The Foundation Meeting of the Society, then called the “British Educational Administration Society” (BEAS), was held on the 23rd October 1971 at the University of London Institute of Education. Since then, the Society has gone through many stages of development, including its name, but its vision, as an educational charity, remains at its core to provide a distinctive, independent and critical voice in the pursuit of quality education through effective leadership and management. A membership organisation, BELMAS attracts research academics, practitioners, students and others from around the world and encourages the promotion of learning in the educational leadership field through development grants, links with affiliated organisations, conferences, seminars and small-scale events and online networking. Additionally, BELMAS publishes the latest educational research and thinking in educational leadership and management through its own journals.