Hi Everyone,

just want to begin this newsletter by thanking Ollie Welsby from Brightcore who has delivered some superb free CPD for the ISP this week on The changing landscape of mental health in schools. This timely update is packed full of useful advice and practical takeaways for school leaders - and you can view a full recording of it by clicking the link in the video vault section below.

I'm also delighted that Helen Clare will be giving a talk on Menopause in Schools in June and don't miss Andy Carley's online talk this coming Wednesday (1930-2030) on Learning beyond the classroom - a blueprint for success.

Both of these sessions can also be booked using the links below.

For those of you who attended the ISA conference is Harrogate this week, you will have watched the ISP's very own Alicia Coad presenting on Authentic Marketing. This talk was based on a huge amount of parental feedback that Alicia collected from several hundred independent schools - and I'm delighted that Alicia will be be making this data widely available in the near future... so watch this space!

As ever, I hope that you find this newsletter of use and I wish you a good (and sunny!) week.

David
---
David Winfield
Founder, Independent Schools Portal.

Learning Beyond the Classroom - a Blueprint for Success. Online. Wednesday 14th May 2025 at 1930.
The talk will summarise the key ingredients and elements for success for learning beyond the classroom - from planning, fundraising, site design, installation, resourcing, CPD and progression.

With examples and specific ideas from the many schools that are successfully achieving this within the constraints of budgets, teacher attitudes and a highly prescribed curriculum you will come away with lots of ideas on how to do make these changes within your own school setting.

Presented by Andy Carley, who is the Founder and Owner of School Outdoor Learning (SOuL). The SOuL Team visit and work with hundreds of schools every year across the UK and overseas to support their outdoor learning, play and nature connection. This provides them with a unique perspective on what works in terms of use of space, effective pedagogy and teacher support. As well as creating the right culture for risk taking and embedding a creative curriculum. Book your place.

Menopause in Schools. Online. Wednesday 11th June 2025 at 1230.
How do perimenopause and menopause cause particular challenges for those who work in our schools? How can they help themselves and how can we support them through this transition so that they can keep on doing the jobs they love without a cost to their health and we don't lose their talents and experience?

Delivered by Helen Clare. Helen helps schools and teachers deal with challenges that arise due to perimenopause and menopause. She does this through talks, workshops, support groups, 1 to 1 and group mentoring, manager and menopause champion training, courses and policy and strategy support. An ex-biology teacher and life-long biology geek, she has also worked in schools as a poet and artist and as part of her work for Creative Partnerships and Arts Council England. Helen is also an ICF trained coach and an associate of the British Menopause Society. Book your place.

​The ISP has a huge selection of videos to support school leaders on the ISP YouTube Channel. This week's featured video from the archive helps school leaders keep up to date on the trends in mental health. This webinar is written and presented by Ollie Welsby from Brightcore who works with schools across the country. He will give you an insight into the current state of affairs, together with tips as to how your school can best handle the current challenges. Watch Now.

Hi Everyone,
As promised last week, I'm delighted that to be able to announce that we have teamed up with Canva to deliver a conference on AI in Action for School Leaders. It takes place on Wednesday 25th June at the Canva offices at 33 Hoxton Square. As always, the tickets are heavily discounted and are priced at just £35 - and include all refreshments. Click this link to view the whole programme and reserved your space. Many thanks to Jade Parkinson-Hill for helping us put this together.
As well as this high profile conference, we have a number of free Webinars coming up in late April and early May:

• Bursary and admissions policies: Ensuring that they are efficient, transparent and robust
• The science of reading: Actionable insights for UK primaries
• Attracting and recruiting the best staff
• The changing landscape of mental health in schools

I hope that you find all of this of use!
With all good wishes,
David
---
David Winfield
Founder, Independent Schools Portal.

The Science of Reading
Join us for an enlightening webinar designed specifically for UK primary school head teachers and educational leaders, focusing on the Science of Reading. This session will delve into the comprehensive research and evidence-based methods that underpin effective reading instruction. Our expert speakers will guide you through the critical components of the Science of Reading, and demonstrate how these principles can be seamlessly integrated into your school's educational framework to enhance reading outcomes and foster a love of reading among students. Book your place.

