Independent Schools Show 2021
Please note that this is an evolving programme - speakers, talk times and topics are subject to change. Please check back here for latest information.
Click on the TALK'S TITLE to find out more details. Focus on a DAY or use the FILTER to focus on particular theatres.
Preview of the Independent Schools Show, 2021
Coming to the Schools Show this weekend, or thinking about coming? Join this Parents Forum for a unique preview of the 2021 show.
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Grace Moody-Stuart
Director, The Good Schools Guide
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Emma Cowley
Divisional Director - Investment Management, Brewin Dolphin
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
How to manage the intense competition at 11+
What's going on with Pre-tests and Common Entrance? Every parent needs to be up-to-date. Bonas MacFarlane's Will Petty will discuss the latest tips, tricks and insights; Catriona Sutherland-Hawes provides the senior school perspective.
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Catriona Sutherland-Hawes
Director of Admissions, Wycombe Abbey
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Bridget Saul
Headteacher, Cameron Vale School
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
What is the value of an independent school education?
Is it worth paying school fees? There are many ways to assess the benefits from academic excellence, to social confidence, to sports and extra-curricular facilities, to value-added. What's important is to know what matters to you and your child.
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Julie Robinson
Chief Executive Officer, Independent Schools Council (ISC)
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Sarah Wilson
Headmistress, Heathfield School
Starting out in South London - choices, decisions, application, preparation
From Battersea to Wimbledon to Dulwich, South London has more independent schools than any other area of Britain. A leading prep school head talks about the nuts and bolts: how to choose and when to begin looking, the application process and what preparations you should make.
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Susie Byers
Head , Broomfield House School
Next steps - deciding between boarding and day
How do you choose? Senior school heads answer parents questions.
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Kate Reynolds
Head, Royal High School Bath GDST
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Bradley Salisbury
Headmaster, Dean Close School
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Chris Wheeler
Principal, Monkton Combe School
Giving your child the best possible start: why go to an IAPS prep school?
With state primaries so much improved, especially in London, what is it that pre-prep and prep schools offer, besides Latin?
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Christopher King
Chief Executive, IAPS , Independent Association of Prep Schools
How to apply for bursaries and scholarships
The Good Schools Guide's Camilla Smiley is a specialist in scholarship and bursary provision in independents schools, tackling the issues of affordability and value and how to access the considerable financial assistance. Dr Anthony Wallersteiner talks about Stowe's Change 100 initiative to provide 100 free places in the school at all times.
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Dr Anthony Wallersteiner
Headmaster, Stowe School
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Camilla Smiley
Scholarship & Bursary Consultant, The Good Schools Guide
Finding a good school in London
London is the most competitive schools market in the world. Get your London school search questions answered by a Good Schools Guide expert.
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Grace Moody-Stuart
Director, The Good Schools Guide
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Dr Millan Sachania
Head, Streatham & Clapham High School GDST
Scholarships and bursaries - widening access
What can the independent school system do better to widen the diversity of their intake? And how should you as a parent prepare your child to maximise their chances?
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Elaine Cunningham-Walker
Founder , GMA Education
The boarding advantage
No commute, green space, activities and clubs to hand, friends on tap - urban children can benefit from a boarding education outside the city. But will it suit your child?
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Alastair Chirnside
Warden, St Edward's Oxford
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Henry Price
Headmaster , Oakham School
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Phillip Evitt
Headmaster, Highfield School
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Emma Goldsmith
Head, Dragon School
Single sex or co-ed?
The South East is still dominated by single sex schools. Why? And does it matter? The forum discusses one of the oldest dilemmas faced by parents, in a Q&A led by one of the Good Schools Guide's leading experts.
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Eve Jardine-Young
Principal, Cheltenham Ladies’ College
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Dr Dominic Luckett
Headmaster, Sherborne School
Starting out in Central London - choices, decisions, application, preparation
From Knightsbridge to Baker Street to the Barbican, this Forum explores what's involved when your child is starting school in the centre of the city. A central London prep school head talks about the nuts and bolts: how to choose and when to begin looking, the application process and what preparations you should make.
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Magoo Giles
Founder & Principal, Knightsbridge School
What makes a good head and how to spot one?
It is right that this theatre should discuss leadership. How can you tell when a school is well-run? Is improving better than coasting? And what are the warning signs to watch out for?
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Sally-Anne Huang
High Master, St Paul's School
Relocation, relocation, relocation - a country or city childhood??
Move or stay put? Our panel of parents brings together families who have relocated from London or decided to stay put. They are joined by Hero Brown, Editor-in-Chief of Muddy Stilettos and relocation guru. The panel will discuss the thinking behind each family's choices to help you decide where yours would thrive best.
