teams adopt a business-savvy, human-centred approach which is grounded in data, aligned with family expectations and is nancially agile and deeply committed to empowerment. ●
OLIVER
SMITH is CEO of AMCIS, the association for admissions, marketing & communications in independent schools. amcis.co.uk
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT FOR A CHANGING SCHOOL LANDSCAPE
ith financial sustaina ilit a e issue within schools Louise Bennett e plores how the nnual onference will help de elopment professionals plan with confidence for the long term
For many schools, 2026 is a year of recalibration – from understanding the long-term implications of VAT on fees to adapting to evolving parental expectations, shifting donor behaviour and wider economic pressures. In a period of accelerated change across the independent schools’ sector, strategic clarity has never been more important.
That’s why the IDPE 2026 Annual Conference, taking place 18-19 May 2026 at the Telford International Centre, brings together schools’ development professionals to re ect, learn and plan for the future.
Featuring more than 60 sessions led by expert speakers, the conference is the UK’s only dedicated gathering for schools’ development professionals.
A coherent strategy is fundamental to fundraising success
A fundraising strategy aligned with a school’s overarching vision is essential for sustainable growth and long-term success. Schools that integrate development objectives within institutional strategy are better positioned to engage stakeholders, strengthen philanthropic culture and respond con dently to sector challenges.
Yet achieving this alignment is not always straightforward.
Fundraising for today –and tomorrow: navigating leadership expectations
As schools respond to new financial pressures, development teams
are increasingly asked to balance immediate priorities with longerterm relationship building.
Positioning fundraising as a strategic investment, rather than a short-term solution, remains a key leadership challenge.
Ahead of the main conference, a Sunday Leadership Forum for senior development professionals will explore this in depth, including rst-hand insight into a Head’s perspective on development leadership and institutional expectations. Delegates will then work with peers to consider how to align leadership understanding with fundraising reality – advocating for the time, investment and support required to build sustainable income while demonstrating progress and momentum.
ro re ection to implementation
This year’s conference encourages delegates to step back, see the bigger picture and translate learning into practical changes that strengthen strategic impact. Highlights from this year’s programme include:
• Work smarter: practical approaches to stretching budgets and using AI to improve e ciency.
• Lead through change: navigating VAT implications, mergers and acquisitions with con dence.
• Unlock new perspectives: learning from charities, universities and peer schools to inform stronger strategic planning.
The power of major giving IDPE benchmarking consistently shows that schools achieving the strongest fundraising outcomes prioritise major donor engagement.
Drawing on ndings from the IDPE 2026 Benchmarking Survey alongside trends emerging from philanthropy in higher education, the conference plenary will explore the evolution of major giving, year-on-year donor trends and what schools can learn from both peers and the wider sector.
Developing strategy through shared experience
Strategy is rarely developed in isolation. A new Independent Schools’ Forum will provide a dedicated space for leaders and development teams to explore shared sector challenges, particularly in the context of VAT on school fees.
Building on learning from across the two-day conference, participants will consider how to strengthen their development programmes within a post-VAT landscape, returning to their schools with practical, evidenceinformed plans.
A conference designed to support strategic progress
This year’s conference places an even greater emphasis on helping leaders plan with con dence for the long term. Delegates consistently tell us they leave the annual IDPE Conference with notebooks full of ideas and renewed clarity about their next strategic steps – join us to shape the next phase of development at your school. ●
