ASCL ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2026

ASCL General Secretary Pepe Di'Iasio opens Annual Conference

ASCL President 2025-26 and Deputy Headteacher, Walton High School

Jo grew up in Walsall in the West Midlands and attended a community comprehensive school.  She was the first person in her family to go to university and studied chemistry at degree and PhD level at the University of Manchester before training to be a teacher.  

Jo has always taught in Staffordshire across a range of secondary schools and has been teaching for 30 years. She has held a number of leadership roles including assistant head, and deputy headteacher as well as acting headteacher on a number of occasions. 

She is currently deputy headteacher at Walton High School in Stafford. Jo is passionate about making teaching a well-respected and enjoyable career which attracts the very best talent from graduates to educate our children so that they can shape a better future for us all.

Jo's theme for her presidential year is 'Forward together'.

Samantha Warwick, Director of SEND, Formby High School
Margaret Mulholland, ASCL SEND and Inclusion Specialist 
Amelie Thompson, Assistant Director of Education – SEND and Special Provision, Greenshaw Learning Trust

Perverse incentives within our education system can drive binary positions, such as we can either be inclusive or focus on achievement. Of course, it is not binary and if we are to be truly inclusive, it means that every pupil deserves the educational opportunities that open up choices for the best chance of success in their next steps and beyond into adulthood.

As we respond to an increasing number of pupils in our schools who experience complexity, the pathways to opening up opportunities and choice require us to be rigorous and increasingly responsive when considering curriculum design as well as the structural and organisational decisions that sit behind the delivery of the curriculum.

This session will explore key factors to support evidence-informed decision-making as well as share practical examples of how one secondary school has embedded adapted curriculum pathways to build equitable,relevant, and ambitious opportunities.
 
Learning outcomes

1. Applying the lens of preparation for adulthood to equitably and positively respond to the increasing number of pupils in our schools who experience complexity.
2. Evidence-informed decision-making to support rigorous curriculum design that builds opportunities and choice.
3. Practical example of adapted curriculum pathways in a school that build equitable, relevant and ambitious opportunities.

• Secondary
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Rob Robson, ASCL Trust Leadership Consultant
Ben Merrit

This practical two-part workshop provides school and college leaders with both strategic insight and hands-on experience of artificial intelligence in education.

In the first session, Rob will explore what's actually happening with AI across UK schools and colleges right now and where things are heading. Leaders will get to grips with the real risks and opportunities facing their institutions, from safeguarding and GDPR to genuine possibilities for improving teaching and learning. The session cuts through the hype to help leaders make sensible decisions about AI adoption that work for their context.

The second half of the session shifts to practical application as Ben demonstrates a range of powerful, freely available AI tools that can genuinely enhance classroom practice. Through live demonstrations, leaders will see how these tools support both teachers and students, from curriculum planning and assessment to personalised learning and accessibility

Learning outcomes

1. Understand the current state of AI implementation in UK schools and colleges, to enable leaders to benchmark their own school or college’s position and identify realistic next steps.
2. Identify and evaluate the key risks and opportunities AI presents for their context, from safeguarding and compliance requirements to practical benefits for teaching and learning.
3. Knowledge of specific free AI tools that can be immediately deployed in their settings, along with practical examples of how these enhance classroom practice for both teachers and students.

Target audience

• Primary
• Secondary 
• Sixth form/FE
• Independent 
• Business Leaders
• Assistant Heads 
• Deputy Heads 
• Headteachers 
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Joe Brindle, SOS-UK

Join secondary school students who are leading the creation of the National Union of School Students (NUSS), a student-led democratic organisation connecting student councils to bring young people together to campaign on the issues they care about and act as the representative body for 13 to 18 year-olds across the UK.

After an introduction to NUSS, students and educators will explore together why NUSS is needed and how it will transform schools into hubs of democracy and develop a generation with life-long habits of civic engagement. Through conversation, students will outline the benefits for schools and colleges, from strengthening student leadership, increased engagement in decision-making, and opportunities for students to participate in regional and national assemblies, while educators will be asked to share their reflections on student councils and ideas for strengthening school and student engagement.  

