ISBA has an 80-year heritage supporting
independent schools. It can trace its history back to the
founding of the Public Schools Bursars' Association which held its
first general meeting on 26 April 1932 at the offices of Epsom
College. Its name then changed to the Independent Schools'
Bursars Association in 1983.
We now have more than 1100 members including some 60
international associate members, from smaller preparatory schools
to larger and well-renowned senior schools, including both boarding
and day schools.
ISBA is a charitable company limited by guarantee and although
it is the school and not the bursar who becomes a member of the
association, it is usually the bursar or equivalent who is the
school's nominated representative.
Day-to-day we advise many different staff within a school's
senior management team including the bursar, finance director,
chief operations officer, business manager, deputy or assistant
with areas of responsibility encompassing accounting, financial
management and reporting, risk management, regulatory compliance,
facilities management, HR, technology, environmental
sustainability, auxiliary services and many more.
ISBA is one of the constituent members of the Independent
Schools Council (ISC) and is represented on the ISC Governing
Council and a number of ISC committees. We are also often called on
to represent the ISC at meetings with the DfE, HSE and Teachers'
Pensions providing advice on bursarial matters.
Supporting independent schools since
1932