Hi Everyone,
It was terrific to meet so many old friends - and make new ones! - at the 5th Annual Independent Schools Portal Marketing Conference on Friday. It was the first time that we've had over 100 schools in attendance at one of our events and I'd like to thank Queen Ethelburga's for hosting us so magnificently in North Yorkshire, to the speakers who gave so freely of their time and expertise and to Alicia for organising and delivering such a fabulous event.
We're also planning an additional live event on AI in Education in the summer term - it's currently still in the development phase - but will be held in the Canva offices in London. I'm hoping to be able to share the date and programme with you very shortly.
The Easter break seems to be somewhat staggered this year, so whether you have already broken up, or still have a week or two to go, I hope that you have a great week and that you get to enjoy some of the sunny weather that has been forecast!
With all good wishes,
David
---
David Winfield
Founder, Independent Schools Portal.

Is your SEND team overwhelmed by admin? Are you struggling to evaluate the impact of your SEN provisions? SENCOs work tirelessly to ensure SEND students get the support they need. But the growing workload and administrative demands can be overwhelming. Introducing ProvisionVue – a powerful, time-saving online tool designed by SENCOs, for SENCOs. Seamlessly integrated with your school’s MIS, ProvisionVue will reduce admin burden and help your team focus on what really matters: supporting students.
Key Features:
• Plan-Do-Review Process built in • Access to comprehensive Interventions, Resources, and Strategies for student plans • Automatically generate Provision Maps and Intervention Groups • Monitor interventions with ease • Evaluate the impact of your provisions Let ProvisionVue handle the admin, so you can focus on what truly matters – helping students succeed.
Arrange your free demo today at www.schoolvue.co.uk/contact
Exclusive Offer for ISP Newsletter Readers: Sign up by April 30th and get 10% off your first subscription!

The Science of Reading
Join us for an enlightening webinar designed specifically for UK primary school head teachers and educational leaders, focusing on the Science of Reading. This session will delve into the comprehensive research and evidence-based methods that underpin effective reading instruction. Our expert speakers will guide you through the critical components of the Science of Reading, and demonstrate how these principles can be seamlessly integrated into your school's educational framework to enhance reading outcomes and foster a love of reading among students. Book your place.

Hi Everyone,
The Independent Schools Portal has always been a way for the rest of the team and I at BlueCow Education to give back to the sector, to support schools and provide high-quality CPD such as the 2025 UK Schools Employment Law Update which was delivered online last Wednesday evening and which you can watch in full here.
As everything we do at the ISP is either free of charge or delivered below cost, the work that we do is funded by the online market research and supplier showcases that we deliver under the BlueCow brand. These showcases are also extremely useful to school leaders in of themselves; they allow SLT members the opportunity watch 6 education product presentations over 90 minutes on weekday evenings from the comfort of their own home. This helps to keep schools up to date with the latest innovations without attending trade shows - and in return for filling in a short feedback form, we are also able to email a £40 Amazon voucher to each school leader on the night as thanks for their time.
What we have created is quite unique and I'm as proud of the fact that the market research and showcase evenings have a 100% recommendation rate - and 92% class them as CPD in their own right - as I am of the work that the ISP undertakes. They really do help school leaders to stay ahead of the game.
If you'd like to join us at one of these showcases so you can see how good they are (as well as claiming your £40 Amazon voucher and supporting the work of the ISP) - you can sign up here. Hope to see you at one of the sessions soon!
With all good wishes,
David
PS - MyBodyIsMyBody (MBIMB) is delivering a Strengthening Communities by Safeguarding Every Child conference in Barnsley on Wednesday. The conference programme and speakers are simply outstanding; the ticket price is only £15 so if you are in Yorkshire / North Midlands, I can strongly recommend attending what will be a superb event. Find out more and book.
---
David Winfield
Founder, Independent Schools Portal.

