A Reflection on the 44th COBIS Annual Conference 2026

Sarah Chesworth, KTJ's Head of Secondary, provides an update on her experience at the 44th COBIS Annual Conference 2026, hosted in London:

There’s a particular energy at the COBIS Annual Conference 2026 that reminds you why international education is such a remarkable sector to work in.

This year’s conference brought together school leaders from across the globe to reflect, challenge, collaborate and, perhaps most importantly, reconnect with purpose in an increasingly complex world. The them was listen, learn lead.

The conference programme was exceptional. Thought-provoking keynote contributions from David Olusoga, Susie Dent, Frank Gardner and Dr Attaullah Wahidyar offered very different perspectives, yet all reinforced the importance of curiosity, communication, resilience and humanity within leadership. Alongside these were engaging workshops and discussions led by colleagues across the sector, reminding us of the depth of expertise and generosity that exists within the COBIS community.

I was also delighted to have the opportunity to contribute, with Dr. Glenn Moodie, to the conference through leading a workshop focused on crisis leadership and decision-making in schools. The session, which was referenced in the recent TES coverage of the conference, explored how school leaders respond under pressure when faced with rapidly evolving scenarios where there is no perfect answer.

What made the session particularly powerful was the way participants embraced the challenge. Colleagues fully immersed themselves in the scenario, balancing safeguarding, communication, operational decisions, reputation management and human emotion in real time. There was thoughtful debate, moments of tension, humour and genuine collaboration — all reflective of the realities of leadership in schools today.

One of the most reassuring aspects was seeing how instinctively people leaned towards empathy, teamwork and calm communication, even when navigating uncertainty. It reinforced my belief that whilst policies and procedures matter enormously, it is ultimately people and relationships that determine how successfully schools navigate difficult moments.

Beyond the formal sessions, one of the greatest strengths of COBIS remains the conversations between workshops: reconnecting with familiar colleagues, meeting new leaders, sharing ideas openly and remembering that many of the challenges we face are shared across contexts and continents.

Thank you to Colin Bell, Fiona Rogers, Jim Knight and the wider COBIS - Council of British International Schools team for delivering another outstanding conference. Events like this matter because they create the space not only to listen and learn, but also to reflect on the kind of leaders and schools we want to be.

I left London feeling both challenged and energised — and very grateful to be part of a sector filled with such thoughtful, passionate professionals.