Educators from across secondary, sixth form and further education can find out how to get involved and how NUSS supports youth democracy education.

Learning outcomes

• Understand the vision, structure and benefits of NUSS.
• Strengthen youth organising through schools and sixth forms.
• Recognise what it means to transform schools into hubs of democracy.

Target audience

• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Josh Goodrich, Founder, Steplab 
Sarah Dickinson, Deputy Headteacher, Woodham Academy 
Anya Bradley​, Lead Practicitioner for Teaching and Learning, Woodham Academy 

In this session, we’ll tackle a core challenge for schools and colleges: how to make group professional development (PD) genuinely effective. While group PD is a practical necessity, many schools and much research finds that the traditional ‘one-to-many’ PD format just doesn’t yield the improvement in teaching quality we might hope for.

This workshop will explore why conventional group PD often falls short and what evidence tells us about making it work. Attendees will learn practical strategies for designing and delivering group PD that truly impacts teacher performance. By examining common pitfalls and highlighting efficient planning methods, we’ll equip school and college leaders to transform their group PD sessions into engines of real instructional growth.

Learning outcomes

1. Understand why classic group PD often fails, so that we leaders can recognise this in their own programmes.
2. What the research tells us about how to get this right.
3. Identify a clear, simple structure for better group PD that any leader can deploy in their setting.

Target audience

• Primary 
• Secondary 
• Sixth form/FE
• Independent 
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Nathan Atkinson, Co-Founder, Rethink Food

How can schools move beyond food provision to create a culture that truly nourishes minds, bodies, and communities? Drawing on real examples from schools across the UK, Nathan explores how food can be the catalyst for engagement, inclusion, and leadership at every level. This interactive session invites leaders to rethink their role in shaping the health and wellbeing of their school communities and to discover practical steps that build resilience, equity, and connection.

Learning outcomes

1. Understand how food systems within schools impact attendance, attainment, and wellbeing.
2. Explore leadership strategies that make health and sustainability a shared responsibility.
3. Develop an actionable plan to embed food education into whole-school culture.

Target audience

• Primary 
• Secondary  
• Assistant Heads  
• Deputy Heads 
• Headteachers  

Clare Fraser, Interim Head of External Affairs, AQA
 

• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Independent
• Business Leaders
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Matt Isherwood, Associate Partner, Barker and a School Leader

In today’s climate of tight budgets, rising energy costs, and increasing sustainability demands, being an informed client is no longer optional, it’s essential. This session will equip leaders with the practical knowledge and confidence to manage their estates and estates teams strategically and compliantly. Whether you're overseeing a single site or a complex portfolio, understanding your responsibilities and asking the right questions can unlock better value, safer environments, and long-term resilience.

Join us to explore the key principles of effective estates management and discover how to turn uncertainty into informed action.

Learning outcomes:

• Gain clarity on your responsibilities and the key questions every informed client should be able to answer.
• Learn how to use estate data and condition insights to drive strategic, value-for-money decisions.
• Understand how to align estates management with compliance, sustainability, and long-term educational goals.

• CEOs of Trusts / Multi‑Academy Trust Leaders
• Chief Operating Officers (COOs)
• Chief Finance Officers (CFOs) / Finance Directors
• Directors of Operations
• Directors of Estates / Heads of Estates
• School Business Managers (SBMs) / Directors of Business Services
• Estates/Facilities Managers
• Projects or Capital Programme Managers

Katie Luxton, Senior Programme Manager, Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)
Lucy Jones, Head of Teaching and Learning, Middlesbrough College

This interactive session explores how leaders in 16–19 education can design and deliver professional development that leads to sustained improvements in teaching practice. Grounded in the Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance on Effective Professional Development for 16–19 Settings, which draws on the best available international evidence from over 100 studies and insights from nearly 100 sector leaders, the session will unpack the principles proven to drive behaviour change. Participants will engage with the four core principles of effective professional development, use EEF’s reflection tools to honestly appraise their current approach, and consider how to cultivate a culture of professional development across teams as they plan forward together.

