Autumn Study Conference 2024

Will Cardwell

Will is the MD of Imago, a high quality school and nursery photography and videography company that is dedicated to providing the best images and service in the industry.

Will started work in the city but whilst doing an MBA he decided to quit finance and start a sports photography business. Imago was founded shortly after. In 2010, Imago started photographing Schools in order to provide better quality images, at sensible prices. It now works with over 500 schools providing individual, group and whole school images, as well as marketing photography and videography.

We believe that schools do not need to spend a large amount of their marketing budgets on contracted photographers. With some direction, practice, and a post-production service, we believe a dedicated member of the school staff can produce the images that the school needs. These images can be used for their marketing material, but also for social media in order to improve engagement between current and prospective parents.

Abdul Chohan

Abdul Chohan, a visionary educator with over 25 years of experience, has served as a headteacher, CEO of a Multi Academy Trust in the UK, and is currently the Vice President of Learning at Showbie. As an Apple Professional Learning Specialist and founder of a free school in the UK, Abdul has been at the forefront of transforming digital learning strategies since 2012, inspiring thousands of educators globally. His approach emphasises a shift from technology-led to pedagogically-led digital strategies, challenging educational leaders to place teaching and learning at the core of their digital initiatives.

Abdul's expertise lies in coaching educational leaders to help them craft digital strategy with pedagogical intent. This approach has been led by integrating research-based practices with simple, reliable tools. His work establishes a foundation for consistent, high-quality education by emphasising key pedagogical components: direct instruction, independent practice, feedback, and assessment. This approach has significantly reshaped how learning communities in the UK and abroad approach education in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Richard Dunne

Richard is Founder and Director of The Harmony Project - https://www.theharmonyproject.org.uk – an education charity working with schools and educators in the UK and around the world to help them develop a new way of learning that puts sustainability and nature at the heart of the curriculum.

The Harmony Project’s approach to learning brings together subject specific skills and knowledge around project-based enquiries that take the learning beyond the classroom and apply it to the real world.  The approach is informed by what are called principles of Harmony, principles of nature such as cycles, diversity and adaptation.  The Harmony curriculum is wholly National Curriculum compliant.

Richard was a headteacher for 18 years and developed this way of learning in his previous role as headteacher of an Outstanding School.  He now shares the Harmony approach across the education sector nationally and globally through presentations, workshops and school support programmes.  He has written a teachers’ guide to enable teachers and educators to integrate Harmony principles into their curriculum in ways that bring learning to life.  He also works with schools to help them to be smarter and more sustainable in their practices.

[email protected]

Rachel Hadley-Leonard

Rachel has over thirty years’ experience in independent schools’ marketing, admissions and development, gained in the education sector, and also within charities and commercial organisations.

Rachel offers a wealth of qualified marketing  and development expertise gained through a variety of  roles within the sector, field specific study, and experience at Board Director level, the latter with AMCIS for six years, two of which as Co-Chair. Rachel is an IAPS consultant. She teaches on the AMCIS Diploma course, and runs training in Marketing and Development for professional membership bodies including AMCIS, ISBA, IAPS, ISA, AGBIS and  IDPE.

Rachel works with schools to ensure financial growth, improved stakeholder relations and increased pupil numbers. She has particular experience in the Prep School sector, but also works with Senior, all-through and International schools. Her strengths lie in the areas of strategy, audits, research, and development start-ups.

MAD Recruitment is a further service offered by RHLConsulting, supporting schools with the recruitment of senior level Marketing, Admissions and Development professions.

Rachel is an experienced mentor working with ‘new to career’ and ‘new to role’ colleagues, helping them to achieve their own professional goals. Rachel was for many years a judge for the TES Independent School Awards as Marketing lead judge, and is currently a global InspirED marketing and fundraising awards judge. She has been an independent school Governor, writes for educational media, and is a regular conference speaker.

Andrew Hampton

Andrew is a former Chair of ISA and former director of ISI. He has trained aspirant and new Headteachers in the independent sector using the popular “Leading an Independent School’ online course for the last 10 years and his particular focus has been on finance and governance. Andrew stepped down from the Headship of the multi-award winning Thorpe Hall School in July ‘21 after 14 years in post. At Thorpe Hall he built up the pupil roll from 300 to 411, and garnered funds for projects worth over £4m during his tenure.

Laura Knight

Laura Knight, Founder of Sapio Ltd, specialises in digital strategy and innovation. Previously, she served as Director of Digital Learning at Berkhamsted School for over a decade. With two decades of teaching experience across both maintained and independent sectors, Laura excels in strategic technology development for teaching and learning, 1-1 devices, AI, digital skills training, and online safeguarding.

