1) Reimagining Education Together – a hands-on Lego® Serious Play® Workshop
Shaun Jones, Co-Founder, Courageous Leaders 

This session explores what a future-ready school could look like when play and creativity are central to learning. Participants will examine the practical enablers and blockers that influence this vision—from budgets and HR to wellbeing and staff development—drawing on the diverse perspectives in the room. 

We’ll also consider how major global trends such as AI, shifting family expectations and geopolitical change may reshape school communities. The session concludes with a set of shared insights and actionable steps for participants to take back into their roles. 

2) The Human Element: Balancing AI and Empathy in International School HR 
Katie O’Flynn, Founder and Principal Consultant, EmpoweredHR 

International school HR teams face a unique challenge: leveraging AI technology while preserving the human connection essential to educational communities.  

This workshop addresses multimodal collaboration needs specific to international schools, offering practical frameworks for ethical AI implementation. Participants will evaluate which HR functions benefit from AI enhancement versus human touchpoints, explore collaboration tools designed for educational workflows, and develop strategies for communicating across diverse stakeholders.  

Through guided demonstrations and interactive breakouts, attendees will map current HR processes, identify collaboration opportunities, and create ethical guidelines respecting cultural sensitivities. The session includes scenario analysis of common international school HR challenges and concludes with personalised 30-day implementation roadmaps. Perfect for HR professionals seeking to transform administrative functions while strengthening human relations. 

3) Small Group SCR Clinic (pre-booking required)

An opportunity to review your school's current SCR practice, informally, with members of the COBIS Safeguarding and Accreditation teams. You may wish to bring a laptop with access to your school’s SCR (optional).

1) Cross-Functional Collaboration for Better Outcomes in Schools 
Richard Hester, Director, Misk Schools Academy 

The power of effective cross-functional collaboration between Admin, Legal, Finance, Procurement, and HR is that decisions are faster, smarter, and truly aligned. This workshop helps leaders move beyond silos to create a culture of shared purpose, trust, and clarity. Participants will learn practical tools to engage colleagues early, clarify responsibilities, and communicate across teams with confidence.  

By aligning strategy with compliance, budgets, and people priorities, schools reduce risk, improve efficiency, and achieve sustainable growth. Leaders will explore how to use RACI matrices, collaborative planning sessions, and reflective debriefs to make teamwork seamless and purposeful.  

This isn’t about adding complexity—it’s about unlocking the collective intelligence of your organisation. When academic and operational teams collaborate effectively, schools gain stronger governance, sharper decision-making, and a healthier, more transparent culture.  

2) Beyond the Checklist: Transforming the Onboarding Experience 
Michelle Hobson, Head of HR, Dubai College 

This presentation aims to inspire a fresh approach to onboarding, transforming it into a process that builds stronger connections and a true sense of belonging even before day one. 

 3) School Perspectives: Innovative partnerships to increase a School’s value proposition / The Hidden Driver of Sustainability: Social Capital in Schools 
Patricia Bremner, Bursar, Aiglon College / Ildar Iliazov, Principal, Light International School Mombasa

School Perspectives: In today’s competitive international schools’ market, bursars and business managers play a pivotal role in shaping a school’s distinctiveness. At Aiglon, we believe children are searching for “Hogwarts” – and it is our duty to keep the magic alive. 

Aiglon has pioneered partnerships with organisations and individuals such as Manchester City Football Club, Lindsey Vonn, Bear Grylls, and Steinway & Sons. These collaborations inspire students, reinforce programmes, enhance recruitment, and strengthen the School’s brand. Yet such partnerships carry risks that must be carefully managed, aligning values with benefit to student experience. 

Through philanthropy and community engagement, we have also funded initiatives in robotics, space technology, and sports, ensuring innovation without burdening fee income. 

This session will share how bursars can empower colleagues, build creative collaborations, and unlock philanthropic support to enrich student experience.  

The Hidden Driver of Sustainability: In today’s international schools, bursars, business managers, and HR professionals face increasing pressures to balance financial sustainability, staff wellbeing, and organizational performance. Beneath budgets and policies, however, lies an often-overlooked driver of success: social capital. Defined as the network of trust, reciprocity, and collaboration among staff, social capital is more than a cultural asset - it is a measurable, strategic resource that directly influences retention, innovation, and long-term sustainability. 

This session draws on research and practice from international schools across different contexts to show how mapping professional networks can transform fragmented groups into cohesive teams. Participants will explore case studies and practical tools to identify isolates, strengthen fragile ties, and build organizational resilience, demonstrating that financial sustainability depends on professional trust and collaborative capacity. 

1) Cyber Security: What's Effective in 2026 
Adam Brigham, CEO, MSP LAB 

Lead with confidence in a digital world by learning how to navigate today’s cyber threats while balancing budgets, compliance, and school-wide risk management. School leaders will gain insight into the risks that could impact students, staff, and their school’s reputation, including ransomware, extortion, and data breaches, as well as emerging challenges like AI-driven attacks. We will consider how to identify vulnerabilities, benchmark security maturity, and develop a clear roadmap for strengthening governance, managing risk, and building a safer, more resilient school community, all within realistic budget constraints.  

2) Psychological Safety as a Catalyst for Successful Change
Claire Harvey, Founder, Anatta Ltd, Helen Semple Founder, Schools’ Inclusion Alliance

Creating a psychologically safe environment is arguably more important now than it has ever been. In times of transformation, uncertainty and pressure, psychological safety becomes a strategic lever for innovation, operational excellence and employee engagement, especially for the areas of schools (bursars, business managers and HR) that are shaping cultural architecture and driving complex change across the whole school.    

