AFIS™ Exists to Champion and Celebrate Independent Education in the UK
AFIS™ brings together the voices of supporters of independent education so their voices are heard in the national education conversation.
We are here to celebrate all that is great about private schools, and the important part they play in the great tapestry of British life.
We are not aligned to a political party, nor do we fund any party or think-tank. While we would love to see VAT removed from school fees, we are not a campaign or lobby group, or a single-issue organisation.
Our revenue comes from family membership fees and commission from our commercial partners (we receive no funding from institutions or groups). We donate a certain percentage of this revenue to our member schools, chosen by our families.
A word from our founder …
"I founded AFIS™ as a voice to express the importance of independent education; a voice for a disparate range of parents and their wider families, bringing us all together for a common cause. We've made careful choices about our children's schooling and are making personal and financial sacrifices to do so. A large proportion of parents at our schools are not from hugely wealthy backgrounds, and many are endlessly grateful to grandparents and other relatives assisting with fees. A significant number of students receive means-tested fee assistance from their schools. My own children have benefited a great deal from generous bursaries and scholarships. As a full-time single parent, I couldn't afford it without this support. Financial help from family has also been crucial and I am far from alone in this. Coming from a family with no connection to private schooling, I had little idea what to expect … but for me AFIS™ is all about showing the brilliant contributions that our schools and our children, from all backgrounds, are making to society and the economy."
Michelle Daniells
Founder, Association for Families of Independent Schools™ (AFIS™)
Help AFIS™ to grow
Do please spread the word about AFIS™ to your friends, family and your schools, encouraging parents, relatives, alumni and staff to join us.
Connect us with brands our members will love so we can add them AFIS™ Brand Partners, reaching the valuable AFIS™ audience with carefully curated, exclusive offers and benefits.
Introduce us to people with specialist knowledge of independent education who might contribute to the U.K. Independent Education Library and resources.
Join the AFIS™ team – just let us know how you can help.
THANK YOU
Team AFIS™
Meet the dedicated team behind AFIS™
Left to right: Betina Blake, Cliff Lane, Michelle Daniells, Nikki Balletta
Team Biographies
Betina Blake
My 25-year career in the heritage sector has given me the chance to work closely with school groups, fostering young people's engagement with history. I believe that education is one of the most powerful tools we can offer children, equipping them with the knowledge, critical thinking and confidence they need to make informed choices for their future.
I'm delighted to be contributing to AFIS™ as the custodian of the first National Library of Independent Education . This role offers a meaningful opportunity to support independent schools as they navigate today's rapidly evolving educational landscape. I'm proud to play a part in helping these institutions thrive and their supporters.
Cliff Lane
As a father of four, life is always busy! I've previously been a governor at my children's primary school, and I'm currently coaching my son's cricket team and acting as a running buddy for my daughter. I'm now delighted to be a volunteer member of the AFIS™ team.
As someone who is dyslexic – something I have passed down to my son – I'm passionate about making sure children have access to the provisions they need to get the most out of their years in education. It's crucial to setting them up in the best possible way for life afterwards.
Michelle Daniells
With a career in management consultancy, strategic planning and project management – including my own successful businesses – I'm convinced we have the right business plan, skills and vision to make AFIS™ a success. I'm committed to the highest levels of customer service, ethics and professionalism, and 100% focused on getting things done really well.
As a full-time single parent from a family with no previous connection to private schooling, I founded AFIS™ as a voice for a disparate range of families, coming together for a common cause. It's about showing the brilliant contributions that our schools and our children, from all backgrounds, are making to society and the economy.
Nikki Balletta
Our military family – I'm a mother of three and married to a member of the Armed Forces – has navigated frequent relocations. My children have attended state and independent schools in the UK, as well as in Canada and France. This first-hand experience has given me a distinctive, global perspective on education, observing the strengths and challenges across these systems.
I believe families should have the freedom to choose the education that best meets their children's needs – because every child is unique. I would like these important choices to be free from bias or misconception, and through AFIS™ I'm committed to fostering understanding, openness and informed dialogue.
Dr. Steven Watson
Consultant Research Advisor
Steven Watson is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. He is also co-founder of the University of Cambridge knowledge enterprise spinout, Cambridge Global Knowledge Nexus. His research uses transdisciplinary approaches, social systems theory, cybernetics; his current focus is on the philosophy and sociology of technology, and in particular the role of generative AI in organisations, education, and society.
While his research is strongly theoretical, he integrates this with contextual empirical research and development. His previous professions include secondary school mathematics teacher and telecommunications engineer. He holds degrees in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, a masters in education from the Open University and a PhD Education from the University of Nottingham.
He is currently working on four books:
- Emergent Discourses on Generative AI in Education and Society (Expected publication 2025)
- Generative AI and Meaning Mediation (forthcoming)
- Autopoietic Ecology (Forthcoming)
- Educational Research: an autopoietic ecological systems approach (forthcoming)
At present, we are a small team of committed parents who believe that a national, unified platform for all supporters of independent education is much needed. This is not just for the short term, in response to the recent addition of VAT on school fees; there is a broader and longer term need to address the growing amount of misinformation, negative bias and misperceptions that are divisive, destructive and ultimately harmful to all children and society as a whole.
We do not align to a political party. We receive no funding from institutions or groups. We do not fund any political party or think-tank.
Through the collective input of our members, AFIS™ will help to safeguard the future of independent education, by surveying our members and funding and commissioning independent research into their views and demographic profiles. We will publish current, accurate data about the contributions made to society and the economy by our families and our schools. We aim to help bring positivity and truth to the discussion. We are united in our support of the right to choose an independent education without being penalised and judged.
As an AFIS™ member you will have access to engaging, special-interest groups and discussion forums about a wide range of topics. We will strive to ensure that our platform is safe, honest and respectful.
And, with the strength in our numbers, AFIS™ is collaborating with consumer goods and service providers to offer exclusive perks, discounts and benefits to our members, as a THANK YOU for being part of the AFIS™ community.
Member Benefits
- Access to special-interest groups and discussion forums
- Exclusive perks and discounts from partners
- Contribute to independent research and surveys
- Support means-tested bursaries for schools
Supporting Our Schools
Our member schools benefit too; a proportion of AFIS™ revenue is donated to schools to provide more means-tested bursaries.