ISBA BURSARCAST

A key question asked this week is, What does catering now signal about culture, quality and the day-to-day school experience? This week’s ISBA Bursarcast opens with the key operational and regulatory developments for the sector this week, including updated Independent School Standards Regulations on restrictive interventions, refreshed Independent Schools Standards Guidance, and sharper inspection...

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast brings you a focused newsbeat on staff accommodation, charity accounting reform, safeguarding consultation changes, restrictive intervention duties and key compliance pressures—centred on what bursars and senior leaders need to know now. We cover the new staff accommodation advice ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act changes coming into force from 1 May, the operational imp...

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast covers the operational issues UK independent schools need on their radar now, followed by a guest discussion on school marketing, admissions strategy and pupil recruitment . In this episode Inspection readiness:  Mobile phone guidance Restrictive interventions from 1 April 2026 Key implications for policy, training and oversight Companies House cyber risk:  Wh...

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast looks at rising fee arrears in independent schools — and what bursars and finance teams can do to respond earlier, more consistently, and with greater confidence. We speak to Richard Monan from Redwood Collections about what schools are seeing on the ground, including debts that are becoming older, larger and harder to recover . In this episode Why fee arrears are becom...

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast asks a practical question for bursars and estates leaders: if schools are building again, what are they building for — and what actually counts as value now? Karl Stokes from TG Escapes joins us to talk about renewed enquiry levels, the rise of early years, sports and wellbeing spaces, and why schools are taking a more considered approach to sustainability, design and w...

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast looks at how independent schools are rethinking uniform and sportswear — with Tim James from Schoolblazer — as budgets tighten and parents become more value-conscious. Tim describes a challenging year, driven by  VAT changes and a sharper focus on pricing . His headline: parents will still pay for quality, but they increasingly resent paying for items that are rare...

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast looks at the changing shape of school transport in the independent sector — with Dominic Kalantary from Vectare — ahead of the ISBA Conference (11–13 May at ICC Wales) , where Vectare is one of the headline sponsors. We explore key market trends, including widening catchments , express and park-and-ride style routes designed to compete with car travel, and a notable shi...

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast is led by a practical deep-dive on what a high-quality, safe and effective nursing service looks like in independent schools — with Jane Graham , an experienced paediatric nurse and independent school medical lead. Jane explains why registered nurses are not simply “highly qualified first aiders”, and what robust school nursing governance looks like day-to-day: medicine...

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast brings you a focused newsbeat on employment law timelines, payroll changes, smartphone policy research, inspection readiness and key sector deadlines—centred on what bursars and senior leaders need to know now. We cover the delay to ‘fire and rehire’ reform under the Employment Rights Act 2025, the postponement of mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind, new research i...

This week’s ISBA Bursarcast brings you a rapid newsbeat on the latest operational and regulatory developments affecting independent schools—focused on what bursars and senior leaders need to know now . We cover tightened expectations on mobile phone policies, forthcoming statutory allergy guidance, continued cyber-fraud risks, budget planning pressures for catering, and key ISBA deadlines and even...

In this second part of our deep-dive with Jo Hall and Hayden Hibbert from allmanhall , we unpack how a detailed partnership with Royal Russell School led to measurable cost savings and operational improvements in their in-house catering. This episode goes beyond theory—focusing on what bursars, finance leads, and catering managers can actually do to manage budgets, improve quality, and build long-...

“It’s less likely that this year will be a return to normal and more a year for managing persistent and underlying inflation using insights and an understanding of the food and commodity markets to plan both budgets and menus.” In part one of this two-part conversation, Jo Hall and Hayden Hibbert from allmanhall join us to explore food procurement trends and inflation pressures facing independent...

What happens when pupils are given a voice in the dining hall — and their feedback drives real change? In this episode, we speak with Patrick McDermott from DigiTally, Michelle Howard, Sustainability and Energy Officer at Woodhouse Grove School, and Kevin Grant, the school’s Head Chef. Together, they explore how Woodhouse Grove took part in DigiTally’s Food Waste Challenge, using real-time pupil f...

