Thursday October 10th and Friday October 11th 2024 marked the WELSH INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS COUNCIL Annual Conference at The Quay Hotel and Spa in beautiful Deganwy. The event opened with eloquent words from our esteemed Chair, Gareth Pearson, Head of Christ College Brecon.
We were then inspired by an engaging keynote speech from Nina Jackson, who passionately explored the critical theme of wellbeing in education.
This was followed by HMI colleagues from Estyn – Dyfrig Ellis, Richard Murray, and Mary Hughes —who shared invaluable insights on the new Common Inspection Framework, offering practical tips for navigating inspections under the revamped framework and newly revised Standards. Their expertise sparked lively discussions among attendees.
We also had the pleasure of hearing from Julie Webster, the Independent Schools Registrar, who joined us online to provide a vital update from Welsh Government.
The first evening of our conference at The Quay Hotel and Spa was nothing short of spectacular as around 80 people attended the Annual Dinner in the Castle Suite overlooking the Conwy Estuary. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as we enjoyed stunning performances from pupils who attend St Gerard’s School Trust, featuring an incredible soloist singer and an extremely talented violinist—huge thanks to Headteacher Campbell Harrison for his pupils Mia and Seren!
We celebrated excellence in education with our Inspirational Teacher Awards, honouring the outstanding contributions of deserving teachers from Amberleigh Care Limited, namely Emma Phillips, and Alison Banks of St John’s College Cardiff. Both ladies have made exceptional contributions to the lives of pupils at their respective schools over considerable lengths of time.
To cap off the evening, we were graced by the presence of Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson as our after-dinner speaker, who captivated and inspired us all with her remarkable story. It really was a memorable evening, and we are extremely grateful to the staff of the hotel who worked so hard as a team to ensure the success and smooth running of the dinner arrangements.
Our second day of presentations and forums included breakout sessions in order that our Mainstream and Special schools could have time to discuss relevant and topical issues within our sector. Our thanks go to David Woodgate (ISBA), Dale Wilkins (BSA), and Julie Robinson and Matthew Dent (ISC) who helped to facilitate these discussions. Following this, delegates were able to gain firsthand insights from headteachers and peer inspectors about recent inspection experiences.
The final presentation was from Mark Anderson who gave an interactive talk on the very relevant topic of “AI and the Future of Learning.” Click on link for more details
Our grateful thanks go to everyone who attended the conference, especially delegates and our fantastic sponsors, particularly our Gold Sponsors Assured Partners and Education Horizons, without whom we couldn’t run the event. Special thanks go to the fabulous Brid Adams, General Manager of The Quay Hotel and Spa, and her amazing team who worked so hard to help make our event so special. We look forward to being with you all again in the future!
All delegates felt privileged to engage in these two days filled with inspiration, knowledge, and collaborative spirit—truly an event to remember!
See the comment below from one of our Gold Sponsors. Next year’s conference will be back in Cardiff on 9th and 10th October 2025. Contact Emma Verrier (CEO) if you would like to be involved.
“What an amazing couple of days of conference at The Quay Hotel & Spa, Deganwy, hosted by the Welsh Independent Schools Council #WISC. Fantastic to meet, and have the time to really talk with Bursars, Heads, Finance Directors, and Leaders from so many fabulous Independent Schools as well as other industry experts with inspiring products and even more inspiring stories.” Dom Haig- Assured Partners, Gold Sponsor