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Hero Brown
Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Muddy Stilettos
Scholarships & Bursaries clinic
A breakout clinic for parents wanting to discuss scholarships and bursaries, and start to plan out the next steps of the journey.
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Camilla Smiley
Scholarship & Bursary Consultant, The Good Schools Guide
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Gavin Horgan
Headmaster, Millfield
Next steps - exciting choices you might not have considered
From international curriculum schools to art and design specialists, the independent sector has a wide range of senior schools to suit every child. Heads discuss what's on offer with parents.
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Andrew Rattue
Principal, St Clare's Oxford
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Candida Cave
Principal, Hampstead Fine Arts College
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Hugh Viney
Founder and CEO , Minerva's Virtual Academy
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David Laird
Head of School, ICS London
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Simon McNaught
Deputy Headmaster & Head of the British Section, Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle
Flexible & Monday - Friday, how boarding supports modern family life
Is Saturday morning school dying out? And does the rise of flexi-boarding and Monday-Friday boarding threaten full boarding? What are the price differences between the different options,
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Gavin Horgan
Headmaster, Millfield
Change is good? How to identify if a school move would help your child
Changes of school at 7 and 11 or 13 were a standard rite of passage for most children. Now with many schools going right through, parents have to decide whether 14 plus years in one school is a good idea for their child.
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Ben Evans
Head, Windlesham House School
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Ceri Jones
Headmaster, Caterham
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Lucy Elphinstone
Headmistress, Francis Holland School, Sloane Square
SEN: choosing the right school Q&A
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Koen Claeys
Headmaster, The Moat School
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Sophie Irwin
SEN Consultant , The Good Schools Guide
Raising resilient children, able to cope with life's knocks
For children to cope, they need to be resilient and flexible. We can't change temperament (nor do we want to) but we can work with it. We can teach our children solutions and strategies to enable them to deal with setbacks, pick themselves up, try again and bolster their self esteem. Join this talk to find out how you as a parent can play a vital part.
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Elaine Halligan
London Director, The Parent Practice
Why girls thrive in single sex schools
This is one of the most debated subjects in education. Does single-sex education really benefit girls more than boys?
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Donna Stevens
Chief Executive, Girls' Schools Association
Find the right school for your child
Choosing the right school for your child is always tricky, but in the state system the choice is restricted by catchment area rules. In the independent system the choice is much broader. There are hundreds of schools to look at, so how do you find the right one for your child? Leading heads discuss how you match child to school.
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James Wilton
Deputy Head (Admissions and Marketing), Repton School
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Andrew Hobbs
Head, Downside School
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Richard Backhouse
Principal, Berkhamsted
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Will Goldsmith
Acting Head, Bedales
Boarding in the 21st century
The days of big dorms, bare floorboards and spartan early morning swims are long gone. But boarding keeps changing. Now British boarding schools are world-beating, hugely international in outlook and recognised for the outstanding quality of their 24/7 education. But how well are they meeting the needs of UK families? Q&A with a GSG expert.
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Janita Gray
Senior Editor, The Good Schools Guide
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Dr Christopher Stevens
Headmaster, Bradfield College
SEN: from getting a diagnosis to choosing the right school
Selecting the right school for a child with learning difficulties can seem an overwhelming task. From the biggest school to the smallest, to the ultra-selective to totally inclusive, all schools have a policy devoted to learning needs. So, if your child has an identified need, how do you work out which is right for them?
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Mary Pegler
Education Consultant, The Good Schools Guide
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Tanya Moran
Headteacher, Abingdon House School and College
Starting out in North & East London - choices, decisions, applications, preparation
From Camden to Highgate to Stoke Newington this Forum discusses options for children starting out in North and East London. A leading prep school head talks about the nuts and bolts: how to choose and when to begin looking, the application process and what preparations you should make.
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Stephanie Piper
Headmistress, Devonshire House School
Next steps - deciding between boarding and day
How do you choose? Senior school heads answer parents questions.
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Mireille Rabaté
Head of School, Lycée International de Londres Winston Churchill
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Dr Adrian Rainbow
Headmaster, Hampton Court House School
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Douglas Robb
Headmaster, Gresham's
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Gemma Kilby
Director of Admissions, Felsted
Why head North?
Scottish schools, like Scottish universities, are different. They offer new perspectives, extraordinary facilities and highly distinctive cultures, yet many are just a short flight from London.
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Gemma Gray
Director, Gray Consulting, Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS)
Busting the myths of the independent schools admissions process
What independent schools are really looking for and what you should be too!
