We couldn't be more excited to be hosting this year's conference at Wensum Valley Hotel, Golf and Country Club. 

Within this newsletter you will find all the information you could possibly want to know about each element of the conference. However, if we have missed something please dont hesitate to get in touch. [email protected] or [email protected].

We would like to thank our exhibitors and most importantly our sponsors Lyfta, for supporting this event. Please do click the link and have a look at their offering. 

Lyfta is a story-based digital learning platform that helps schools to weave diverse narratives into the curriculum, build cultural capital, nurture social values and engage children deeply in learning across a range of topics. Getting started with Lyfta is easy, and free. Learn more about our highly-rated CPD and free trial access at www.lyfta.com.

Lyfta is an award-winning teaching and learning platform made up of interactive 360° spaces and soundscapes of real homes, workplaces and environments from around the world, featuring an array of human stories. Students are invited to explore new places, unlock rich media content, and get to know a diverse range of real people through powerful and inspiring short films.  

An impactful, captivating way for students to experience human diversity, nurture social and cultural capital, and for educators to develop the vital skills and values children will need to thrive in our changing world.

Free access to two storyworlds is available with a free Lyfta Starter account (30 second sign up, no credit card required) and anyone in a school setting can access all content and resources completely free for 30 days when they join a 60 minute webinar.

Find out more at www.lyfta.com

This year's key note speakers are:

Rachel MacFarlane, Director of Education Services at Herts for Learning Education

Dr Leigh Hoath, Associate Professor (Professional Practice) Science Education, Leeds Trinity University

David Weston, Founder and CEO of the Teacher Development Trust

Laura McInerney, Journalist, Teacher, Author, Speaker, App creator

Rachel Macfarlane, is the Director of Education Services at Herts for Learning. From 2007 until 2018 she was a National Leader of Education, serving as Headteacher of three contrasting schools over a sixteen year period. In 2011 Rachel joined Ark Schools to set up a new co-educational, all-through academy for 4-18 year olds in Ilford, East London. This was judged to be outstanding in all areas by Ofsted in 2014 and again in 2018.

From 2009-2018 Rachel was Project Director of The London Leadership Strategy’s Going For Great (G4G) Programme, which involved working with leaders of outstanding schools to share good practice and produce case studies for dissemination to London schools.

Rachel sat on the RSC’s Headteacher Board for NE London & the East of England Region.

Rachel is an honorary fellow at the UCL Institute of Education’s Centre for Educational Leadership. She is a fellow of the CCT. She is a Trustee of BIG Education and part of the core team at Rethinking Assessment.

Rachel has written and contributed to a number of books on the themes of educational disadvantage, the features of great schools and learning power approaches to education. Her latest book, Obstetrics for Schools, addresses the disadvantaged gap and how to overcome it.

Dr Leigh Hoath, is head of science education at Leeds Trinity University and is the co-founder of an organisation leading curriculum development concerning climate change education. She is the Chair-Elect of the Association for Science Education (ASE) as well as being a regular contributor to their conferences and publications. She is an author of science books across the primary and secondary age phases as well as the outreach and engagement consultant to the world’s largest chemical company (BASF). Leigh is also a consultant to BBC Teach where she developed the Blue Planet Live teacher resources and live lesson and most recently created the content for their climate and sustainability focussed campaign ‘The Regenerators’. Despite all these aspects of her work Leigh is most comfortable in the classroom with students and remains at heart a teacher.

David Weston, is the founder and Chief Executive of the Teacher Development Trust, the national charity for effective professional development in schools and colleges. He founded the Trust in 2012 after spending ten years as a secondary school maths and physics teacher and experiencing a growing frustration with the way that teachers are developed across the school system. Since its launch, David has steered the Trust to be one of the foremost voices in education on the subject of professional development. From March 2015 he was the Chair of the Department for Education’s Teachers’ Professional Development Expert Group for England. Alongside co-author Bridget Clay, David wrote Unleashing Great Teaching: the secrets to the most effective teacher development. He has written extensively in the TES, Guardian, SecEd and a number of other education journals and newspapers and speaks frequently on teacher development. He has had a number of radio and TV appearances speaking about teaching, teacher development and LGBT issues. David works closely with stakeholders across the sector including government ministers and policy-makers and helped to set up the new Chartered College of Teaching – of which he is now a Founding Fellow. He is a trustee of the Teaching Awards Trust and an advocate for LGBT teachers and founded OutTeacher, which has become LGBTed.

Laura McInerney, is an education journalist, former secondary teacher, and co-founder of Teacher Tapp & Parent Ping, the daily apps uncovering the secret lives of thousands of teachers and parents.
She started her career teaching in London comprehensives before being taken to court by Michael Gove for asking a difficult question about free schools. (She eventually won).
Following this, Laura became a journalist, editing Schools Week and writing a column for the Guardian, and is regularly heard on BBC radio shows such as More or Less and the Today show.

Refreshments are all being served in the Valley Suite, consisting of three coffee breaks and a lunch each day. Please find below the delicious menus.

Thursday 10th November

Arrival and coffee breaks

On arrival and at each of the coffee breaks freshly brewed tea and coffee will be available, alongside iced water and accompanied by a different treat each time including pastries, biscuits and cakes. 

Lunch

Honey & Maple Glazed Ham

Topside of Beef with Coarse Mustard & Black Pepper

Carved Norfolk Turkey

Hot Buttered New Potatoes

Creamy Coleslaw with Fresh Mint

Italian Pasta Salad

Tossed Mixed Leaf Salad with Italian Dressing

Tomato & Basil Quiche with Asparagus Mayonnaise

Mediterranean Vegetable & Couscous Salad

Selection of Fresh Breads 

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Homemade Chocolate Fudge Brownie with Honeycomb Ice Cream

Madagascan Vanilla Cheesecake with Strawberry Ice Cream

Friday 11th November

Arrival and coffee breaks

On arrival and at each of the coffee breaks freshly brewed tea and coffee will be available, alongside iced water and accompanied by a different treat each time including pastries, biscuits and cakes. 

Lunch

Beef Lasagne 

Vegetable Lasagne 

Three Bean & Chickpea Salad

Jacket Potatoes 

Mixed Leaf Salad

Grated Cheese

Garlic Bread 

Homemade Coleslaw

Selection of Fresh Breads

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Chocolate and Coconut Tart with Chocolate Ice Cream 

Bakewell Tart with Wild Cherry Ice Cream

Please ensure you have made us aware of any dietary requirements by 21st October at the latest in order for us to ensure their is an appropriate alternative available to you. 

Arrival is from 8:30am on both days. Please park in the main carpark, the entrance is to the left of the building where you will enter through the double doors and be greeted at our welcome desk.

*Please note the venue is situated on two floors, there is lift access to the first floor if needed.

All the resources shared by the keynote and workshop speakers will be shared with delegates in a zipped file via email within a week of the conference. 

If on receipt you believe there to be something missing, please do not hesitate to contact Becky or I and we will endeavour to source it from the speakers for you and share it with all delegates. 

Your feedback is vitally important in helping us improve the conference for the next year as well as identifying topics that you would like covered before then in our virtual and face to face updates.

A link to a feedback survey will be sent alongside the resources from the conference, we would gratefully appreciate your responses.