SBSA HEAD CHAIRS BSA
2008 – 9 has seen the first Head of an SBSA school Chairing the BSA for the first time in a decade.
Melvyn Roffe, Principal of Wymondham College in Norfolk, the biggest state boarding school, has spent his year seeing something of boarding elsewhere, attending the annual conference of The American Boarding Schools association in Baltimore in December, and also attending the conferences of the other associations of schools whose members offer boarding.
IAPS, HMC, GSA, SHMIS, ISA and COBIS all welcomed him to their conferences, which provide excellent opportunities both to network with colleagues in independent schools and to discover fine speakers.
Melvyn’s own BSA Annual Conference for Headteachers took place in Thame in Oxfordshire in early May. A fine line-up of speakers included Andrew Motion in his first week as not the Poet Laureate, and Kevin Roberts, Chief Executive worldwide of Saatchi and Saatchi. Mr Roberts was a real find, having addressed and inspired the SBSA conference held in Lancaster in January 2008.
Mr Roberts is an old boy of Lancaster Royal Grammar School, and now a Governor. Passionate about what he does, he expects the same level of passion in anyone working in boarding – ‘Generate loyalty beyond reason!’ he declares, and audiences leave inspired.
Melvyn’s year of living dangerously as Chairman of BSA will end with his attendance at the BSA Matrons’ Conference in Leicester in July. |
