Dame Allan’s Schools have been shortlisted in the Independent School Parent Magazine’s Independent Schools of the Year (ISOTY) 2023 awards, having been selected as a frontrunner from more than 1,000 entries. 

The Schools are nominated in the ‘Outstanding New Initiative’ category for their inspiring speaker series, The Lectures, which launched in 2022. 

The Lectures defined a landmark moment for Dame Allan’s, who had previously never hosted speaking events of this magnitude or prestige. Speakers in the first series included: entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den star, Sarah Davies; renowned physics professor Ruth Gregory; award-winning international speaker Marcus Child, and leading economist and author Roger Martin-Fagg.

This was the first series of a three-year programme for The Lectures, which has been generously funded by Dame Allan’s Alumni Mark Dolder, a prominent Northumberland CEO. Speaking about his kind support of this new initiative, Mark said: 

“I appreciate how much my time at Dame Allan’s has contributed to a successful career that now affords me the privilege to give something back, and I wanted to offer something that both compliments the curriculum and helps grow the person beyond the academic.

“This lecture series has been conceived to inspire today’s students. If anyone in the audience thinks bigger, aims higher, or exceeds the expectations they have set for themselves as a result of hearing our speakers, then the project will have been a roaring success!”

Mr Paul Terry, Head of Sixth Form at Dame Allan’s, was instrumental in making The Lectures a reality. Speaking about the series, he said: 

“We recognised that our pupils would be leaving the Schools into an exceptionally challenging working environment and that The Lectures would offer them a new perspective, helping to broaden their understanding of a subject outside the traditional classroom. Our A Level students in particular were encouraged to attend the talk that suited their chosen subject. They were able to chat with the speaker in advance and gain tailored advice, with the events being described as ‘ incredibly inspiring’ by one student. We’re exceptionally proud to have this impact recognised by the ISOTY judging panel.”

Dame Allan’s Schools is already working on a new series of The Lectures for the 2023/24 academic year, featuring a new crop of high-profile and inspiring speakers. 

The finalists for the Independent Schools of the Year awards will be announced in September 2023.