The Institute for Advanced Learning & Metacognition (IALM) is delighted to welcome a new group of chairs to its Advisory Boards, following the appointments earlier this month.
IALM’s nine Advisory Boards bring together specialists from research, education, policy and practice to inform the Institute’s work — offering expert insight whenever IALM is conducting research, developing new resources, or working through a difficult question. As set out in the Institute’s Advisory Board Framework, these boards are advisory rather than governing: they support and strengthen the work of the Board of Trustees, who remain accountable for IALM’s strategy and decisions, without taking on decision-making authority themselves.
In line with IALM’s usual practice, the names of the new chairs — along with the wider board members who will join them — will be announced individually in the coming weeks, once each appointment has been formally confirmed and written consent has been given for public association with the Institute. This announcement is simply to mark the moment and to thank everyone involved in bringing these appointments together.
A growing community of expertise
The appointments span several of IALM’s nine boards, which between them cover areas ranging from research methodology and evidence standards, through neurodiversity, schools and family learning, to digital and AI technology, policy engagement, legal and safeguarding matters, equality and inclusion, and university access and admissions. Full details of each board’s remit are available on the Advisory Boards section of the IALM website.
“Every one of our Advisory Boards exists to answer a simple question: are we getting this right, according to people who actually know the field?” said Fabian Lord, Chair of Trustees. “Welcoming new chairs into that role is one of the clearest signs of a young institute finding its feet, and we’re genuinely grateful to everyone stepping into these positions.”
Bringing new chairs into these roles reflects the pace at which IALM’s community of advisers is growing, and the calibre of people now willing to contribute their time and expertise to the Institute’s mission. Each new chair joins a board that will normally meet at least twice a year, offering guidance between meetings as needed, and helping ensure that IALM’s work remains rigorous, current and grounded in real expertise.
How the boards operate
IALM’s Advisory Board Framework sets out clear expectations for how each board and its members operate, regardless of subject area. Members are required to declare any conflicts of interest as they arise, and to handle confidential information and personal data with care, in line with the Institute’s data protection obligations. Because IALM’s work involves children and young people, advisers whose role may bring them into contact with that work are subject to proportionate due diligence, including DBS checks where appropriate. For the Policy & Public Affairs Advisory Board in particular, IALM’s status as an independent, non-partisan charity means all policy-related work must remain strictly free of party-political activity, consistent with Charity Commission guidance.
These safeguards exist so that IALM’s Advisory Boards can offer genuinely independent, trustworthy expertise, while ensuring the Institute continues to meet the high standards expected of a UK-registered charity. It is also why IALM is careful never to describe an individual as associated with the Institute until they have agreed to that appointment in writing — a small point of process, but one that matters for treating everyone who gives their time to IALM properly and fairly.
Why this matters for members and partners
For IALM’s members, partners and the wider public, a strengthening Advisory Board structure is a practical sign of an
institute maturing — evidence that the charity’s research and resources are being shaped and checked by people who know their fields well, not developed in isolation. It also reflects one of IALM’s core strategic objectives: building an outstanding advisory community as part of the foundations needed for sustainable growth.
The Institute is continuing to build out its Advisory Boards over time, and remains keen to hear from academics, practitioners and specialists across relevant fields who may wish to contribute in the future, whether now or as further vacancies arise.
What happens next
Formal introductions to the new chairs — including their names, backgrounds and the boards they will lead — will follow in the coming weeks as appointments are finalised. IALM will also be sharing more about how each board’s work feeds into the Institute’s research and resources, giving members and the wider public a clearer picture of how this expertise translates into practice.
In the meantime, anyone wishing to learn more about the role and structure of IALM’s Advisory Boards, or to register interest in contributing to one in the future, is welcome to get in touch via the IALM website. The Institute is grateful to everyone who continues to serve across its Advisory Boards, new and existing alike, and looks forward to sharing the fuller announcement soon.