In this episode, we are joined by two guests:  Sue Roxby , ISBA Head of Advice & Guidance, to provide an overview of the sector and how the ISBA will support its members. Then, Angus Jones , CEO of Clarity, shares practical steps any independent school can take to start or strengthen a charitable giving programme. From setting up Gift Aid correctly to introducing legacy giving, we cover t...

In this final briefing of 2025, we cover urgent and practical updates for independent school business leaders—starting with a fraud alert on a payroll scam targeting school offices. We also unpack new legal requirements for Companies House ID verification, share how you can benefit from ISBA’s enhanced benchmarking tool, and outline how to correct VAT return errors. Plus, inspection trends, confer...

In this episode, we cover critical end-of-term updates from ISBA Bulletin No. 27 — including new retention advice for recruitment records, UCAS contextual data for FSM-eligible pupils, and a renewed push to get schools participating in the Data Navigator benchmarking tool. We also unpack the latest guidance on VAT and early years funding, highlight the final call for the 2026 Tech Survey, and offe...

Julie Robinson, CEO of the ISC joins us this week to unpack the latest pressures on the independent sector—from pupil number drops and VAT concerns to Autumn Budget implications and staffing risks. We touch on headline data, including a 3.6% fall in pupil numbers, and explore wider financial signals like rising staff costs and a new cap on pension-related NI relief. Also covered: changes to unfair...

In this episode, we unpack the latest inspection data from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), break down changes to the HR1 Form from 1 December 2025, and flag urgent implications of the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill. With compliance rates falling and new legal restrictions coming into force from 2026, schools need to act now to maintain flexibility and meet statutory requirements. T...

Independent schools need data they can trust—and use. In this episode, ISBA’s Sue Roxby (re)introduces Data Navigator , a purpose-built benchmarking tool designed specifically for bursars and finance teams across the sector. With sector-specific metrics, clean visuals, and peer-group comparisons, Data Navigator helps schools move from instinct to evidence—supporting better planning, clearer report...

We begin with a concise round-up of the latest ISBA news and bulletin headlines — including sector updates, new resources, and key policy developments for independent schools. Then we turn to the main feature, where we’re joined once again by Katie Saunders from Furlong to explore how schools can take a strategic, system-wide approach to financial efficiency . Katie explains how true efficiency go...

In this episode, we are joined by Lucy Wyatt, Director of ISBA’s Recruitment Services, to discuss the growing challenges schools face in recruitment and retention. With rising costs, shifting regulations, and an increasingly competitive job market, Lucy explores how ISBA supports schools in building strong, adaptable teams that can meet the demands of a changing sector. Lucy shares insights into e...

In this episode, Lou Bennett ( CEO of IDPE) joins us to discuss why senior leadership engagement is the cornerstone of successful fundraising in schools. As financial pressures grow, Lou introduces the Fundraising Futures Report — a practical framework to help schools diversify income, build community relationships, and embed fundraising into long-term strategy. In This Episode Why schools must di...

In this edition of The Bursarcast Podcast , we begin with a concise round-up of the latest ISBA news and bulletin headlines — including sector updates, new resources, and key policy developments for independent schools. Then we turn to the main feature, where we’re joined by Paul Gregory , Group Commercial Director at HSEnergy Group , to explore how schools can take practical steps toward energy i...

In this edition of Bursarcast, we bring you a crisp, up‑to‑date news roundup followed by a deep dive with Kieran Smith and Josie Morgan Jones from Crowe , discussing VAT issues for independent schools. Highlights include: The 2025 refresh of ISBA’s parent contract templates, and the new offer letter and bursary conditions documents ISBA’s confidential mentoring service: what it is and how it works...

In this week’s episode, we’re tackling two key areas that are front of mind for many school leaders right now: crisis leadership and inspection readiness. [News Round-Up | 00:00 – 04:00] We start with the latest sector updates, including insights from the newly released ISI Annual Review of Inspections 2024–25 . With a notable dip in compliance rates — down to 82.1% for routine inspections — we hi...