Skip to main content

About us

The British Association of Independent Schools with International Students’ mission is to champion support for international students.

BAISIS defines and shares best practice in academic and pastoral provision for international students in British independent schools and English medium schools globally.

Value of membership:
  • As part of the Boarding Schools’ Association Group, BAISIS’s expertise in academic and pastoral provision for international students is supported by the reputation, strength and passion of BSA Group
  • A meaningful network with professionals in the field of international education globally
  • Sharing best practice on academic and pastoral matters regarding international students
  • A comprehensive programme of training and development courses specifically tailored to the needs of staff working with international students, accredited by the BSA
  • Regular webinars on academic and pastoral support of international students
  • Annual conference at reduced rates for members
  • Termly meetings followed by free CPD sessions

Schools Membership fee: £695 per annum (50% reduction for BSA Members)

  • Information sharing networks between staff in member schools
  • Mentoring and development support for those with new international programmes
  • A listing on the BAISIS website and use of the BAISIS logo as a recognised marque of commitment to quality academic and pastoral provision for international students
  • Free use of approved agents, guardians and pre-sessional agreements
  • Sharing market and agent knowledge to help with marketing and recruitment
  • Communicating updates, invitations and discounts from our partner organisations
  • Part of a lobbying group on relevant issues through membership of the All Party Parliamentary Group for International Students and links with the UK Government

BAISIS in numbers

25
Years of service
127
Member schools
30
Supporting members
8
Partners
15
Training events per year

Executive team

Stuart Higgins

BAISIS Deputy Chair

Stuart was elected BAISIS Deputy Chair in January 2022. He has spent his career in international education, both overseas and in the UK, and has a master's degree in English Language Teaching. He was Principal of an international school in the UK for many years, before moving to Hereford Cathedral School to set up an international department and re-introduce boarding.

James Kidd

Executive Committee Member

James is currently the Senior Vice Principal and DSL at DLD College London, having joined in September 2020, initially to look after the boarding aspect of the school – where over 50 nationalities live on site. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of the school, he is responsible for the pastoral life of the school, looking after boarding, the house system, wellbeing and health care, as well as the co-curricular life of the school.

Sarah Bellotti

Chair

Sarah was elected BAISIS Chair in January 2022, having served as Deputy Chair since November 2020.
She started her career in education at an international school in Rome, Italy and then returned to the UK to take up a post at King’s Ely where she later became Director of King’s Ely International. Since 2014, Sarah has worked at The Mount, Mill Hill International as the founding Headteacher.

Robin Fletcher

Chief Executive, BSA Group

Robin Fletcher, MBA, MPhil is CEO of BSA Group, comprising the BSA (Boarding Schools’ Association), SACPA (Safeguarding and Child Protection Association) and BAISIS (British Association of Independent Schools with International Students). Robin was a journalist, editor and communications director before joining BSA in 2014.

As BSA CEO, Robin is a member of the Department for Education’s Systems Partnership Oversight Board. Outside BSA, he is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff Metropolitan University, a Governor of Rugby School, President of the Rugbeian Society and a non-executive director of the national trade body Make UK.

Bethan Waddington

Programmes Director - BSA Group, Director - BAISIS

Bethan Waddington joined the BSA team as Training Manager in September 2017. Bethan has worked in two independent boarding schools in the UK and Switzerland, the latter as Housemistress to 36 pupils. Following her time in Switzerland, she was a Pastoral Manager for an inner-city state academy before working in the charity sector for Debrett’s running the ‘Debrett’s Foundation’ training programme.

In her role, Bethan plans and manages all Day Seminars, Conferences, INSET and Consultancy, as well as being Director of BAISIS. She believes boarding can be a positive force for young people and in order to fully support their needs staff can never learn too much. As such she is passionate about the CPD BSA delivers to our pastoral communities in the UK and worldwide.

Aileen Kane

Deputy CEO & COO

Aileen is COO of BSA Group, and the Director of SACPA (Safeguarding and Child Protection Association). Aileen leads operations at BSA providing guidance and training and works closely with government departments, local authorities and other agencies to support members. She heads up the group’s work to find places for refugee children escaping from conflict countries and is also a trustee for a children’s charity.

Become a member school, supporting member or partner.

Together, we can define and share best practice in academic and pastoral provision for international students.