The Future of British Education in the Middle East
Date: Thursday 22 January 2026
Venue: British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Audience: Heads, Senior Leaders and SEND Leads of prep and junior International schools
Description: A unique opportunity to listen to and engage with leading UK educational speakers and network with fellow professionals from outstanding international schools, with a parallel focus on approaches to leadership as a Head and across your leadership team.
About IAPS
Thank you for your interest in the first IAPS Middle East Leadership Symposium
IAPS is the world-leading membership organisation for Heads of prep and junior age schools, based in the UK. It exists to provide its members with support, advice, training, events, services and connection to each other, and over 650 leading schools from around the world are part of the Association today. Please see more details on the benefits of membership.
This event is open to member and non-member schools from the region and is offered free of charge.
Programme
Alongside the networking opportunities, the day will consist of:
- Compassionate leadership is a quiet disruption with Kathryn Gorman
- Executive function and neuroinclusive practice with Victoria Bagnall
- Inspection insights and top tips with Nick Robinson
- A panel discussion on The Future of British Education in a Global Landscape
- From vision to implementation: managing change in a measurable and sustainable way with Kathryn Gorman
- Dedicated information sharing sessions for non-member Heads and current IAPS members – including preparation for inspection, led by Nick Robinson
- Keynote from Emma Goldsmith, Head of Dragon School and IAPS Board member, reflecting on the day’s reflections and discussions
How to confirm your attendance
If you and your senior team (including SEND leads) would like to join us, please confirm by using this link or emailing [email protected]. Places are strictly limited and we advise early booking.
Confirmed Speakers
Emma Goldsmith
Emma began her career teaching English and coaching sport at Oakham School, after which she moved to Rugby School and then Bloxham School, where she oversaw the introduction of co-education and opened the first 13-18 boarding house.
She left Bloxham as deputy head to take on her first headship of Winchester House Prep School and then became Head of the Dragon School, Oxford in 2021, marking a significant milestone in the school’s history as the first female head since the school’s founding in 1877.
Emma’s appointment at Dragon School follows her successful tenure as head of Winchester House School, where she won ‘Best Head of a Prep School’ at the 2019 Tatler Awards. Her deep understanding of the needs of pupils and their families, along with her knowledge of both prep and senior schools, will be invaluable in ensuring the Dragon remains at the forefront of pre school education.
Emma is also an experienced governor having been on the board of Cheltenham College and is currently a governor of Gordonstoun and Wellington College. She also sits on the board of IAPS. Emma hosts the successful podcast ‘The Education DilEmma'.
Nick Robinson
Nick is the Director of International for IAPS and is responsible for the delivery of a new international strategy which aims to further benefit all member Heads and their schools. Alongside this Nick is also an ISI Inspector (since 2016) and an educational leadership consultant.
Prior to this Nick was Head at Prestfelde School, in Shrewsbury, and West Buckland Prep, North Devon, and held a number of prep school senior leadership roles for over 20 years.
Prior to working in education, Nick was a swimming coach for the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games.
Katherine Bluck
Katherine is a distinguished educational leader known for her unwavering commitment to building relationships within communities.
She is the current Head of Professional Development at IAPS and oversees the Conferences and Courses programme, as well as the Subject Advisers across the network.
Her previous roles have included being Head of two Prep schools, as well as held leadership roles at Lambrook and the Stephen Perse Foundation. Katherine is passionate about supporting schools to have Professional Development at the forefront to enable all to thrive.
Victoria Bagnall
Victoria is a Cambridge-educated, neurodivergent educator and published author. She co-founded Connections in Mind in 2016 to pioneer executive function coaching in the UK and now works with schools and organisations worldwide, including Cheltenham Ladies’ College, UC Berkeley, Ernst & Young, and the NHS, to create neuroinclusive environments.
Her forthcoming book, The Neuroinclusive Educator (Bloomsbury, 2026), distils her years of research and classroom experience into five pedagogical elements that empower educators to build inclusive, thriving classrooms.
Kathryn Gorman
Kathryn is an experienced education leader and consultant, with over 25 years in both the independent and state sectors, including as Head of an all-through independent school. Her leadership has been shaped by times of complexity and crisis—including the Covid-19 pandemic, where she championed compassionate values-led approaches to strategic decision- making and cultural change.
Now Founder and Director of Clarion Education, Kathryn works with schools, trusts, and public benefit organisations to strengthen leadership, governance and culture. Her consultancy supports leaders to navigate uncertainty with clarity and confidence— always with people at the heart of the process.