Harrow School welcomed over 600 delegates from boys’ schools around the world at the annual IBSC (International Boys’ Schools Coalition) conference. This is the first time that such a conference has taken place in Europe since 2011. The theme of the conference is ‘Tradition. Leadership. Innovation’ and focuses on the ways boys can contribute positively to social and environmental change in an ever-evolving, globalised world.
Twenty-nine Harrovians from the Shell to the Sixth Form, have been acting as Ambassadors - meeting and greeting delegates, introducing keynote speakers and performing music and drama at the beginning of each session.
At the opening plenary, Jaz Ampaw-Farr, CEO of Human First Ltd, gave an inspirational talk about teachers as everyday heroes – touching on how the lessons she learned from her challenging and often brutal childhood led to her rise to a TV presenter and TEDx speaker.
Ben Fogle, broadcaster and adventurer, gave the second plenary session and spoke about preparing boys to lead lives of exploration.
Other sessions included: Behind Closed Screens: Safeguarding Boys in a Hypersexualized Online World; Gamified Digital Learning Platforms: How Might Schools Take a Lead; The Digital World and Education: Does This Affect Academic Achievement?; Building a Culture of Academic Integrity; and "What a Piece of Work is a Man"—Relationships Education and Shakespeare.
The IBSC is a non-profit organisation that champions boys’ schools (both independent and maintained) across the globe.