Bursar’s Review ISBA Annual Conference 2019

Welcome to Manchester 5 www.theisba.org.uk @the_isba Annual Conference 2019 ISBA’s annual conference has always been an essential fixture in the diaries of bursars and senior managers in schools that are interested in broadening their thinking, developing their knowledge and networking with peers across the sector. All these elements will continue to motivate us long after the conference ends and everyone heads back to school to juggle tasks within their busy roles. CHAIR’S WELCOME I would like to thank all our speakers, delegates and guests from across the sector for their support for this year’s conference, as well as ISBA’s head office team who work so diligently to organise such a successful event. Special thanks go to our headline partners Hettle Andrews & Associates Ltd, Redwood Collections Ltd, Synergy Construction and Property Consultants, Darwin Group, Schoolblazer, Engage by Double First, Holroyd Howe and Inventry Ltd. We are also hugely appreciative of the generous support from all our exhibitors. I’m looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible over the two days – please do visit the ISBA team at our information desk where we will be happy to assist you with any advice and guidance you might need. John Pratten Chair, ISBA of global economy and deputy director of the School of Management at Cranfield University, who some of you know well and who will give us his unique insight into current worldwide economics. ‘Meeting cyber threats in a trusting sector’ will be the theme of our second keynote address from a senior leader at the National Cyber Security Centre (whose name we must withhold at this stage). With numbers of cyber-attacks on schools increasing significantly in the last 18 months alone, the practical advice from the NCSC in this presentation could not be more apposite. Carrie Gracie, a BBC journalist for the past 30 years with an abiding passion for China, will be our closing keynote speaker on Wednesday 22nd May. She’ll explain the impact of China’s rise and what this is likely to mean for schools in the future. Finally, our after-dinner speaker at the annual dinner on Wednesday will be the radio and sports presenter Garry Richardson. However, as I look ahead to this year’s conference in Manchester and think about the environment we now operate in, I believe the importance of this event cannot be overstated. In a world where uncertainty is becoming the new normal and, where the previously unthinkable can become reality within days, committing just a few days to deepening our understanding is vital. No school can take future success for granted, especially at a time when the basis of past achievements can be so quickly undermined. Staying abreast of sector and policy developments, learning about new technology and sharing experiences with other bursars means that attending the annual conference is an undeniably worthwhile investment of time. The event will have a global perspective, with experienced, interesting and challenging speakers in the line-up over the two days. The conference opens on Tuesday 21st May with a keynote address from Joe Nellis, professor