Tuesday 19 May, 09:30am – 4:30pm
Cost: From £250
Location: Online
Sponsored by:
Course Outline:
This one-day programme provides a comprehensive update for professionals involved in international student recruitment, compliance, and educational oversight. Delegates will gain insights into sector developments, legal and regulatory changes, and practical lessons from compliance audits and due diligence processes. The day includes updates from the Home Office, guidance on SMS and CAS changes, and opportunities to engage with leading experts on agent management and quality frameworks. Through case studies, Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities, participants will leave with actionable strategies to support compliance, manage risk, and enhance institutional oversight.
Learning outcomes:
- By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:
- Understand the latest sector updates and legal developments impacting international student recruitment
- Apply guidance on SMS and CAS changes to institutional practice
- Learn lessons from compliance audits and implement best practice due diligence
- Navigate the Agent Quality Framework and agent management processes
- Engage effectively with Home Office representatives and understand operational updates
- Strengthen institutional compliance and oversight in a practical, actionable way
Programme:
09:30 – 10:15 Sector updates
This session offers an overview of the latest developments in the boarding sector, highlighting trends, challenges, and opportunities that shape the current landscape.
- Speaker: Kate Hollyer, Partner and Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd
10:15 – 11:00 Changes to the SMS and CAS – guidance and information sharing
- Speakers: Kate Hollyer, Partner and Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd
- Leigh Steer, Legal Services Manager
11:00 – 11:15 Break
11:15 – 12:15 Agent Quality Framework compliance check in
- Speakers: Sophie Turnbull, Director of International Recruitment at UWE Bristol and BUILA Executive Committee member
- Deepa Chadha, Policy Adviser (Immigration) (Interim Head of Advice) UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)
12:15 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00- 13:45 Home Office update
This session delivers an official update from the Home Office, focusing on policies, compliance issues, and their implications for boarding schools.
Speaker: Martyn Foulds, Engagement Team (Study) Team Leader, Study Operations, UK Visas and Immigration, Home Office
13:45 – 14:00 Break
14:00 – 14:30 UKVI Compliance Beyond the School Gate
In this session, hear from our sponsors I-GTM, who will demonstrate how schools can move from fragmented records to connected, reliable systems that protect their sponsor licence, strengthen safeguarding, and enhance operational efficiency.
Speaker: David Williams, I-GTM
14:30 – 14:45 Break
15:00 – 15:45 Legal update – compliance and educational oversight
Speakers:
- Kate Hollyer, Partner and Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd
- Hazar El-Chamaa, Partner, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
15:45 – 16:15 Legal update Q&A
Speakers:
- Kate Hollyer, Partner and Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd
- Hazar El-Chamaa, Partner, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
16:30 Conference close
Speakers:
Kate Hollyer, Partner and Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd
Kate Hollyer is Executive Director (Legal) of BSA Group and Director of BSA Legal Services Ltd. A qualified solicitor with over 14 years’ experience in UK immigration law, she advises and supports members on a full range of immigration matters. Before joining BSA in 2022, Kate was Partner and Head of Department at a leading UK law firm, where she built extensive expertise in complex immigration cases. Since 2014, Kate has lived in boarding houses alongside her Housemaster husband, giving her a unique, first-hand perspective on the challenges and opportunities of boarding life.
Leigh Steer, Legal Services Manager , BSA Group Legal Services Ltd
Leigh joins BSA Group as Immigration Executive for BSA Group Legal Services Ltd. Having previously held the position of Registrar at an independent boarding school, Leigh has a deep understanding of the intricacies of sponsor licence compliance. Through her expertise, Leigh ensures that member schools are supported in all areas of UKVI sponsor licence compliance, including the intricacies of sponsor duties, CAS management and international student visa support.
Hazar El-Chamaa, Partner, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
Hazar has over 20 years’ immigration experience and has been advising education providers on all aspects of compliance, risk management, and strategic restructuring since the inception of Tier 4. As part of the firm’s dedicated education practice, Hazar supports providers on the full lifecycle of sponsorship—from audit readiness and Home Office inspections to crisis response and licence challenges including to Home Office decisions impacting sponsors, bringing a strategic litigation perspective to compliance issues. Hazar is a frequent speaker on immigration law and gives training on sponsor compliance. She is a former chair of ILPA (Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association) and remains an active member, helping to shape the future of immigration policy. Hazar is consistently recommended in leading legal directories, including Chambers UK. Penningtons is recognised as a key link between the Home Office and the education sector, supporting institutions in implementing and responding to the ongoing changes to the UK immigration and sponsorship system.
Sophie Turnball, Director, International Recruitment, UWE Bristol
Sophie has over fifteen years of experience in international student recruitment, spanning both the higher education and private sectors. She is currently Director of International Recruitment at UWE Bristol, where she leads global strategy and partnership development across key markets. Sophie also serves on the BUILA Executive Board, contributing to sector-wide policy and best practice in international recruitment. Prior to joining UWE, she held senior roles in the private sector, including Head of Recruitment and Regional Manager for South Asia and the Americas, where she built high-performing teams and delivered sustained market growth
David Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of I-GTM
David Williams is a Co-Founder and CEO of I-GTM, the leading travel record-keeping and management platform for UK boarding schools. Before launching I-GTM, David built and led a talent acquisition firm operating in emerging markets, gaining first-hand experience of the global networks that underpin the boarding school ecosystem. He now applies that insight to joining up the requirement for travel whereabouts recording with operational excellence. As the shift toward more international boarders gathers pace, this approach helps ensure schools remain truly “open to the world,” supporting enrolment and giving agents and families clear, confident messages about access to these world-class institutions.
Deepa Chadha, Policy Adviser (Immigration) (Interim Head of Advice)
Deepa Chadha serves as the Policy Advisor (Immigration) at UKCISA (the UK Council for International Student Affairs), where she has worked for over 16 years. Her role involves monitoring, analysing, and interpreting legislation and policy that impact international students and their family members, advising and presenting on the UK’s immigration law and policies as they relate to students and their family members, and representing relevant sector issues at meetings with the Home Office and UKVI. Her career spans roles in university immigration advisory services and in the legal sector, giving her a deep understanding of both policy and practice.
Martyn Foulds, Engagement Team (Study) Team Leader, Study Operations, UK Visas and Immigration, Home Office