ISP Marketing and Admissions Conference 2025: in-person and online
The speaker lineup includes:
Two keynote addresses: Sarah Cunnane, Head of Media and Communications at the ISC and Mark Brealey, former BBC Journalist and advisor to some of the most high profile public sector individuals on how to handle press and crisis situations.
Two case studies: Hear from fellow professionals - Jo Phillips from Giggleswick School and Laura Booth from Hymers College will be sharing their experiences.
Two topical sessions: We will hear from Sophy Walker as to how AI can aid your admissions  and marketing. Sally Alexander will also look at what we can do to drive admissions in the current period of economic uncertainty.
Two sessions of your choosing:  An opportunity to choose the topic causing your school most consternation, from SEO to Social Media to Research to websites. These sessions will enable you to tailor your day to suit YOUR school
This really is an excellent opportunity to ensure your marketing and admissions is at the forefront and available for just £45. Sign up now to benefit from an early bird ticket.

The Science of Reading
Join us for an enlightening webinar designed specifically for UK primary school head teachers and educational leaders, focusing on the Science of Reading. This session will delve into the comprehensive research and evidence-based methods that underpin effective reading instruction. Our expert speakers will guide you through the critical components of the Science of Reading, and demonstrate how these principles can be seamlessly integrated into your school's educational framework to enhance reading outcomes and foster a love of reading among students. Book your place.

Hi Everyone,
This week saw us welcome the brilliant Darren Coxon to our Wednesday Wisdom Webinar series of free online CPD. Darren talked us through how we could use AI to write schemes of work, revision notes and quizzes. Plus, he also put together a handy "cheat sheet" with prompts on so that you can replicate this in your setting, no  matter what subject you teach. The prompts are available with the Youtube Video - definitely worth a watch. Thank you to Darren for joining us and making AI accessible by sharing the prompts. Watch the recording here.

We've also made a couple of other further additions to the YouTube channel with some excellent CPD being uploaded this week on  History Learning Using Multimedia (with Luke Whitehouse) and Co-commercial Strategies for Success(with Dorothy McLaren from the Schools' Enterprise Association).

Another potential date for your diary is the SchoolTV free Wellbeing event on Wednesday 19th March. The speaker line up is superlative and includes Dr Emma Woodward, Dr Joe Stammeijer, Andrew Hampton and Tom Batty.  There will be panel discussion on tackling key mental health challenges facing students in today's world together with evidence based approaches to support student resilience and wellbeing.  The session will be chaired by John Southworth and promises to be an excellent opportunity to learn from the experts and network with peers. Senior Leaders in State and Independent schools are welcome to join.Please register here.

I'm sure many of you will already be of aware of this, but I came across PHET Interactive Simulations last week; it's brilliant for both primary and secondary maths and science - and completely free! I'd also recommend taking a look at Anton App; this contains free education resources from reception to Ks3 and works across all devices - it's superb!

I'm also delighted that spelling, grammar and punctuation resource Rollama are offering readers of this newsletter a 4 week free trial along with 10% discount if you really like it - see further details below.

Finally, there are still online and in-person tickets available for the 5th ISP Marketing Conference on the 28th March, we have a FREE online Employment Law update on Wednesday evening with Alice Reeves of VWV Partners, and there is also a new session on The Science of Reading: Actionable Insights for Primaries on the 30th April; also online and free of charge.

As ever, I hope that you find all of this of use and that you have a good week.
David
---
David Winfield
Founder, Independent Schools Portal.

​Are your students struggling with spelling? Confused by clauses? Puzzled by punctuation?
Rollama is a llama-themed website of focused mini-games to boost English grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, and spelling skills for 7-13-year-olds.
Built on evidence-based principles and designed by teachers with 18 years of KS2 & KS3 classroom experience, Rollama is fully aligned with the English National Curriculum.
With quick-setup accounts, students can play at home or school, on laptop, desktop, or tablet – and actually enjoy SPaG practice (seriously!)
Our bank of over 10,000 questions helps students build independent fluency in essential English skills. Instant marking and child-centred design create a positive feedback loop, boosting confidence and motivation to keep practising.
Start your free 4-week trial (no credit card required) at www.rollama.com/register to unlock everything Rollama offers:

Avatars
Medals
Assignments
Competitions
Global leaderboards
SATS prep resources
400+ SPaG activities (and counting)

Exclusive Offer for ISP Newsletter readers: Sign up by March 28th and enjoy 10% off your first subscription!