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Dr Andy Mayfield
Director of Admissions, St Paul's School
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Vicky Bingham
Headmistress, South Hampstead High School GDST
Finding a good school in London
London is the most competitive schools market in the world. Get your London school search questions answered by a Good Schools Guide expert.
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Grace Moody-Stuart
Director, The Good Schools Guide
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Matthew Shoults
Headmaster , Notting Hill & Ealing High School GDST
How to assess and then support your child's educational needs
What is an educational assessment? How should you interpret the results? And having undertaken one what should be your action plan?
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Sarah Warley
Founder, The Key Clinic
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Desmond O'Connor
Educational Psychologist , Bonas MacFarlane / O'Connor Assessments
What makes a good school?
From league tables to review websites to playground chat, there are many ways parents hear about schools. So when you look at a prospectus, make a school visit or attend an open day, how do you spot a good one?
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Helen Stanton-Tonner
Director of Education and Inclusion, The Independent Schools Association (ISA)
How to pay for your children & grandchildren’s education
Whether a grandparent, new parent, high earner or international parent, our experts will help you consider all of your options.
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Emma Cowley
Divisional Director - Investment Management, Brewin Dolphin
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Sarah Kirby
Divisional Director - Investment Management, Brewin Dolphin
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David Quintrell
Director, Brewin Dolphin
SEN: choosing the right school Q&A
A breakout session for parents wanting to discuss their child's educational needs and plan out the next steps of the journey.
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Aatif Hassan
Founder, Cavendish Education
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Mary Pegler
Education Consultant, The Good Schools Guide
Permission to shine
How well do you know your child? We test children to within an inch of their lives, without discovering what truly makes them tick. This fun, active, thought-provoking session will shift your perspective on exams and assessments.
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Desmond O'Connor
Educational Psychologist , Bonas MacFarlane / O'Connor Assessments
Starting out in West London - choices, decisions, applications, preparation
From Notting Hill to Ealing and Wembley, what do parents need to know if their children are starting out in West London? A leading West London prep school head talks about the nuts and bolts: how to choose and when to begin looking, the application process and what preparations you should make.
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Giles Entwisle
Headmaster , Durston House School
How to choose a school for your child
There are hundreds of schools to look at, so how do you find the right one for your child? For this talk, we are delighted to welcome one of the UK’s leading education experts, Barnaby Lenon, Chairman of the Independent Schools Council.
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Barnaby Lenon
Chairman, Independent Schools Council
Business issues facing independent schools
Independent schools are businesses that vary in kind enormously. From large chains, to small family-run businesses, some are far more robust than others. How resilient is your chosen school, and does it matter whether it is a for profit or a charitable trust?
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David Woodgate
Chief Executive, ISBA, Independent Schools' Bursars Association
Boarding in the 21st century
The days of big dorms, bare floorboards and spartan early morning swims are long gone. But boarding keeps changing. Now British boarding schools are world-beating, hugely international in outlook and recognised for the outstanding quality of their 24/7 education. But how well are they meeting the needs of UK families? Q&A with a GSG expert.
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Tom Rogerson
Headmaster, Cottesmore School
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Melanie Sanderson
Managing Editor, Good Schools Guide
Next steps - single sex or co-ed?
How do you choose? Senior school heads answer parents questions.
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Natasha Dangerfield
Headmistress, Westonbirt School
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Caroline Townshend
Head, Eaton Square Senior
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Rosalynd Kamaryc
Principal, Queen's Gate
How to focus your school search
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Lucinda Lafferty
Managing Director, The Good Schools Guide
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Grace Moody-Stuart
Director, The Good Schools Guide
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Ralph Lucas
Editor in Chief , Good Schools Guide
What's next for your child? How senior schools see the future in 5, 10 & 15 years time
What does your child have to look forward to? And what should worry you? What will senior schools look like for the coming generations of pupils, and how will independent schools face the challenges of issues such as climate change, affordability, contextual admissions?
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Christopher Cockerill
Head, Senior School, Fulham School
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Jane Lunnon
Head, Alleyn's
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Jesse R Elzinga
Headmaster, Sevenoaks School
What makes a good head, and how to spot one?
It is right that this theatre should discuss leadership. How can you tell when a school is well-run? Is improving better than coasting? And what are the warning signs to watch out for?
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Sarah Raffray
Headteacher, St. Augustine's Priory
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Roland Martin
Headmaster , City of London Freemen’s School
The impact of school groups on UK education
The independent schools sector has seen increasing amounts of transactions recently. What are the benefits to pupils when their schools are bought and consolidated into groups. Is group ownership, particularly of smaller schools, going to be increasingly common?
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Aatif Hassan
Founder, Dukes Education