As a disruptive thinker, international keynote speaker, and coach, Laura empowers leaders in schools, universities, and commercial organisations. Leveraging technology, she transforms outcomes, systems, and teams. Her upcoming book, The Little Guide for Teachers on Generative AI, will be published by Sage this autumn.

Laura contributes to advisory boards, including EDUtech Europe, the Good Future Foundation, and the Independent Schools Council Digital Advisory Group. She also advises international governments, edtech companies, groups of schools and leadership associations on digital strategy and educational policy and providing training and insights for the education sector.

Yasmina Koné

Yasmina is Deputy Lead of Hemisphere Education, an innovative brain-training platform disrupting bias and improving racial literacy in schools. She’s driving the adoption of Hemisphere across the UK, building partnerships with leading schools, education partnerships and MATs to change outcomes for diverse pupils. Prior to Hemisphere, Yasmina led multi-award-winning teams at market-leading companies including one of London’s top 10 start-ups, Beam, and Magic Circle law firm Clifford Chance. Her work to open access to opportunity and create meaningful social impact has seen her feature in the BBC, The Lawyer, and Black Tech Fest. She combines strategic acumen with a commitment to social justice and is passionate about the role that the education sector plays in creating a more inclusive society.  

Kate Lexén

Kate is Director of Services at Tender, overseeing the delivery of all the charity’s work across Schools and Youth Settings and Adult Services and supporting the charity’s governance as part of the Senior Leadership Team. She has worked at Tender since 2015, first within the delivery team managing projects in schools and youth settings, and for the last 6 years in a senior leadership role. Kate also has extensive experience delivering direct work with children and young people, having been a workshop facilitator for almost a decade before joining the charity sector. She graduated from the University of Exeter with a BA in Drama, specialising in Applied Drama, and more recently became a Clore Social Fellow, having completed a year-long Leadership Programme for Emerging Leaders in the Women and Girls sector.

John Murphie

Chief Operating Officer ISBA

John has been with ISBA since February 2017.  He is responsible the internal organisation of a (now) virtual Association, the expanding number of outputs to members, the provision of training and oversees the advice and guidance service to schools. 

John spent 31 years in the Royal Navy, retiring, as a Captain, in 2007.  Since then, he has worked as the Chapter Clerk in Portsmouth Cathedral, managed a Barristers' Chambers in London and been Bursar in two schools before joining ISBA. 

Kathy Potter

Kathy is a partner in the Oxford office and head of the corporate tax team, advising on the tax position for corporate acquisitions and disposals, reorganisations and restructurings, and corporate finance. Her role includes assisting individuals on tax efficient investments, such as EIS and SEIS, and providing tax structuring advice for a planned exit including advising on the availability of Business Asset Disposal Relief. She also provides guidance to clients on the VAT and SDLT implications of property transactions, including advising on the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS).

A specialist in share incentives, with a particular focus on life sciences, technology and other high growth companies, Kathy is a member of life science network OBN’s Investment and Tax Special Interest Group. Her share incentive expertise includes tax-approved EMI and CSOP schemes, but she also regularly advises on option grants to NEDs and consultants, dealing with cross-border incentives, especially involving the US. 

Kathy has significant experience in the taxation of remuneration and termination packages, including IR35 issues, employee incentives, comprising both approved and unapproved share schemes, and advising on the tax issues surrounding issuing shares to employees and directors. She has also assisted in the Worked Example Group’s recent discussions with HMRC to agree a development company valuation example which now appears in HMRC’s Shares and Assets Valuation Manual.

Dai Preston

Dai Preston is Headteacher of Arnold Lodge School (a co-educational independent all-through day school for pupils aged 4-18) and Executive Headteacher of Stratford Preparatory School (a co-educational Preparatory School for pupils aged 2-11). Dai has been Headteacher of Arnold Lodge since 2016 and, in that time, the school has grown from 164 pupils to 480 (and is now at maximum capacity). Dai is also an ISA Director and a Team Inspector with ISI.

Ben Rawlings

Disney Theatrical Teaching Artists are musical theatre professionals and educators. They run Disney’s preshow workshops as well as initiatives in schools, teacher CPD and public facing workshop sessions. Ben is also a performer and creator.

Liz Robinson

Liz is a school and system leader, passionate about asking bigger questions about what school can or should be about and working with others to make that a reality. Liz began her headship back in 2006, and leads from a clear vision of education which acknowledges the reality of children as ‘whole beings’ with multifaceted needs and capabilities, who live within families and communities. She has worked throughout her career to design school practices which embrace this truth and avoid simplistic or reductive assumptions and approaches.

