ISBA

30 www.theisba.org.uk CONFERENCE SPEAKERS Keynotes, breakout, panel sessions and updates Monday 22 November 2021 Welcome and keynote 13.00 – 13.40 Completing the cycle and planning ahead Vanessa Ward, chief executive and chief inspector, ISI (See Vanessa’s biography on page 12) Breakout sessions A1 13.50 – 14.30 Legal update Jonathan Eley Jonathan is a partner at Farrer & Co. He advises schools and other organisations on child protection issues and, until recently, was the safeguarding governor of a secondary school in London. Jonathan also has expertise and experience in pupil admissions, expulsions and discipline, pupil disability and special needs issues and parental complaints, as well as the full range of employment law issues that schools face. A2 13.50 – 14.30 HR and employment law update Susan King Sue is a partner at Wrigleys. She qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and advises charities and other not for profit, voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises on all aspects of employment law including strategic issues involving TUPE and restructuring. She also provides practical day-to -day employment law advice on a wide range of issues from allegations of discrimination, disciplinary and grievance procedures through to drafting contracts and changing terms and conditions. Sue has experience of advising on severance packages and on senior executive service agreements. She also represents employers throughout the Employment Tribunal process. She manages Wrigleys’ HR response, and their telephone and email employment law helpline for charities including academies and independent schools. In March 2020, Sue was appointed to the AGBIS Board. A3 13.50 – 14.30 Finance update Tina Allison Tina is a specialist audit partner in Crowe’s charity and education unit. She is head of the national education team with responsibility for the delivery of the firm’s services to schools and academies. Her varied client base includes a number of leading independent day and boarding schools throughout the country, national charities and other not-for-profit organisations. She has provided advice and assurance services to schools and, more recently, has been advising on group restructures and international schools. Tina is well respected by her clients for delivering practical and well-rounded business advice, set within the relevant regulatory framework in which her clients operate. She is also a member of the Education and Skills Funding Agency working group providing input regarding educational charities and a member of the firm’s executive team. Guy Biggin Guy is a specialist charities and education partner at Crowe. He has considerable experience in audit and risk management as well as in-depth knowledge of strategic planning, good governance, tax-efficient trading, fundraising and other essential areas. His extensive understanding of the technical requirements, alongside his practical, helpful approach, makes him an ideal professional partner. He is a regular speaker at Crowe UK workshops and a sought-after speaker at local and national seminars run by other sector specialists. Guy has recently presented for ICAEW, ISBA, AGBIS, NATSPEC and NCVO. He is a member of the Institute of Risk Management and sits on their Charity Special Interest Group. Outside work, Guy is a trustee of Blood Pressure UK, Gloucester Engineering Training Limited, and a governor of The Downs School in Bristol. This experience gives Guy insight into the immediate challenges facing trustee and governing bodies, informing the guidance he provides to his charity and school clients. A4 13.50 – 14.30 Governance and assurance Richard Johnson Richard is deputy chief inspector at ISI. A former independent school headmaster, with more than 30 years of teaching experience in both boarding and day schools, he has previously been an ISI reporting inspector, quality assurance monitor and report editor, as well as leading inspections for Ofsted. Based in Wiltshire, he is also a maintained school governor and a trustee of a multi-academy trust. B1 15.10 – 15.50 Legal update (repeat session) Helen Tucker Helen is a partner in the independent schools team at Stone King. Prior to joining, Helen was head of the education team at Ashfords solicitors, and head of legal services for The Girls’ Day School Trust. At the Trust Helen led the legal advice to the trustees and executive, as well as to the 26 headteachers within the group. Helen advises independent schools on issues including strategic review papers for trustees, school mergers, safeguarding cases, educational negligence claims, Equality Act issues, school parent contracts, and data protection. Helen recently completed her tenure as chair of governors at a school in Bristol. Andrew Banks Andrew is a partner and head of the court and regulatory team at Stone King. He is an experienced criminal practitioner who practices in the Crown Court and Magistrates Court. Andrew is a solicitor advocate having attained his Higher Court qualification. Andrew has many years’ experience advising educational institutions on a range of regulatory matters and breaches, including health and safety issues, property mis-description, and planning and environmental breaches. As a solicitor advocate, Andrew also represents and prepares cases for inquest before the coroner. Clients represented include a cross section of interested persons from next of kin to schools and companies.