The speaker lineup includes:
Two keynote addresses: Sarah Cunnane, Head of Media and Communications at the ISC and Mark Brealey, former BBC Journalist and advisor to some of the most high profile public sector individuals on how to handle press and crisis situations.
Two case studies: Hear from fellow professionals - Jo Phillips from Giggleswick School and Laura Booth from Hymers College will be sharing their experiences.
Two topical sessions: We will hear from Sophy Walker as to how AI can aid your admissions  and marketing. Sally Alexander will also look at what we can do to drive admissions in the current period of economic uncertainty. 
Two sessions of your choosing:  An opportunity to choose the topic causing your school most consternation, from SEO to Social Media to Research to websites. These sessions will enable you to tailor your day to suit YOUR school
This really is an excellent opportunity to ensure your marketing and admissions is at the forefront and available for just £45. Sign up now to benefit from an early bird ticket.

The Science of Reading
Join us for an enlightening webinar designed specifically for UK primary school head teachers and educational leaders, focusing on the Science of Reading. This session will delve into the comprehensive research and evidence-based methods that underpin effective reading instruction. Our expert speakers will guide you through the critical components of the Science of Reading, and demonstrate how these principles can be seamlessly integrated into your school's educational framework to enhance reading outcomes and foster a love of reading among students. Book your place.

​The ISP has a huge selection of videos to support school leaders on the ISP YouTube Channel. This week, Mark Langley gives an overview from his original academic research at the University of Hull into why Deputy Heads decide (or not) to proceed on the journey into Headship. Full of fascinating insights into this under-researched area of Education. Watch here.

​Can Ofsted listen it's way out of it's political bind?
Hundreds of Academy Heads paid over £150k as the number on the 'gravy train' doubles over 5 years
Sir Hamid Patel appointed interim Ofsted Chair
Teacher pension contributions to increase next month

Hi Everyone,

A reminder that we have lots of CPD coming up in March: There's still time to get either an in-person or online ticket for the 5th ISP Marketing Conference on the 28th. The speakers and programme is simply outstanding an with tickets priced at only £45, it really is an event too good to miss!

We also have 2 free webinars coming up on AI in Education (12th) and the Employment Law Update for Independent Schools (19th). All details and links to sign up are below.

There's also a co-commercial strategies for success webinar at lunchtime on Wednesday and we'll we popping up a recording of the History Learning through Multimedia session on our YouTube channel at the end of the week; make sure you're subscribed to the channel to be notified each time pre-recorded CPD is uploaded.

I hope that you find this of use and that you have a great week.
​
David
---
David Winfield
Founder, Independent Schools Portal.

ISP Marketing and Admissions Conference 2025: in-person and online

​The speaker lineup includes:

Two keynote addresses: Sarah Cunnane, Head of Media and Communications at the ISC and Mark Brealey, former BBC Journalist and advisor to some of the most high profile public sector individuals on how to handle press and crisis situations.

Two case studies: Hear from fellow professionals - Jo Phillips from Giggleswick School and Laura Booth from Hymers College will be sharing their experiences.

Two topical sessions: We will hear from Sophy Walker as to how AI can aid your admissions  and marketing. Sally Alexander will also look at what we can do to drive admissions in the current period of economic uncertainty. 

Two sessions of your choosing:  An opportunity to choose the topic causing your school most consternation, from SEO to Social Media to Research to websites. These sessions will enable you to tailor your day to suit YOUR school

This really is an excellent opportunity to ensure your marketing and admissions is at the forefront and available for just £45. Sign up now to benefit from an early bird ticket.

AI in Education - An Introduction. Free CPD webinar - Wednesday 12th March 2025. 1930-2030.
Using AI in your teaching and equipping pupils with the skills to know how and when to use it themselves is vital. We will look at how AI can transform your teaching and learning. This session will delivered by leading expert Darren Coxon. Darren speaks regularly around the world on the topic of AI in education and is a leading expert. Book your place.

Employment Law Update for Independent Schools
We are delighted to be joined by Alice Reeves from VWV who will give us a whistle stop tour of the latest changes in employment law, and crucially, how they impact on the Independent Education Sector. Wednesday 19 March 2025 7:30 PM - 8:15 PM. Book your place.

Dear Colleague,
This week, I want to share an exciting opportunity for teachers. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is offering its free LTA Youth Schools Teacher Training Course, designed to help teachers deliver high-quality, inclusive PE lessons with confidence.
What’s in it for teachers?

