Mastering Middle Leadership in Boys' Schools

February 3 – 21, 2025

An IBSC Online Classonline class

 

Whether you're new to middle leadership in a boys’ school or an established leader in the field, this course is designed for you. Navigate the heart of middle leadership, tailor-made for those heading up specific areas of school life, while still working with boys.

In this three-week class, engage with content that:

  • Illuminates the pivotal role of middle leaders in boys' schools.
  • Demonstrates how to transform broad visions into actionable steps.
  • Showcases the equilibrium of academic needs, behavior, and the emotional aspects of boys' education.
  • Provides strategies for fostering trust among colleagues.
  • Offers insights into confidently handling challenging conversations.
  • Teaches effective communication that both aligns with school values and resonates with boys.
  • Highlights the nuances of leading distinct school sectors while still influencing boys' lives.
  • Guides the importance of personal well-being.
  • Explains the connection between faculty and staff well-being and a nurturing environment for boys.

In addition, collaborate with and develop a personal network of peers worldwide to rely on long after the course concludes.

Learning Objectives

By the conclusion of this course, you'll be poised to:

  • Refine your role as a middle leader, regardless of your tenure.
  • Establish strategies that champion both academic and emotional well-being in boys.
  • Grasp the subtleties of intraschool relationships.
  • Tailor communication strategies fitting for boys' schools.
  • Harmonize personal well-being with the broad canvas of professional duties.

Who Should Attend?

New and established middle leaders in boys' schools, leading a distinct domain of school life, while still working with boys; the class offers a comprehensive lens to understanding your profound impact on your colleagues and the boys you support and lead.

Class Format

Classes run asynchronously, so there is no specific time each week when you must attend online. Plan to spend at least 3-5 hours each week the class is in session. Coursework and assignments for each unit open on Fridays, giving participants ample time to engage and submit weekly assignments. Grace periods are given, but interaction proves more effective when the entire class works on the same topic. Connect and collaborate with fellow middle leaders through a variety of interactive media, including short videos and discussion boards.

Registration

  • IBSC member rate: US $495
  • Nonmember rate: US $645
  • IBSC South Africa member rate: US $375

Please note: Watch for login information for your online class the Friday before it opens. If you registered for the class after the Friday before it beings, watch for login information within 24 hours.

Refund Policy
IBSC will refund 90% of registration fees if a written request is received two weeks prior to the class. No refunds will be made for cancellations received after this time. Schools seeking to register an alternate to replace a participant unable to attend should contact IBSC@theibsc.org.

Class Facilitator

Hal HannafordHal Hannaford

Hal Hannaford began his educational career as a student at Lower Canada College in Montréal and has spent his entire professional life in education. In June 2020, Hannaford retired after successfully completing his 31st year as a headmaster in three Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS). He studied at Queen’s University (economics), Concordia University (bachelor of commerce), University of Toronto (bachelor of education), and INSEAD (The European Institute of Business Administration), where he completed his MBA (master of business administration). 

Hannaford served as director of Kilcoo Camp from 1982-84. As a teacher he has experience at both an elementary and high school level in Canada (Crescent School) and at university, where he was a member of the Faculty of International Business at the American University in Paris. He was the founding headmaster of Kingsway College School in Toronto in 1989. He joined Royal St. George’s College in 1996 as headmaster and remained until December 2008. In January 2009, he became headmaster of Selwyn House School in Montréal. Hannaford was a founding influence of the CAIS Leadership Institute where he created and taught the Faculty Culture Module for 20 years. From 2017-23, Hannaford  served as an IBSC trustee. 

He has a keen interest in athletics, public speaking, auctioneering (raising more than $30 million for charitable causes), landscaping, and drumming, with a musical passion for the Blues. Hannaford and his wife Susan, an award-winning author, split their time between Montréal and Kennebunk Beach, Maine. They have two children: Alisse, a medical doctor doing an infectious disease fellowship at MGH/Harvard, and Reid, a graduate from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, a filmmaker in New York.