BSA / HIEDA Nutrition in Boarding Schools Conference

🏷️ From £235
🎧 Heads, Deputy Heads, Senior leaders, Catering leads, Pastoral staff, Boarding staff, Health centre staff
📍 Online (conference)
🎥 Watch live or on catch up

Course outline:

The BSA’s Nutrition in Boarding Schools Conference brings together boarding, pastoral, catering and health professionals to explore how nutrition can positively shape student wellbeing, behaviour and academic performance.

Through a series of expert-led sessions, delegates will learn practical strategies for embedding healthy eating habits in boarding life, supporting mental and emotional wellbeing through nutrition, meeting diverse dietary needs, and delivering high-quality food provision within budget constraints. With opportunities for discussion and collaboration, the online conference offers valuable insight for schools looking to strengthen their whole-school approach to student health and wellbeing.

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This event is hosted with:

Sponsored by:

Programme:

10:00 – 10:15 CONFERENCE CHAIR / WELCOME – James Greenham 

10:15 – 11:00 SESSION 1 – From Knowledge to Habits: Embedding Healthy Eating in Boarding Life 

Providing nutritious food is only part of the picture; how do schools help students actually build healthy habits? This session will explore practical, behaviour-led strategies to embed positive eating habits into daily boarding life, supporting long-term wellbeing and independence.

Speaker: Jenny Tomei, qualified Nutritional and Eating Disorder Therapist, Personal Trainer, and Public Speaker

11:00 – 11:15 – BREAK

11:15 – 12:00 SESSION 2 – Food, Mood & Mind: Nutrition’s Role in Student Wellbeing 

An exploration of the relationship between nutrition, mental health, and emotional wellbeing. This session will offer practical strategies to support students dealing with stress, anxiety, and low mood through dietary approaches. 

Speaker: Sarah Ashworth, Charlie Waller Trust

12:00 – 12:45 LUNCH

12:45 – 13:30 SESSION 3 – Nutrition & Academic Success: What’s the Link?

This session will examine the growing evidence connecting nutrition with concentration, behaviour, and academic outcomes. It will highlight how schools can use nutrition as a tool to support learning and attainment.

Speaker: Ellie Olds, Head of Nutrition at Holroyd Howe

13:30 – 13:45 – BREAK

13:45 – 14:45 SESSION 4 – Meeting Diverse Dietary Needs in Boarding Communities 

From allergies and medical conditions to cultural and lifestyle choices, schools must cater to increasingly diverse dietary requirements. This session will focus on safe, inclusive, and practical approaches to meeting these needs in a boarding setting.

Speaker: Dan Richardson, DRN Nutrition

14:45 – 15:00 BREAK

15:00 – 15:45 SESSION 5 – Fuelling Performance: Nutrition for Active & High-Achieving Students 

Boarding pupils often balance busy academic and co-curricular schedules. This session will explore how nutrition can support energy levels, recovery, and performance—particularly for sporty or highly active students. 

Speaker: Eoin Schofield, Elite Sport Nutrition

15:45 – 16:30  SESSION 6 – Expert Speaker Discussion

This interactive panel session brings together all expert speakers for a dynamic discussion on key themes in nutrition within boarding environments. Delegates will have the opportunity to engage directly with panellists, ask questions, and explore real-world challenges and solutions.

Speaker:

• Dan Richardson, DRN Nutrition
• Ellie Olds, Head of Nutrition at Holroyd Howe
• Eoin Schofield, Elite Sport Nutrition
• Jenny Tomei, qualified Nutritional and Eating Disorder Therapist, Personal Trainer, and Public Speaker

16:00 CONFERENCE CLOSE

Speakers:

James Greenham, Acting Executive Director, HIEDA, Consultancy and INSET

James has extensive senior leadership experience, including 25 years as Managing Director of a medical device manufacturer, and as an NED Board Member, and spends time volunteering in his local community (Oxfordshire).

 Jess McArdle, BEDS (Boarding and Education Services) Manager

Jess joined BSA Group in April 2022 as a Business Support Executive, bringing with her a wealth of experience from diverse industries. With a strong background in the entertainment sector, Jess spent nine years working in various roles across cruise lines, holiday parks, and television. This period honed her skills in customer service, project management, and creative problem-solving, making her adept at navigating fast-paced environments.

In addition to her entertainment industry experience, Jess also spent time as an Administrator for a golf signage company, where she developed a keen eye for detail and further refined her administrative and organizational abilities. At BSA Group, Jess leverages her extensive experience to provide high-level support, streamline processes, and contribute to the company’s continued success. Her dynamic background and commitment to excellence make her a valuable asset to the team.

Jenny Tomei, qualified Nutritional and Eating Disorder Therapist, Personal Trainer, and Public Speaker

Jenny has delivered awareness talks on eating disorders for the Metropolitan Police, Lloyds Pharmacy, and the Bank of England. She has also been a keynote speaker at international and UK schools.

Her work includes speaking to local communities and schools about her recovery journey from anorexia, alongside her recent work with JenUp. JenUp is a non-profit organisation based around early intervention and prevention of eating disorders. She provides students, parents, and teachers with various types of workshops on eating disorder awareness, disordered eating, body image, nutrition, and how to support someone in need. The organisation is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and Smile of Hope Charity.

Sarah Ashworth, Charlie Waller Trust

Sarah is a Mental Health Trainer with the Charlie Waller freelance team, delivering consultancy and training across colleges and universities. A qualified counsellor, psychotherapist, nutritional therapist and coach, she is accredited by the BACP, a member of BANT, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. With over 30 years’ experience working with children, young people, and adults, Sarah previously led a multidisciplinary team as Head of Mental Health at the University of Warwick. She continues to teach at the Universities of Warwick and Oxford and is passionate about promoting mental health through evidence-based education, training, and intervention.

Dan Richardson, DRN Nutrition

Dan Richardson is a performance nutrition expert who supports elite and school-level athletes to optimise their health and athletic potential. He’s worked professionally as a nutritionist with teams such as Manchester City, Sale Sharks, Warrington Wolves and currently is currently the Academy Nutrition Lead at Leeds United. His approach to nutrition is simple, evidence-based & food-first, focusing on utilising the latest nutrition research to support all students and athletes.

Eoin Schofield, Elite Sport Nutrition

A qualified nutritionist with an undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition and an MSc in Sports Nutrition, I bring experience across both public health and elite sport settings. I spent three years working in public health on an adult weight management programme and have five years of experience supporting youth and professional athletes. My work has included roles with Lincoln City FC, Notts County FC, Bradford City AFC Academy, Leicestershire County Cricket Club Academy, and GB Taekwondo Youth Pathway. I am passionate about helping individuals optimise health, wellbeing, and performance through practical, evidence-based nutrition strategies.

Ellie Olds, Head of Nutrition at Holroyd Howe