• A 90-minute online training course designed by teachers, with practical strategies to introduce tennis to all abilities – including SEND students.
• Ongoing access to resources, including lesson plans, activity guides and videos.
• A £250 voucher for their school to spend on tennis equipment or 10 hours of team teaching with an LTA Accredited Coach.
• Primary schools receive a resource pack with pupil rewards, fun games and exclusive LTA Tennisables character cards.
• Secondary schools are entered into a prize draw to win a money-can’t-buy experience for students and 16 tickets to the HSBC Championship WTA 500 event at The Queen’s Club.

With more than half of Britain’s schools signed up, the LTA is keen to ensure even more schools benefit - and it is completely free.
I hope that you find this of use and that you have a great week.
As ever,
David.
--
David Winfield
Founder, Independent Schools Portal.

The speaker lineup includes:
Two keynote addresses: Sarah Cunnane, Head of Media and Communications at the ISC and Mark Brealey, former BBC Journalist and advisor to some of the most high profile public sector individuals on how to handle press and crisis situations.
Two case studies: Hear from fellow professionals - Jo Phillips from Giggleswick School and Laura Booth from Hymers College will be sharing their experiences.
Two topical sessions: We will hear from Sophy Walker as to how AI can aid your admissions  and marketing. Sally Alexander will also look at what we can do to drive admissions in the current period of economic uncertainty.
Two sessions of your choosing:  An opportunity to choose the topic causing your school most consternation, from SEO to Social Media to Research to websites. These sessions will enable you to tailor your day to suit YOUR school
This really is an excellent opportunity to ensure your marketing and admissions is at the forefront and available for just £45. Sign up now.

History Learning through Multimedia
This webinar will look at how you can build a multimedia experience to ignite children's love of learning in history. 3D learning enables children to understand historical topics and really bring it to life through immersive and interactive scenes.
Wednesday 5 March 2025 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM. Book your place.

AI in Education - An Introduction. Free CPD webinar - Wednesday 12th March 2025. 1930-2030.
Using AI in your teaching and equipping pupils with the skills to know how and when to use it themselves is vital. We will look at how AI can transform your teaching and learning. This session will delivered by leading expert Darren Coxon. Darren speaks regularly around the world on the topic of AI in education and is a leading expert. Book your place.

Employment Law Update for Independent Schools
We are delighted to be joined by Alice Reeves from VWV who will give us a whistlestop tour of the latest changes in employment law, and crucially, how they impact on the Independent Education Sector. Wednesday 19 March 2025 7:30 PM - 8:15 PM. Book your place.

Dear Colleague
I'd like to draw your attention to some brilliant (and free!) CPD that the Independent Schools Portal has that is coming up. On the 5th March, it's all about Virtual Explorations: History Learning through multimedia, on the 12th March we have Co-commercial strategies for success and AI in Education: An Introduction. Finally, on the 19th March we have the Employment Law Update for Schools.

I strongly recommend these to you and interested colleagues.

We've also had some great feedback for our paid Preparing for Headship Course,with several success stories from the last few months, and don't forget that there are still a few online and in-person tickets still available for the 5th ISP Marketing Conference; the programme for this is simply outstanding.

I hope that you find these of use and I wish you a great week.

As ever,
David.
--
David Winfield
Founder, Independent Schools Portal.

The speaker lineup includes:

Two keynote addresses: Sarah Cunnane, Head of Media and Communications at the ISC and Mark Brealey, former BBC Journalist and advisor to some of the most high profile public sector individuals on how to handle press and crisis situations.

Two case studies: Hear from fellow professionals - Jo Phillips from Giggleswick School and Laura Booth from Hymers College will be sharing their experiences.

Two topical sessions: We will hear from Sophy Walker as to how AI can aid your admissions  and marketing. Sally Alexander will also look at what we can do to drive admissions in the current period of economic uncertainty. 

Two sessions of your choosing:  An opportunity to choose the topic causing your school most consternation, from SEO to Social Media to Research to websites. These sessions will enable you to tailor your day to suit YOUR school

This really is an excellent opportunity to ensure your marketing and admissions is at the forefront and available for just £45. Sign up now to benefit from an early bird ticket.

