Area Committees and Meetings
Membership of ISA automatically brings you and your school into a network of colleagues in your area – something that our Members value highly.
ISA consists of seven regional Areas. There is an Area Coordinator for each region who provides support and advice to new and existing Members. Each Area is run by a committee of ISA Heads and teachers, and runs its own activities, sports events, meetings and professional development. Wherever your school is located, ISA is a close and supportive presence, ready to share knowledge and experience.
Click on the areas for details of each Area Committee, together with information on forthcoming events and meeting dates and times.
For contact details of an individual Trustee, just click on their name. (You need to be logged in to the website.)
The East also has a Regional Ambassador who offers help and support to members.
Future Meetings:
Friday 16 May at 10.30am - the meeting will take place via Zoom.
Sports Area Meeting - Monday 06 June 2025. To be held at Woodlands Hutton Manor School 428 Rayleigh Road Brentwood CM13 1SD
Time: 1.45pm to 3.30pm
East Area Conference - Tuesday 07 October 2025 Venue - Ursuline Preparatory School Old Great Ropers Great Ropers Lane Warley Essex CM13 3JW
Speakes to include:
Debbie Hanson
Debbie Hanson is a Specialist Dyslexia Teacher, Diagnostic Assessor, and Headteacher of Clarity Independent School. She is passionate about supporting children with a range of special educational needs and disabilities, including autism, ADHD, and social, emotional, and mental health difficulties, helping them reach their potential both academically and personally. With over 19 years in education—17 of which have been dedicated to SEND—she has taught and assessed hundreds of children and young people with additional needs. In 2019, she opened her own SEND school. Outside of work, she enjoys countryside walks with her husband and cocker spaniel, reading, and spending time on the ocean…
This session will equip headteachers with essential knowledge on dyslexia, including how to identify it, its impact on learning and wellbeing, and effective strategies for creating a dyslexia-friendly school. Practical interventions, whole-school approaches, and a Q&A discussion will ensure attendees leave with actionable insights.
Dr Kathy Weston (founder of Tooled Up Education)
Dr Weston is one of the leading national experts on parenting and parental engagement in children's lives. In 2018, she established Tooled Up Education, a holistic bank of evidence-based resources for whole-school communities on all aspects of parenting, family life and education. Tooled Up now supports 130 schools in 7 countries. Kathy believes that 'there is an instruction manual for parenting' (the research evidence) and believes that children are most likely to thrive when there is a strong partnership between home and school. Kathy holds a Law degree as well as a Masters and PhD (from Cambridge University). She is originally from Northern Ireland and is a parent to two teenage boys.
Kathy will speak on Evidence-Based Approaches for Supporting Pupils' Mental Health, Wellbeing and Resilience. In this talk, Dr Weston will share her very best tips and strategies that educators can take back into their setting and easily apply when supporting pupils and their families. She will cover a broad range of topics including: anxiety, school avoidance, resilience to losing, managing meltdowns, inclusive classrooms, the importance of developing emotional literacy in schools and touch upon children's relationship with the digital world. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions.
Kate Longworth
Kate Longworth is the CEO of Gaia Learning, a personalised online learning platform designed to support neurodivergent young people, helping them flourish both academically and emotionally. Kate will speak about supporting neurodivergent learners including inclusive classrooms and personalised learning pathways.