Academic Conference 2026 – what a day!

The Downe House team so enjoyed welcoming all our delegates, speakers and sponsors for what was a very thought-provoking and inspiring day of ideas, debate and discussion.

We very much hope to welcome you back to next year’s Conference!

Our Conference Sponsors

We are very grateful to our fantastic Conference Sponsors, all of which provide first class services to the education sector. Please do get in touch with them to find out more about how their products and services may help your School to innovate and thrive.

A reminder of our Partner and Branding Sponsors:

Caterprompt is a dedicated specialist in the supply and maintenance of high-performance commercial catering equipment. Our expertise spans diverse sectors, including hospitality, hotels, education, and contract catering. We are uniquely positioned to support you through any eventuality, backed by deep industry knowledge, high stock levels, and continuous support from our entire commercial catering supplier network. We are qualified to carry out essential warranty work directly on behalf of manufacturers. Our comprehensive services extend to complete kitchen infrastructure

With over 60 years of experience, Rayburn Tours is one of the UK’s most established and trusted school travel organisers. As a family-run, independent company with 120+ staff, we support over 35,000 passengers annually across a wide range of international school tours – covering curriculum subjects, as well as ski, sports, and concert tours. Tailor-made and backed by our ABTOT bond, ATOL license, and ABTA membership, our tours maintain high safety standards and reflect both the needs and aspirations of each individual group.

MSP LAB is the IT Authority for Independent Schools. We exclusively deliver consistently outstanding IT services to prestigious UK Independent Schools through distinct and attentive counsel. With extensive, lived-experience, we understand the unique needs of Independent Schools—providing Digital Strategy, IT Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Solutions, IT Governance, System Assessments, and Retained Counsel capability, including our Virtual IT Director Service. We ensure Independent Schools are fully equipped to succeed in a digital world.

Simply Learning Tuition is a London-based education consultancy and private tuition provider founded nearly 20 years ago by Nathaniel McCullagh. It has earned a strong national and international reputation for its unmatched level of care for its clients. Families trust the SLT team for their depth of knowledge, total discretion, expertise and care for each child. SLT is a hands-on consultancy with a team of carefully selected advisors and tutors, recognised by the Good Schools Guide as being the very best of the best.

Education technology specialist Furlong develops finance and MIS software built to support how independent schools operate. With over 20 years’ experience working alongside bursars, finance teams and school leaders, the flexible solutions are shaped by real operational challenges. Our portfolio includes TASS Finance for complete accounting, FeeMaster for billing and invoicing, Maestro for music management, and SchoolBase, a flexible MIS used by Downe House. Our software brings teams together across a school, supporting the full journey from admissions through to alumni and creating clearer, more connected experiences for staff and parents.

Keystone Elective is a flexible, affordable online service helping schools address staffing shortages, fill curriculum gaps, and enrich learning. We support a wide range of subjects, including Oxbridge prep, EAL, SEN, and extracurriculars taught by UK-based tutors across global time zones. Part of Keystone Tutors, a trusted education provider since 2007, we tailor every programme to each school’s needs. Our experienced team has supported over 10,000 students worldwide through high-quality, personalised education.

Boxphish is a UK-based cyber security awareness platform that helps education institutions reduce human cyber risk by changing behaviour, not just raising awareness. The platform enables schools, colleges, and universities to build a strong ‘human firewall’ through realistic phishing simulations, NCSC-assured training content, and automated learning journeys, supported by actionable analytics to monitor progress. The result is a measurable reduction in phishing risk, improved cyber awareness and decision-making, and stronger overall resilience across the entire organisation

Lloyds Bank works with independent schools across the country to support development plans and cashflow requirements, simplify payments and identify financial efficiencies. Our nationwide network of experienced relationship managers have a deep understanding of the sector and knowledge of the regulatory environment, meaning they can also support Schools with solutions to broader challenges beyond day-to-day banking. We also work alongside the Independent Schools Bursars Association (ISBA) to support the education sector.