Non-association Independent Schools Alliance - NAISA

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Non-association Independent Schools Alliance - NAISA

We are a national membership organisation providing support and representation for non-association independent schools.

31/08/2026

The August edition of the NAISA newsletter has arrived.

NAISA members and those already subscribed to our mailing list should now have received their copies.

This month’s issue includes:

✅ The latest DfE and Ofsted updates

✅ Free registration for the Independent Schools Conference

✅ Confirmed dates for NAISA’s autumn forums

✅ Booking links for our autumn webinar and training workshops

✅ An invitation to help shape the questions we raise with Ofsted

✅ Our new survey exploring headteachers’ experiences of the renewed inspection framework

As the new academic year begins, join our mailing list to receive future editions and important sector updates directly.

Click “Join our mailing list” here:

https://www.naisa.org.uk/contact

25/08/2026

What would you like Ofsted to clarify?

Ahead of Ofsted’s autumn conference, NAISA has been invited to a twilight session on 9 September. We will hear more about the thinking and key themes behind the conference and have an opportunity to raise questions.

Perhaps there is an issue you hope the conference will address.

Perhaps there is an aspect of Ofsted’s current approach that needs greater clarity.

Or perhaps there is a question that colleagues across the sector are asking but which has not yet received a clear answer.

Whatever your question, we would like to hear it.

Submit it here: https://forms.gle/H8ftDpSnoh6fktyk9

The form is open to NAISA members and the wider independent school sector.

20/08/2026

📅 Save the dates: NAISA Autumn Programme

Before your autumn calendars start filling up, we wanted to give leaders across the NAISA community an early heads-up on the dates we already have planned for the term.

Please save the following:

✅ 10 September – DSL Forum

✅ 23 September – Insurance Webinar

✅ 8 October – Training Workshop: The New Ofsted Inspection: What Schools Can Expect

✅ 22 October – Headteachers’ Forum

✅ 12 November – Training Workshop: Ensuring Consistent Compliance with the Independent School Standards (ISS)

✅ 26 November – Proprietors’ Forum

✅ 10 December – SENCo Forum

Further details, including timings and booking information, will follow shortly.

For now, we simply wanted to make sure you had the dates in your diary before everything else starts competing for space!

We’re looking forward to another busy term of bringing leaders together, sharing expertise and providing practical support for independent schools.

14/08/2026

What would you like NAISA to ask Ofsted?

Ofsted has invited NAISA to attend a twilight session on Wednesday 9 September.

The session will give Ofsted an opportunity to talk us through the thinking and key themes behind its autumn conference. It will also give NAISA the opportunity to ask questions and raise queries from across the independent school sector.

We want the questions we take into that meeting to reflect the issues that matter to schools.

You do not need to be a NAISA member to contribute.
Tell us what you would like us to ask by completing our short form:
https://forms.gle/H8ftDpSnoh6fktyk9

Please submit your questions by 12 noon on Friday 4 September.

07/08/2026

Partnership and professional connection are central to NAISA’s work.

We are delighted to have four trusted partners supporting schools with specialist expertise:

✅ Osprey Insurance Brokers

✅ Stephen Long

✅ MDA Education Leadership Ltd

✅ Marell Consulting Limited

We are also proud to be an official partner of the Independent Schools Conference, co-located with The Schools & Academies Show at the NEC Birmingham on 18 and 19 November 2026.

The event is free to attend and will bring independent school leaders together for CPD-certified content, expert speakers, practical ideas and professional networking.

Find out more and register:

https://hubs.ly/Q04l9MFn0

We are also preparing a busy autumn programme for the NAISA community, including:

1️⃣ Leadership Forums for headteachers, proprietors, DSLs and SENCOc

2️⃣ A webinar with Rob Wardle from Osprey Insurance Brokers Limited exploring five insurance risks independent schools may be overlooking

3️⃣ Steve Long delivering a workshop on what leaders can expect during a standard Ofsted inspection

4️⃣ Ellen Mukwewa FCCT FSET MEd delivering a workshop on maintaining consistent compliance with the Independent School Standards

Dates and booking details will be announced through the NAISA website, newsletter and social media channels.

Join our mailing list to make sure you receive the details:

https://www.naisa.org.uk/contact

05/08/2026

Could your school make better use of surplus furniture and equipment while reducing costs and waste?

In the first NAISA newsletter, we highlight Warp It, a resource-sharing network through which organisations can give away, loan or claim surplus items.