Learning outcomes

• Understand how professional development is taken forward together.
• Know the four fundamental principles of professional development.
• Be able to more confidently implement evidence-informed approaches to professional development.

Target audience

• Sixth form/FE
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Steve Downing, Head of Training (Google) for Canopy Education

This session is a deep-dive into NotebookLM, a free, secure, specialised AI tool from Google for
source-grounded analysis. Unlike general AI, NotebookLM allows your trusts and schools to upload their own specific documents, such as policy drafts, curriculum standards, inspection reports, or academic research.

You can then "ask" your documents questions, generate instant audio and video summaries, or extract key data points based only on the provided sources. For education, students can use it as a personal study guide by uploading class materials. For governance, your teams can securely analyse complex legislation, compare policy impacts, and draft briefings grounded in your own data, dramatically accelerating research and decision-making.

Google for Education is a main sponsor of ASCL Annual Conference 2026.

Learning outcomes

• Understand NotebookLM as a tool
• Use cases of NotebookLM in MATs, primary and secondary schools
• Consider how NotebookLM could be used in your own setting safely and effectively

• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE

Andy Jordan, ASCL Inspection and Accountability Specialist
Dr Ross Silcock, Executive Headteacher, The Compass Partnership of Schools
Andy Stainton, Headteacher, Mill Hill County High School

This session will include a brief overview of the new inspection framework introduced in November 2025 and a focus on the impact it is having in schools and colleges. There will be input from school leaders who have gone through inspection to share their experiences to help delegates to prepare for their own future inspection.

Learning outcomes

1. Understand the renewed Ofsted framework.
2. Learn from school leaders who have had an inspection under the renewed framework.
3. Enable school and college leaders to prepare for inspection.

Target audience

• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Jade Pearce, Trust Head of Education, Affinity Learning Partnership

This session will examine the seven steps that can be taken to improve teaching and learning in any trust, school, college or department. This will include:

1. Creating an evidence-informed teaching and learning framework
2. Implementing an evidence-informed teaching and learning framework
3. Delivering impactful CPD
4. Ensuring middle leaders drive teaching and learning
5. Conducting impactful quality assurance
6. Aligning appraisal
7. Developing a teaching and learning-centered culture

The session will look at each of these aspects in depth, giving advice for heads of subject, middle, senior and trust leaders on how to use these elements to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

Learning outcomes

• Create and implement an evidence-informed teaching and learning framework.
• Develop teachers and subject leaders.
• Use quality assurance and appraisal to improve teaching and learning.

Target audience

• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Independent
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Emma Harrison, ASCL Business Leadership Specialist
Sam Henson, Deputy CEO, National Governance Association (NGA)
Bethan Cullen, Deputy CEO, Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL)

The session will look at the recently published joint report, The three strands of leadership: Building strong schools and trusts through education, business and governance leadership.

This report is the result of a valued partnership between three national organisations representing the core strands of leadership across the English education system: the National Governance Association (NGA), the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), and the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL).

The session will explore the key findings, discuss the areas for sector-wide reflection, and offer attendees ideas for how leaders can reflect on their own organisation practice.

Learning outcomes

1. Understand more clearly what the three strands of leadership are their critical interdependencies.
2. Identify the common barriers and pitfalls that cause leadership fragmentation.
3. Enable leaders to reflect constructively on their organisational practices.

Target audience 

• Primary  
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Independent
• Business Leaders
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Phil Stock, Deputy Headteacher and Research School Director, Greenshaw High School
Letesha Moran, Director of Inclusion, Greenshaw High School
 

Sarah Waseem, Vice Principal, Canons High School
Jonathon Gill, Assistant Principal, The Elland Academy

This workshop invites senior leaders to explore how strategic leadership can shape the transition from traditional education models to AI-enhanced, paperless learning environments. Drawing on Canons High School’s implementation of a digital curriculum and insights from national benchmarking data, the session highlights how AI can reduce teacher workload, improve feedback accuracy and strengthen digital examination readiness for a potentially partially digital 2030.
 
