Deputy Heads' Conference - Sunday 8 – Tuesday 10 June 2025 (Norton Park Hotel, Winchester)

This conference aims to: Focus on the key issues for HMC Deputy Heads and provide an opportunity to network and share good practice.

Description

This conference aims to:

Focus on the key issues for HMC Deputy Heads and provide an opportunity to network and share good practice.

This conference is for:

Senior Deputy Heads and Deputy Heads with pastoral responsibilities in HMC and other independent schools.

This conference fee includes:

Accommodation, all meals, refreshments, and course materials throughout the conference.

Conference theme: Solutions, not problems

Time	Session	Room
Sunday 8 June 2025
14.30 – 15.30	Refreshments served among the exhibitors	Foyer/Norton Lobby/Bar
15.00 – 15.30	Arrival and registration	Hotel Foyer
15.30 – 15.45	Welcome and opening remarks Melanie Horsburgh, Director of Member Services, HMC Anna Peak – Conference Director and Deputy Head (Pastoral) and DSL, Shrewsbury School Sponsor: Camps International	Norton Suite
15.45 – 16.40	State of the Nation address, followed by Q & A Speaker: Jaideep Barot, Chair, HMC and Headmaster, Bristol Grammar School	Norton Suite
16.40 – 17.00	Refreshment break among the exhibitors	Foyer/Norton Lobby/Bar
17.00 – 17.05	HMC Education Update Speaker: Keri Moorhouse, Education Officer, HMC	Norton Suite
17:05 – 17:15	HMC Platinum Partner Introductions Alps The Wellbeing Hub 9ine World Challenge Education Horizons	Norton Suite
17.15 – 18.00	Connect and Collaborate - Sharing initiatives across our schools Speaker: Helen Keevil, Abingdon School	Norton Suite
18.00 – 18.10	Archiving in a world of social media Speaker: Mark Coleman, SDS	Norton Suite
18.10 – 19.30	Free time
19.30 – 20.00	Private drinks reception for new Deputy Heads	Conservatory
19.30 – 20.00	Drinks- cash bar	Hotel Bar
20.00	Dinner – please refer to table plan for seating – school type	Norton Suite
Monday 9 June 2025
07.00 – 09.00	Breakfast	River Room
09.00 – 10.15	Keynote: Courageous Leadership – lessons from Shakespeare’s Macbeth Speaker: Ben Walden, Contender Charlie Chair: Alex Kingsbury, Yarm School	Norton Suite
10.20 11.20 -	Breakout Sessions: Preparing for Headship: a peak behind the curtain - Elizabeth Stone, Winchester College Teacher Recruitment and retention – Liz Gregory, Head, the Maynard School and Chartered College of Teaching Bridging Cultures: Connecting with students from every background – Yasmina Koné, Hemisphere Education Managing Difficult Conversations in a School Setting -Alicia Drummond, Wellbeing Hub	Hampshire Barn Norton Suite Wonston Room Austen Room
11.20 – 11.50	Refreshment break among the exhibitors	Foyer/Norton Lobby/Bar
11.50 – 12.50	Keynote: A guide to Development What is Development? Benchmarking How Senior Leadership is Integral to Development Speakers: Lou Bennett, CEO, The Institute of Development Professionals in Education and Melanie Bushell, Director of Development, Winchester College Chair: Sarah Humphrey, Kingston Grammar School	Norton Suite
12:50 – 13:40	Lunch	River Room
13.40 – 14.40	The Marketplace – extended networking session 1. Student Wellbeing & Pastoral Care 2. Staff Wellbeing, Recruitment & Retention 3. Parent Relations & External Pressures 4. Digital Safety & Technology Integration	Norton Suite Hampshire Barn Wonston Room Austen Room
14.40 – 14.45	Move between sessions
14.45 – 15.45	The Marketplace – extended networking session Repeat of Sessions Above	Norton Suite Hampshire Barn Wonston Austen
15.45 – 16.15	Refreshment break among the exhibitors	Foyer/Norton Lobby/Bar
16.15 – 17.15	Reputation in the information age and the search for authenticity Reputation is vital in the drive to create sustainable institutions in an ever changing world. Schools are a collection of relationships: in the information age reputation is based on the difficult to measure elements of human interaction and our response to the challenges of education. The session will examine the six elements below and through them Barry will examine strategies long, medium, short and immediate terms to create real relationships with those stakeholders and demonstrate authenticity in reputational management. 1. Presence in the school, national, and international communities 2. Approaches to Staff culture. 3. Approaches to student culture. 4. Approaches to parent culture 5. The Admissions process: honest brokers or a sales team 6. Response to crisis for the individual, the group and the institution Speaker: Barry Cooper, Principal, The Global College, Madrid; Edruptor 2024 Chair: Anna Peak	Norton Suite
17.15 -19.00	Free time
19.00	Drinks reception	Hotel Patio
19.30	Conference dinner (free seating)	Norton Suite
Tuesday 10 June 2025
07.00 – 09.00	Breakfast	River Room
09.00 – 10.00	Keynote: Employment Law Speaker: Harriet Broughton, Partner, Stone King LLP	Norton Suite
10.00 – 11.00	Keynote: Building a Culture of Staff Wellbeing To consider the steps needed to cultivate a genuine and sustainable culture of staff wellbeing. In this session Mark will address the current landscape of staff wellbeing and examine why, despite increased dialogue around wellbeing, actions do not appear to be yielding significant or lasting improvements. Key areas to cover include: What the latest research and statistics tell us The house of organisational wellbeing – where to focus for greatest impact Using data to inform decisions and measure impact Practical actions that make a difference. This session will equip participants with a clearer understanding for leading impactful and sustainable improvements for staff wellbeing within their schools. Speaker: Mark Solomons, author of What makes teachers unhappy	Norton Suite
11.00 – 11.30	Refreshment break among the exhibitors	Foyer/Norton Lobby/Bar
11.30 – 12.30	Keynote: The true meaning of resilience Speaker: Liz McConaghy Best-selling author Recipient of the 2023 Defence Discount Service Inspirational Woman in Defence Award Advocate for veterans' mental health and PTSD awareness	Norton Suite
12.30	Closing remarks and lunch If you have ordered a packed lunch, please collect on departure	Norton Suite