Independent preparatory school headteachers from the North West met at the Buchan School last week for the Autumn District meeting of IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools).

IAPS is a professional association with over 600 members, roughly 30 of whom are international.  Headteacher of Buchan School, Alison Hope Hedley, has chaired the IAPS group for the last two years and as part of her role, she represents District Seven on the IAPS National Council.

She commented, "I was delighted to be able to chair the regional meeting of IAPS here at the Buchan School.

"These meetings are always an excellent opportunity to share knowledge and expertise within the profession.

"IAPS is committed to excellence in education and seeks to promote the highest professional standards in prep school education.

"The quality of members and schools is monitored to ensure they meet membership requirements."

Visiting speaker was Onchan-based Justin Tipper, a Certified Trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Humanistic Neuro Linguistic Psychology (HNLP).

Mr Tipper has been using and teaching NLP in business, coaching and therapy for over 15 years.

He runs transformational training courses within the social care sector, financial institutions, sports, shipping, the education sector and Government.
 
Mrs Hope Hedley commented, "Since NLP is about communication and transformation, Justin provided us with an important insight into answering some vital questions.

"How can we educate in a way which is more engaging, more productive, and more effective?

"In the afternoon, a presentation on building staff commitment and motivation was given by our Head of HR, Jan Bujko.

"The day has provided us with a fantastic opportunity to forge new relationships and strengthen existing ones with our colleagues in the North West."

Pictured: Delegates from IAPS schools Hunter Hall, Pownhall, Clevelands, Kingsmead, Moor Allerton, St Monica’s Prep, St Pius X, St Mary’s, Stockport School, Sunnymede, The Ryleys and the Buchan School.