Headteachers’ Forum

Join headteachers from across the non-association independent school sector for a practical, participative forum focused on the realities of leading an independent school.

The NAISA Headteachers Forum is designed to provide something that busy school leaders rarely get enough of: protected time to step back, reflect, share experience and talk openly with colleagues who understand the pressures and responsibilities of the role.

This is not a traditional training session. NAISA will facilitate the discussion and bring relevant information and sector insight, but the expertise, experience and questions of the headteachers attending will be a central part of the forum.

A key focus of this session will be attendance and the headteacher’s role in leading a whole-school approach. We will explore how leaders establish expectations, understand patterns and underlying causes, ensure effective systems and intervention, work with pupils and families, and create a culture in which attendance is understood as everyone’s responsibility.

Delegates will then have the opportunity to share their own experiences. What barriers are affecting pupils? Which approaches are making a difference? Where are schools struggling? And how can leaders achieve the right balance between support, challenge and accountability?

The forum will also provide substantial time to discuss the wider realities of leading a non-association independent school. Headteachers will be invited to bring current questions, emerging issues, leadership challenges, examples of effective practice and areas where they would value the perspective of colleagues.

An important feature of this forum is its connection with the forthcoming NAISA Proprietors Forum. Headteachers will be invited to consider what they would like proprietors to understand better about the headteacher role, what effective proprietor support looks like, and where more open discussion between the two roles may be needed. Key themes will be taken forward anonymously, helping to create a constructive conversation across the sector rather than focusing on individual schools or relationships.

Who is this forum for?
This forum is particularly suitable for:

• Headteachers and Principals
• Executive Headteachers
• Heads of School
• Senior leaders currently preparing for headship
• Leaders responsible for the strategic direction of non-association independent schools

Whether you are facing a particular leadership challenge, looking for ideas from other schools, wanting to reflect on your own practice, or simply value the opportunity to connect with peers who understand the role, the NAISA Headteachers Forum offers a supportive and professionally useful space for discussion, challenge and shared learning.