IBSC Ideas Lab
Professional Conversations for Heads of Boys’ Schools in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Southern Africa
Watch for dates of this IBSC Ideas Lab coming soon. Please contact Bruce Collins at collins@theibsc.org with any questions or to add your name to the waitlist.
IBSC Ideas Lab invites heads of boys’ schools in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Southern Africa to connect virtually using Zoom. Limited to 14 participants plus the facilitator, this IBSC Ideas Lab includes three one-hour sessions for participants to discuss relevant topics.
Designed as an interactive exchange among colleagues, IBSC Ideas Lab engages dedicated educators who learn and grow together. Before each session, participants engage with relevant resources to provide a foundation for discussions. Together we surface fresh ideas and build mutual support structures and enduring professional friendships.
Available exclusively to IBSC member schools, first-time participants who can commit to joining all three sessions get preference in registration to support the success of each small group. No more than two participants from one school may register for an IBSC Ideas Lab.
In the spirit of open dialogue and collaboration, IBSC Ideas Labs are not recorded, allowing participants the freedom to express themselves openly and share their experiences candidly.
Who Should Attend?
Heads of boys’ schools in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Southern Africa
Format
IBSC Ideas Lab attendees participate in three scheduled one-hour calls using Zoom. Sally-Anne Huang, high master of St. Paul’s School (United Kingdom), facilitates each session.
Conversation Topics
Conversation 1
The Head's Role in Enrollment and Strategy
60 minutes
What innovative strategies are heads employing to ensure the continued relevance, appeal, and financial sustainability of all-boys schools in an increasingly diverse educational market and amid evolving parental expectations?
Join a practical, solutions-focused discussion with your peers on enrollment and market positioning. Move beyond theory to the real-world application of strategy. Share data-driven approaches to marketing, program development, and building a robust admissions pipeline. Discover how other heads are successfully communicating their school’s unique value proposition to new generations of families, ensuring financial vitality in a shifting educational landscape.
Conversation 2
Leading with Purpose and Vision
60 minutes
In an increasingly competitive landscape, how does your school's unique story cut through the noise? How do we as heads transform our mission from a statement on a plaque into a lived, breathing reality for every member of our community?
Engage in a discussion with fellow heads about the art and science of inspirational leadership. This conversation focuses on the leader’s role as chief storyteller and culture-builder. Share your most effective methods for embedding mission and values into the daily life of your school, creating authentic buy-in from faculty, students, and families. Explore how your peers are harnessing the power of a unified story to foster a profound sense of belonging and build a lasting, positive legacy.
Conversation 3
Wellness, Resilience, and the Modern Boy
60 minutes
How are heads of boys' schools proactively shaping the narrative of healthy masculinity for the next generation, cultivating well-rounded and ethically responsible men? What are the most effective whole-school approaches to tackle the complex mental health challenges facing boys today, fostering resilience and creating genuinely supportive environments?
Join a candid conversation with fellow heads of school to explore the strategic intersection of these critical responsibilities. Share your insights on embedding principles of healthy masculinity and well-being into your school’s core identity and culture. Learn how your peers are championing this vision, allocating resources, and empowering their communities to raise a generation of resilient, compassionate, and principled young men.
Registration
IBSC member rate: US $180
Cancellation Policy
If you are unable to attend, you must cancel your registration in writing by emailing IBSC@theibsc.org by October 15, 2025. IBSC will refund 90% of registration fees if a written request is received via email by this date. No refunds will be made for cancellations received after this date. Schools seeking to register an alternate to replace a participant unable to attend should contact IBSC@theibsc.org.
Please note: Watch your email for login information for this IBSC Ideas Lab by October 22, 2025. If you registered later than this date, watch for login information within 24 hours.
Participation certificates: Participants present for all three conversations will receive a certificate of participation within two weeks of the final session.
Facilitator
Sally-Anne Huang
Since 2020, Sally-Anne Huang has served as high master of St. Paul’s School (United Kingdom) and has governance experience in both boarding and prep schools. Previously she was headmistress of James Allen’s Girls’ School and Kent College, Pembury. Huang was an elected officer of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (2018–22) and served as its chair during the academic year 2020–21. She is an IBSC trustee. Her previous appointments include housemistress at Sevenoaks School, where she taught the International Baccalaureate, and deputy head at Roedean.
Huang was educated at Bolton School prior to reading classics and English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She also has an MSc in educational leadership and management and a master’s degree in children’s literature. Her professional interests include the experience of female leaders in all-boys schools, the importance of character education, and the power of performing arts and sports in pupil experience.
Married to Alexis, Huang has two adult sons and two dogs; her hobbies include all forms of theater, playing the saxophone, and watching rugby.