These can include desks, chairs, storage, stationery and sports equipment.

Schools can register without charge, and items listed for schools are free. Availability and collection arrangements vary, but it could provide a practical way to:

✅ Reduce purchasing costs

✅ Find equipment your school needs

✅ Rehome items you no longer use

✅ Prevent usable resources from going to landfill

Each month, the NAISA newsletter will highlight a resource, opportunity or idea with the potential to benefit schools.

Explore Warp It:
https://www.warp-it.co.uk/

To receive future NAISA newsletters, join our mailing list:
https://www.naisa.org.uk/contact

03/08/2026

NAISA was created to support and represent non-association independent schools.

That commitment extends beyond our membership to the wider sector, although NAISA members receive additional resources, guidance, opportunities and direct support.

Our monthly newsletter is one of the ways we will share useful information more widely. Last week, we sent the first edition to 26 recipients, including NAISA members, trusted partners and people who had already joined our mailing list.

The July issue includes:

✅ Important DfE and Ofsted updates for September

✅ A free resource-sharing network that could help schools reduce costs

✅ News of NAISA’s latest partnership

✅ An introduction to our four trusted partners

✅ Highlights from NAISA’s first few months

✅ Our autumn programme of forums, webinars and workshops

✅ Plans for a new survey exploring schools’ experiences of Ofsted inspection

Read the first issue here: https://tinyurl.com/4fuec2tj

If you would like to receive future editions directly, join our mailing list:

https://www.naisa.org.uk/contact

Our next newsletter will be published later this month.

16/07/2026

, , and of Non Association - as the academic year draws to a close, many of you will be reflecting on what has gone well, where the challenges have been, and what support your school may need next year.
If there have been times when you have felt isolated, uncertain or in need of specialist advice, think of NAISA.

We are here to support, connect and represent non-association independent schools, ensuring your voices are heard and that you have access to practical, informed support.

To find out more about NAISA and how we could support your school in the new academic year, book a meeting with us.

Let’s have a chat: https://lnkd.in/eJmc-cZX

14/07/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for our workshop, The Ofsted Inspection Framework: What Independent School Leaders Can Expect.

The session was delivered by Stephen Long, who brings 37 years’ experience in education as a teacher, senior leader, consultant and local authority senior education officer, alongside his work as an Ofsted inspector since 2017.

When asked what they had gained from the workshop, delegates told us they had:
✅ A clearer understanding of areas they had previously been unsure about

✅ Greater insight into the changes, expectations and inspection processes

✅ Helpful clarification, reminders and updates

✅ A better understanding of the evidence they need to check and have ready for inspection

✅ Increased confidence about some of the changes within the new framework

We were also delighted that every delegate who completed the feedback said they would recommend both the workshop to other school leaders and Stephen Long as a facilitator for training in independent schools.

Thank you to Steve Long for delivering such an informative and practical session, and to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussion.

12/07/2026

Tomorrow's the day!

If your independent school has not yet been inspected under the new Ofsted framework, there's still time to join our practical online workshop with Stephen Long.

The Ofsted Inspection Framework: What Independent School Leaders Can Expect

📅 Tomorrow (Monday 13 July)

🕑 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m.

💻 Online

This isn't a session about theory. It's an opportunity to hear from an experienced inspector about how inspections are operating in practice, what inspectors are focusing on, and how school leaders can prepare with confidence.

The workshop will cover:

✅ What inspectors may look at during a standard inspection

✅ How inspections are currently operating in practice

✅ Key considerations for leaders before inspection

✅ Updates relating to September 2026

✅ An opportunity to ask your own questions

Stephen Long brings 37 years' experience in education as a teacher, senior leader, consultant and local authority senior education officer, alongside his work as an Ofsted inspector since 2017.

His session at the recent NAISA Conference received outstanding feedback for being practical, informative and reassuring.

Whether you're leading a newly registered independent school, preparing for your first inspection, or simply want to ensure you're up to date with current inspection practice, we'd be delighted to welcome you.

🎟️ Free for NAISA members (booking details have been sent by email).

Places remain available for non-members.

Book here: https://lnkd.in/ef8Bdqmv

Already have your ticket? We look forward to seeing you there tomorrow.

Address

Studio 9, 50–54 St Paul's Square
Birmingham
B31QS

Website

http://www.naisa.org.uk/

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