HMC and IDPE School Bursaries and Partnerships Conference

Bursaries provide life-changing opportunities for young people; partnerships offer the opportunity to share resources and expertise to enhance learning opportunities between schools and the wider community. 

Yet, bursary and partnership programmes must be about more than demonstrating the social conscience of a school – they provide life-changing experiences for our young people, greater socio-economic diversity within our schools, strengthen the connections with our communities, and can be an extraordinary force for change.

Why attend?

The biannual HMC and IDPE School Bursaries and Partnerships Conference is designed to support heads, bursars, governors, directors of development, and directors of partnerships and community engagement, to establish and develop successful bursary and partnership programmes.

The cost-of-living crisis, VAT on independent school fees,  funding gaps, and the legacy of the COVID pandemic mean that many schools are already having to make difficult decisions about prioritisation within stretched budgets. Yet as educational leaders, we have a commitment to working together to truly address the widening gap in educational attainment between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Through strengthening our partnerships and fulfilling our bursary missions, we can build aspiration across communities and improve the outcomes for all our young people.

Save the date: HMC and IDPE School Bursaries and Partnerships Conference

Wednesday, 28 January 2026, BMA House, London

HMC and IDPE are excited to announce the seventh HMC and IDPE School Partnerships and Bursaries Conference, which will take place on Wednesday 28 January 2026 at BMA House in London.

This important event will explore how all those in education can collaborate and work together to create meaningful opportunities for children from all backgrounds. The conference will focus on the role of school partnerships and bursaries in ensuring that every child has access to the best opportunities.

Mark your calendars! Bookings for the conference will open in the summer term of 2025. Further details will follow.