Written and presented by Tom Packer
To be a successful school leader, at whatever level, the ability and willingness on all sides to engage in a difficult conversation is vital. Yet all too often such conversations are avoided, or conflicting demands met with appeasement, with sometimes disastrous results. This course prepares you and your stakeholders to actively engage in open and honest conversations. You will learn well tried and tested tips and techniques with direct relevance to everyday school experience. Find out more and book.

​AI in Education - An Introduction. Free CPD webinar - Wednesday 12th March 2025. 1930-2030.
Using AI in your teaching and equipping pupils with the skills to know how and when to use it themselves is vital. We will look at how AI can transform your teaching and learning. This session will delivered by leading expert Darren Coxon. Darren speaks regularly around the world on the topic of AI in education and is a leading expert. Book your place.

​Curriculum review should incentivise schools to teach 'employment skills'
Education Secretary says Birbalsingh's account of meeting 'not as it was'.
Four ways to stop accidentally distracting your students (TES - Subscription Required)
School breakfast clubs in England will be used to justify the two child benefit cap

​Please share this newsletter with colleagues so that they are able to subscribe
​

Dear Colleague

Reading the many negative headlines this week about the new Schools Bill and the proposed new Ofsted inspection regime made me think about the famous Tim Minchin address to graduates of the University of Western Australia - in which he 'bestows' nine life lessons. One of these about the importance of being 'pro stuff' rather than constantly defining ourselves in opposition to things. So, despite being vexed by much of what I have learned, especially on the Ofsted front, I've decided to completely tune this out and focus on positives this week!

In this spirit, I had a long-standing engagement to attend a Geography meeting on Friday afternoon at Alwoodley Primary school in Leeds, delivered by the outstanding Deputy Head, Jess Hill. It was a fantastic and thought provoking afternoon and I learned about two tremendous (and FREE) resources that will help you deliver Geography in your school.

The first is the 'flyover' feature of Apple Maps - a brilliant way of giving pupils a different perspective of a city a feature that can be used in multiple ways and contexts. The second is the 2041School project, a charity founded by Jenny Cooke and Robert Swann OBE, which contains the most incredible Antartica resources and is described by the Geographical Association as a 'must have resource for Prep and Primary schools'; do take a look if you are not familiar with it - it's fabulous.

In another piece of positivity, if you're reading this on Sunday 9th February, our sister organisation - BlueCow Education - is running a competition on that more-kindly social media platform, BlueSky. They're giving away a large Hotel Chocolat dipping adventure to be delivered in time for Valentine's day and here's the link if this is of interest!

Finally, I've included information about Ben Brown's Building Connections conference in Liverpool in late March, below. This conference isn't affiliated to the ISP in any way, but I love Ben and his work - and this community building conference is going to be superb. There's also a discount code that you can use too if you'd like to attend.

I hope all this is of use and wishing you a great week!
David.
--
David Winfield
Founder, Independent Schools Portal.

The speaker lineup includes:

Two keynote addresses: Sarah Cunnane, Head of Media and Communications at the ISC and Mark Brealey, former BBC Journalist and advisor to some of the most high profile public sector individuals on how to handle press and crisis situations.

Two case studies: Hear from fellow professionals - Jo Phillips from Giggleswick School and Laura Booth from Hymers College will be sharing their experiences.

Two topical sessions: We will hear from Sophy Walker as to how AI can aid your admissions  and marketing. Sally Alexander will also look at what we can do to drive admissions in the current period of economic uncertainty. 

Two sessions of your choosing:  An opportunity to choose the topic causing your school most consternation, from SEO to Social Media to Research to websites. These sessions will enable you to tailor your day to suit YOUR school

This really is an excellent opportunity to ensure your marketing and admissions is at the forefront and available for just £45. Sign up now to benefit from an early bird ticket.

There are lots of challenges in education today and no silver bullet that defeats them all, but fostering a sense of connection within your school community can help bring everyone together to face these challenges as a group. This event brings together expert speakers, thought-provoking workshops, and valuable networking opportunities to empower you in building stronger, more cohesive school environments.

Key Topics

• Leadership: practical strategies for developing a connected school culture.
• Warm data: using data insights to enhance community relationships and support your decision making.
• Curriculum: Building a curriculum to connect to - education is more than just passing on academic knowledge.
• Communication: Strengthening connections with staff, pupils and parents.

