Independent Schools Conference

Tania Botting has worked in both the maintained and independent sectors for over thirty-eight years. Most recently, she was Head of Greenfield School for fourteen years, a stand-alone prep school in Surrey. Tania has been very involved with IAPS during her time as a Head and, following her retirement from headship, is now the Chair of the Association; she is also Deputy Chair of the ISC. Tania has been an ISI inspector and is also a Governor at Epsom College.

David Woodgate was appointed Chief Executive of the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association in May 2016.  Prior to this he was Chief Executive of the Institute of Financial Accountants from 2007 to 2015 after which he spent a year as the Strategy Consultant to the Institute of Public Accountants in Australia.

David qualified as a Barrister in 1982 following a first degree in Languages (French and Russian), Law and Linguistics.  He moved from the law into the City, holding several senior management and executive positions in the National Westminster Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland – in Strategic Planning, Corporate Finance and latterly as Director of e-Commerce for the corporate bank. He ran an outsourcing business and a specialist internal consultancy providing market intelligence and competitor analysis.

He completed an MBA at Warwick University Business School in 1992 with distinction.  A former Chief Executive of the Institute of Administrative Management, he also holds a postgraduate diploma in Charity Management from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and South Bank University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Chartered Banker, a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights. David is also a former Chairman of Governors of an HMC Independent school and is currently a Governor of the City of London School.

Leanne is an accomplished Commercial Director with over eighteen years of proven success in developing and implementing commercial strategies that drive profitability and strengthen value propositions within the independent education sector.

Her career in education began at Repton School, where she established and led a thriving enterprises function, successfully doubling revenue under her leadership. During her 15 years at Repton and drawing on her experience as a former international basketball player and full scholarship athlete in South Carolina, USA, Leanne has also championed widening access to sport for young people from diverse backgrounds, forging impactful partnerships at both local and national levels.

In 2022, Leanne joined Denstone College as Head of Commercial Enterprises, quickly making her mark by driving growth and innovation. Eighteen months later, she was promoted to Director of Operations, where she has led the development of a fresh commercial strategy closely aligned with admissions and marketing. This integrated approach has delivered exceptional results, contributing to both commercial growth and admissions success over the past year.

Liz is co-President Elect of the Chartered College of Teaching and chairs the Finance Risk and Audit Committee. She has been involved with the Chartered College since 2019 as a Fellow and then Trustee. She has taught economics for over 20 years in both maintained and independent sector schools and has an MEd in Educational Leadership and Management. She has been Head of The Maynard since 2022, an all-though girls’ school in Exeter. Previously she has held senior deputy roles with a particular interest in professional development, coaching and evidence-informed practice. She is an accredited Leadership Coach and ISI inspector. Liz has been safeguarding governor for a MAT in the South West since 2019 and has also held leadership positions as a Principal Examiner.

Rachel is an Employment Partner and joint head of the Education & Charities Team at HCR Law. She advises a broad range of clients in the education sector on all aspects of the employment relationship. Rachel regularly helps schools deal with performance management issues, ill health, restructuring, disciplinaries and grievances, complex safeguarding cases, TUPE, trade union matters, Employment Tribunal cases. She frequently advises clients on sensitive and complex issues, in particular senior severances. She regularly delivers training to clients and is a frequent speaker at national and regional sector events. Rachel is highly regarded for her clear and dependable counsel, working closely with clients to provide considered, commercial and practical advice.

AMCIS is the leading organisation supporting marketing, communications, and admissions professionals in independent schools. With approximately 600 member schools in the UK and internationally, the team provide support through training, events, and connecting members with peers. A powerful community of passionate professionals, driven by wanting to support their schools to thrive – AMCIS provides the space and encouragement for the networking to happen.

Oliver is an alumnus of Pocklington School, in East Yorkshire, and took the role of CEO in June 2025 having worked in the membership sector for ten years.

Robin Fletcher is CEO of BSA Group, which comprises BAISIS (British Association of Independent Schools with International Students), BSA (Boarding Schools Association), BSA Legal (Immigration law), HIEDA (Health in Education Association), IELA (Inclusion and Equity Leadership Association), SACPA (Safeguarding and Child Protection Association) and TIOB (The Institute of Boarding). BSA Group has more than 2,000 customers in 50 countries and delivers the world’s largest professional development programme for boarding staff. Robin, a former newspaper editor and communications director, has been CEO since 2014 and is currently also a governor at Millfield School.