Through real-world case studies and provocations, leaders will examine key governance, ethical and equity considerations essential to responsible digital adoption. Participants will engage with frameworks for developing policies, professional learning pathways, and sustainable digital strategies aligned with educational vision and accountability structures. The session challenges leaders to harness AI as a tool for innovation and inclusion, not automation, ensuring that technology enhances human connection, professional judgement, and long-term system improvement across their organisations.
 
Learning outcomes

1. Strategic integration: understand how to align AI adoption and digital transformation with school or trust-wide strategic priorities, balancing innovation with governance, safeguarding and ethical responsibilities.
2. Evidence-informed decision-making: analyse real-world data and case studies to evaluate the impact of paperless learning, AI marking and digital examinations on workload, student outcomes, and organisational efficiency.
3. Leadership for change: develop an actionable framework for leading sustainable digital and AI initiatives, including staff capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and policy development, to future-proof teaching, learning and assessment.

• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Independent
• Business Leaders
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders 

Claire Green, ASCL Post-16 and Skills Specialist
Charlie Guthrie, CEO, Endeavour MAT 
Steve Gallears, Headteacher, Northfleet Technology College

In light of the Prime Minister’s announcement that schools will play a greater role in guaranteeing every pupil a post-16 destination, this workshop offers school leaders clarity, reassurance, and practical guidance. Participants will explore what the new expectations mean in practice, how they build on existing statutory duties, and what support is needed to deliver them effectively.
The session will:

• clarify the scope of the proposed guarantee and its implications for schools
• share best practice in careers guidance, transition planning, and working with local providers
• address concerns around accountability, capacity, and funding
• offer strategies for building collaborative infrastructure with colleges, training providers, and local authorities
• provide tools to support students at risk of becoming NEET and ensure inclusive pathways

• Understand the policy shift: gain a clear understanding of the Prime Minister’s post-16 destination guarantee, including its policy context, expected school responsibilities, and alignment with existing statutory duties.
• Identify practical strategies: school leaders will explore effective approaches to delivering guaranteed post-16 destinations, including careers guidance, partnership working, and targeted support for students at risk of becoming NEET.
• Plan for implementation with confidence: leave with actionable insights and tools to assess readiness, address challenges, and advocate for the resources needed to implement the guarantee sustainably and inclusively.

• Sixth form/FE
• Independent
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Ernest Jenavs, CEO, Edurio

This interactive session introduces Edurio’s new Listening Maturity Framework and helps delegates move from collecting feedback to embedding listening in school and trust leadership. Participants will benchmark their current practice, gain clarity on strengths and gaps, and hear real-world examples from school and trust leaders who have made tangible progress. Expect practical ideas and space to reflect with peers and identify a concrete next step to take back to your trust. Attendees will leave with a clear sense of where they are on the journey to becoming a true listening organisation and how to accelerate their next phase.

Learning outcomes

• Map current practice against the Listening Maturity Framework and pinpoint priority areas.
• Build a focused action plan linking listening behaviours to improvement planning, CPD, and governance reporting.
• Define measures to track progress and evidence impact for pupils, staff, and families.

Target audience

• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Amy Whittall, Executive Director of Trust Development, Mercian Trust
Dr Jim Rogers, People Lead and Leadership Coach, Mercian Trust

This session will explore the ways in which our trust is creating an equitable culture, environment and professional entitlement for every member of staff and volunteer, seeking to recruit, nurture, and develop ambitious individuals to become skilled professionals through innovative recruitment practices, intentional career mapping, and a culture of professional growth. Through principles of equity, inclusion, and social justice, and leveraging digital technologies and AI, our people strategy aims to remove barriers and open pathways for all colleagues, especially those from underrepresented groups. 