Why Attend?

• Gain actionable insights from expert speakers.
• Participate in workshops designed to make you think.
• Network with other school leaders and share best practices.
• Leave with tools and ideas to implement in your school.

Live Speakers

• Ben Brown, founder of Education Roundtables and author of "A school leader's guide to belonging."
• Chris Reddy, founder of Bright Leaders
• Naveed Idrees OBE, Headteacher at the awesome Feversham Primary Academy in Bradford
• Ann Palmer, founder of Figtree International and the RACE charter mark
• Andy Kent, CEO of Angel Solutions
• Ed Fairfield, Director at Elementary Technology

Guest Appearances
Nicole Ponsford of the Global Equality Collective and Hywel Roberts, author of Botheredness, will also be contributing during the event.

Use code BLUECOW10 to claim £10 off the ticket price.

​AI in Education - An Introduction. Free CPD webinar - Wednesday 12th March 2025. 1930-2030.
Using AI in your teaching and equipping pupils with the skills to know how and when to use it themselves is vital. We will look at how AI can transform your teaching and learning. This session will delivered by leading expert Darren Coxon. Darren speaks regularly around the world on the topic of AI in education and is a leading expert. Book your place.

Dear Colleague

It was BETT week last week, and as ever it was an unrivalled sensory overload filled with networking, discovery, trade and CPD! If you managed to make it, I hope that you had a good show - and if you didn't, we've discovered four fabulous products that are completely free and potentially of considerable use to you:

1. Vizipedia. This promises to completely gamify learning; as well as numerous free games that have already been created, you can request an educator account: this will allow you to use the in-built AI to create games based on the curriculum that you are delivering. This promises to be completely transformational as it evolves!
2. Boclips. Boclips Classroom is a curated video alternative to YouTube for schools. It's huge in the United States and in fact, it is also the world's largest library of educational videos - and it is completely free for UK educators!
3. Math Ready. An Australian maths product aimed at children between 6-14. It contains 250 activities aimed at improving mental maths - and costs absolutely nothing!
4. TechSheCan. Tech She Can is a charity to inspire girls to consider tech careers. It offers free educational resources, live and on-demand lessons, after-school resources and inspirational video to name a few - well worth checking out.

I hope that you find these of use and that you have a great week!

As ever,
David.
--
David Winfield
Founder, Independent Schools Portal.

The speaker lineup includes:

Two keynote addresses: Sarah Cunnane, Head of Media and Communications at the ISC and Mark Brealey, former BBC Journalist and advisor to some of the most high profile public sector individuals on how to handle press and crisis situations.

Two case studies: Hear from fellow professionals - Jo Phillips from Giggleswick School and Laura Booth from Hymers College will be sharing their experiences.

Two topical sessions: We will hear from Sophy Walker as to how AI can aid your admissions  and marketing. Sally Alexander will also look at what we can do to drive admissions in the current period of economic uncertainty. 

Two sessions of your choosing:  An opportunity to choose the topic causing your school most consternation, from SEO to Social Media to Research to websites. These sessions will enable you to tailor your day to suit YOUR school

This really is an excellent opportunity to ensure your marketing and admissions is at the forefront and available for just £45. Sign up now to benefit from an early bird ticket.

AI in Education - An Introduction. Free CPD webinar - Wednesday 12th March 2025. 1930-2030.
Simon Jones will share his tips and tricks on how to get the best out of your iphone photos. Join us for this 45 minute session to learn from his vast experience and expertise. A must attend for anyone who is tasked with providing photos for the school, whether it's for social media, newsletters or your website. Book your place.

​The ISP has a huge selection of videos to support school leaders on the ISP YouTube Channel. In this week's video vault webinar, Simon Jones shares his tips and tricks on how to get the best out of your iPhone photos. A must watch for anyone who is tasked with providing photos for the school, whether it's for social media, newsletters or your website. Watch Now.

Big academy trust given a £1.5m loan to stay afloat
Education secretary outlines plans to modernise the education sector
The schools bill isn't vandalism - it should go even further​
Why games beat tests for primary maths assessment - TES (Subscription required)
Please share this newsletter with colleagues so that they are able to subscribe