Jade Gower is a Marketing and Communications professional with extensive experience across the global education sector, having held senior admissions, marketing, and communications roles in China, Saudi Arabia, and throughout the UK. With a strong background in independent schools, Jade specialises in developing and delivering strategic marketing initiatives that elevate school visibility, strengthen engagement, and drive admissions. Jade is currently the Director of Marketing & Communications at West Buckland School.

Dr Spence joined the School Partnerships Alliance as CEO in January 2025. Joe was Master of Dulwich College from 2009 to 2024.  In June 2024 he was awarded Tes Headteacher of the Year (Independent) with his long-standing commitment to partnerships being at the heart of the citation. Under Joe’s leadership, Dulwich developed a number of mutually-beneficial school partnerships, promoted national SCITT programmes and supported Saturday Schools for primary school children in Science, the Arts and Mathematics. Joe has been a governor of more than a dozen state and independent schools and was a director of the Southwark Schools Learning Partnership from 2015 to 2024.

Performance and wellbeing coach and the founder of youHQ, the school wellbeing app. Qualified sport and exercise scientist, trained in psychotherapy and hypnotherapy and over 20 years of business and business growth experience.

2026 marks Andrew’s 32nd year working full-time in education, 22 of those years employed as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator.  He started his career as an English Teacher, then Head of English working in the state sector, before being appointed as SENDco and Head of Support at Canford School 4 years ago.  His research MA in Education focused on whole School Behaviour Management, Effective Educational Leadership and Whole School Inclusion.  Andrew also holds certified post graduate accreditation as a qualified Mental Health Therapist, specialising in working with children and adolescents.  As well as leading the Support for Learning Team at Canford, Andrew also teaches A Level English Literature.

A practising teacher, Jonnie Noakes has since 2015 been the Director of a Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning (CIRL) at Eton College. CIRL’s work focuses on pedagogical excellence, evidence-informed practice, research into teaching, learning and leadership in education, and innovation in cross-sector partnerships. He is an expert in character education, with two decades of experience in teaching emotional intelligence and a deep knowledge of boarding education, having been a boarding housemaster for twelve years. As an English teacher, he led two departments concurrently at Eton and at the London Academy of Excellence, a high performing state sixth form, and has published fourteen texts on contemporary novels for A-Level and undergraduate level, designed to cultivate intellectual independence. As the Director of Teaching and Learning at Eton he played a strategic role in developing Eton’s approach to pedagogy for over a decade, promoting a culture of evidence-informed practice and innovation through a rich programme of Professional Development. He is a director of Neuroscience for Education; an editorial board member of the UK Chartered College of Teaching’s journal Impact; and an advisory board member of Rethinking Assessment, a coalition of educators, researchers and business leaders who argue for innovative and fairer assessment for young people. He has been a governor of a number of state and independent schools and a Trustee of the cross-sector United Westminster and Grey Coat Foundation. For five years he was Chair of Governors at Queen Anne’s School in Caversham. Jonnie is a regular speaker and trainer on innovation, evidence-informed practice and the future of education at conferences internationally.

Melissa Farnham is Chief Executive of ASDAN, an education charity and awarding organisation dedicated to helping young people develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to thrive in learning, work, and life. Prior to joining ASDAN, she spent 16 years as an Executive Head across the independent school sector, leading innovation in curriculum design, pastoral development, and whole-school culture. She is passionate about learning that connects academic rigour with real-world purpose and leads ASDAN’s vision for Curriculum DNA, a framework that builds purposeful futures and aligns with the values and freedoms central to independent education.

Daniel Pearson works at the intersection of education, technology, and leadership, combining day-to-day school practice with sector-wide consultancy. He leads AI strategy and implementation at Hurtwood House, a 16–19 independent school in Surrey, overseeing staff practice, pupil use, and administrative workflows. His focus is on embedding AI in ways that are practical, consistent, and defensible, with clear expectations around acceptable use, academic integrity, and staff confidence across departments.

Alongside his school-based role, Daniel advises schools on AI strategy and implementation, supporting senior leadership teams to move from policy into embedded practice. With over 20 years’ experience in education and technology, his consultancy work centres on diagnosing what is actually happening in schools and designing solutions that fit existing systems and constraints. His work with leaders focuses on turning good intentions into everyday practice, creating clarity, shared ownership, and momentum that staff can actually sustain.

Tania Botting has worked in both the maintained and independent sectors for over thirty-eight years. Most recently, she was Head of Greenfield School for fourteen years, a stand-alone prep school in Surrey. Tania has been very involved with IAPS during her time as a Head and, following her retirement from headship, is now the Chair of the Association; she is also Deputy Chair of the ISC. Tania has been an ISI inspector and is also a Governor at Epsom College.