Liz is the co-founder and CEO of Big Education, a Multi-academy Trust running schools in underserved communities in inner London. Liz and the team are seeking to act as change makers in the wider system by modelling practices which embody ‘a big education’ - an education of the ‘heart, head, and hand’. They run a number of projects and programmes, including Rethinking Assessment, Rethinking Leadership, the ‘Rethinking School’ project and the Big Education Leadership Programme, to facilitate innovation, build capacity in others and advocate for change. Liz is part of the Bell childcare review for the Labour party.

Liz has a particular interest in developing values-led leadership, and has worked extensively as a speaker, trainer and coach. As mum to two young girls, Ella and Alys, Liz works flexibly to manage her roles. She’s also made lots of mistakes in her career and tries to model being a learner and avoid the trappings of ‘superhero’ leadership.

@lizzierobinson3 

@_bigeducation

Jake Saunders

As Head of School & Youth Setting Programmes, Jake oversees and supports Tender’s programme teams across the country as they develop and deliver the charity’s work with children and young people. Jake studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where he fell in love with the marriage of different arts techniques and education, and throughout his career, he has sought to employ creative methods to unlock new ways of thinking, learning and growing. Before joining Tender, Jake worked across the charity sector as a facilitator before moving into performance management and facilitator coaching. He previously managed the British Red Cross’ London First Aid Training team and has also travelled the country developing and delivering anti-bullying training to students, parents and teachers. Jake has been engaged with Tender since 2014, when he joined as a Workshop Leader and Youth Board Member.

David Semark

David is now best known for understudying, covering and then replacing Sir Ian McKellen as Falstaff in Robert Icke’s Player Kings, to some acclaim, making him part of a global news story.

But David has been a working actor for 26 years, and a speaker and performer all his life. He trained at RADA, after a University degree in ‘Theatre and English’ made his mind up that ‘pretending things for money’ seemed like a fun way to live life.

After leaving drama school David has worked widely in Television, Radio, gaming, voice and mainly theatre. His CV covers the BBC, RSC and the West End alongside community theatre and regional ‘Rep’. Old enough to call himself classically trained, yet young enough to have done some podcasting and live streaming. David has seen it all in the Industry, at every level, he has worked with Stars, children, animals and puppets and has the scars to prove it.

Outside of traditional acting he has also designed, developed and lead some of the largest, and industry award winning, ‘Theatre In Business’ processes ever run: facilitating, training, speaking, presenting, acting, scripting and Directing. This he allied to his passion for fairness and equality and he has often been found working and delivering DE&I processes: Using interactivity and actor based interventions to drive real change in peoples’ daily lives - from Government Ministers to Road Sweepers. For ten years this often meant working alongside the British Army, as David would often say ‘I help the Army be nice’.

His proudest achievement when asked, in spite of his rich and varied working history, is ‘Raising two kids and paying the bills’. He lives in North London, will defend unto death his Arsenal season ticket and has scuba dived in all the worlds oceans, except the cold ones.

Davids heart will always lie with the stage, and the telling of stories.

Nancy Shakerley

Leads Disney Theatrical Productions education, engagement and accessible programming, with the objective of expanding the reach and impact of Disney stage properties in the UK.

James Slocombe

James Slocombe has substantial experience of outward-facing profile-building roles in education, having served as Chief Academic Officer, Headmaster, Deputy Head (Academic), Head of Sixth Form and Head of Department (Business and Economics) at independent schools in the UK and internationally. James is a team inspector for the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate, with specific expertise in Compliance and NMSB.

Further to being a qualified teacher (with QTS), James is also a qualified business accountant (with CIMA), and co-founded the British School of Valladolid. James has served as a Governor/Non-Executive Director to 9 schools and businesses since the start of his career. As a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Educators, a Fellow of the RSA, and Quondam Member of the Independent Schools’ Association, James actively contributes to the advancement of educational theory, practice and pedagogy, taking a particular interest in international methodologies.

In 2006, James led the UK’s delegation to the CHOGM youth forum in Malta as a Trustee of the British Youth Council and has remained politically active since. He is a proud member of The Scout Association, to which he credits his ‘can-do people-builder’ attitude and bias to action. 

Felicity Sparks

Disney Theatrical Teaching Artists are musical theatre professionals and educators. They run Disney’s preshow workshops as well as initiatives in schools, teacher CPD and public facing workshop sessions.

Felicity is also a performer and creator.