In this session we will : 

• Unpack what psychological safety really means—moving past jargon to explore its measurable impact on decision-making, accountability, and trust. 
• Understanding the impact on psychological safety on broader organisational systems—governance, feedback loops, and change management. 
• Provide practical tools you can immediately apply in your role, departments and working culture to measure and increase psychological safety 
• Explore how to role model, shape and embed courageous conversations that build trust, surface dissent, and foster inclusive decision-making. 

3) Teacher Recruitment, Retention, Salary and Benefits - research, trends, and data updates 
William Saville, Global Development Manager, ISC Research 

An opportunity to explore some of the latest data and research on teacher recruitment, retention, teacher salaries and benefits. ISC Research is the leading provider of English-medium K-12 international school data, trends and intelligence.

1) HR reimagined - The pivotal jewel in the leadership crown 
Laura Mitchelson, Owner, Veritas Wild 

School HR has evolved. As recently as a few years ago, many departments were transactional - focused on contracts, compliance, and recruitment.  
This session invites leaders to rethink HR’s evolving role and the new skill sets it demands. Participants will focus on how HR is positioned, empowered, and respected since this impacts teacher engagement, wellbeing, and retention. They will also be challenged to view HR as a driver of culture, not just policy and compliance.  

The session will hold space for exploring pioneering talent ecosystems that flexibly blend full-time, fractional, and freelance roles to foster innovation, agility, and cost efficiency in resource-constrained school environments. 

Finally, participants will explore new models for aligning HR strategy with staff experience and school performance, and for storytelling effectively at senior leadership level to ensure both the seat at the proverbial table and the effectiveness of the seat.  

2) Bursars’ Roundtable – Challenges and Trends 
Roundtable 

An opportunity to discuss and share challenges and opportunities with peers. Topics may include:

• Changing trends in pupil numbers, admissions and competition
• Dealing with socio-political uncertainty
• Budgeting
• Capital projects
• Fundraising & alumni
• Health & safety compliance
• Approaches to marketing & sales
• Effective partnerships

3) Handling Tough Conversations and Difficult Outcomes 
Costa Constantinou, Director of Education, Veema 

For HR professionals and bursars, tough conversations come with the territory, but they don’t have to be daunting. This session helps you approach challenging discussions with confidence, empathy, and impact. 

Whether it’s managing conflict, addressing complaints, or tackling sensitive issues, you’ll gain practical tools to keep dialogue open, outcomes positive, and relationships strong. 

Expect simple, effective frameworks, live role-play activities, and reflective discussions that help you say what needs to be said — clearly, calmly, and without losing trust or momentum. 

You’ll leave feeling more confident, better equipped, and ready to turn difficult moments into opportunities for growth, trust, and understanding. 

1) The Strategic Bursar: Leadership, Complexity and Culture in International Schools 
Heather Styche-Patel, CEO, RSA Academics  

What does it take to thrive as a Bursar, CFO, COO or business leader in today’s international schools? 

Drawing on the findings of The Art of the Bursar – the most comprehensive research study of its kind in the UK independent sector – this session explores the evolving role of the school business leader in increasingly complex and globalised educational settings. 

While focused on UK schools, many of the the challenges identified are highly relevant to international schools: rising stakeholder expectations, operational and regulatory complexity, and the need to lead with both strategic clarity and cultural fluency. 

This session will provide: 

• A research-based framework for understanding the role of the modern business leader.
• Insights into the skills, behaviours and conditions that support success 
• Practical takeaways for HR teams and Heads making appointments to these positions.
• Specific reflection on how these findings apply in the international school context. 

2) Safer Recruitment – Best Practice, Processes and Updates

Louise Bell, Safeguarding Officer, COBIS; Hannah Jones, COO, The Safeguarding Alliance; Fay Wilson, Senior Officer, National Crime Agency; Sue Nash, Rachel Carter, ACRO

A panel discussion hosted by COBIS with The Safeguarding Alliance, ACRO and The National Crime Agency on best practice in safer recruitment processes in international schools. We will hear from the panel on any key updates in safer recruitment and the progress being made with BISSC (British International School Safeguarding Coalition) and other multi-agency working groups. 

There will be opportunity for a Q and A session with the panel. 

3) Small Group SCR Clinic
Pre-booking required

An opportunity to review your school's current SCR practice, informally, with members of the COBIS Safeguarding and Accreditation teams. You may wish to bring a laptop with access to your school’s SCR (optional).

1) Neurodiversity in the workforce 
Catrina Lowri, Founder and Director, Neuroteachers

With reference to the latest research (including work from Genius Within), this session will consider:

• What is neurodiversity?
• Local laws, regulations and best practice
• Good allyship, empathy and respect
• Neurodivergent Identity and Language
• Neurodivergent Strengths and needs
• Hiring; What the neurodivergent talent pool needs from you
• What are the employee accommodations and why do we need to make them
• How assistive technology can support inclusion
• Inclusive management; how to develop neurodivergent talent
• Q and A

2) Sharper Systems, Better Decisions: Applying AI for School Operation     

Laura Knight, Founder, Sapio Ltd  

This session is designed for colleagues involved in school operations, finance, business management and related functions who want to use AI to strengthen processes and productivity. Attendees will explore applied techniques, examine real examples, and leave with simple, reliable methods they can put to work immediately across their own operational systems.