The session will explore research evidence into staff development, the importance of systematic work on cultural development as a precursor to developing a people strategy, the steps we have taken to translate our principles into practice as well as emerging impact of the actions taken. 

Learning outcomes

• The role and significance of organisational culture and principles in developing a people strategy.
• The use of data to inform the planning of a people strategy across a diverse family of schools.
• Suggested approaches and steps to support the development of a people project and strategy focused on recruiting, retaining and developing staff.

Target audience
Primary
Secondary
Sixth form/FE
Independent
Business Leaders
Assistant Heads
Deputy Heads
Headteachers
CEO/Trust Leaders

Sir Ian Bauckham CBE, Chief Regulator, Ofqual
 
In a time where the qualifications landscape is rapidly changing join Sir Ian Bauckham, Ofqual's Chief Regulator. This session will include an overview of upcoming qualifications reform, and the role Ofqual plays in ensuring that all regulated qualifications are a valuable currency for students that take them.
 
Sir Ian will also explore the challenges and opportunities in the future of assessment, including on-screen assessment and artificial intelligence. 
 
Target audience 

• All members of the leadership team of secondary schools and colleges

Lisa Lea-Weston, Founder and Director, Talking Heads Supervision

“We talk differently together; problem solve more effectively and are better able to offer supportive challenge to each other. The impact of this on children is tangible. Children’s needs are better understood and met, we can offer more robust challenge to other agencies when needed and outcomes for our most vulnerable children are therefore improved.”
 
Case studies from across the UK following work with senior leaders in education will highlight the impact of supervision on the individual senior leader but also on children. Delegates will learn how supervision is the only contracted way of working whose purpose is to keep children and young people at its heart and how this differs from coaching/ mentoring. Delegates will hear how supervision supports retention and development, supports and challenges work cultures, and keeps educators connected to purpose. We will think about how supervision attended across an SLT/trust enables more courageous conversations that safeguard children, each other and the system they co-create.
 
Learning outcomes

• Understand impact of supervision on the person in supervision, the school culture and all children’s outcomes in education.
• How supervision relates to safeguarding, both broadly in terms of culture and specifically to children but also supervisee wellbeing/fitness to practice.
• Understand differences between coaching and mentoring and where supervision is similar but fundamentally different.

• Primary 
• Secondary 
• Independent 
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Margaret Mulholland, ASCL SEND and Inclusion Specialist
Sarah Cottinghatt, Research Lead, Steplab
Amelie Thompson, Assistant Director of Education (SEND and Specialist Provision), Greenshaw Learning Trust

Adaptive expertise in teaching feels like a no-brainer: of course, teachers need to flex and respond to learners’ needs. But what does it actually mean in practice? In this session, we go into detail about what adaptive expertise means and what it means for teaching pupils with SEND. It’s a shift in emphasis that every leader needs to prioritise when working toward inclusive mainstream.

Learning outcomes:

• Enhanced performance through recognising the problem-solving skills required for inclusive leadership.
• Identifying systems for strengthening inclusive teaching.
• Increased adaptability of leaders to plan for the evolving landscape of complex schools and classrooms.

Target audience

• Primary 
• Secondary 
• Sixth form/FE 
• Independent 
• Assistant Heads 
• Deputy Heads 
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Nigel Wright,  Headteacher, Oakmoor School
Rob Riley, Assistant Headteacher, Oakmoor School

How do you take a school from chaotic corridors and poor attendance to calm, with purposeful learning and a sense of community where everyone feels they belong? In this session, we share our journey from chaotic corridors to an exceptionally calm, purposeful school by focusing on one simple idea: working together.

Through clear systems, a strong sense of belonging, visible and proactive leadership, and values that live in every interaction, we have created a culture where behaviour, relationships, and learning thrive.
 
Delegates will explore how collaboration across all levels - students, staff, and leaders - can turn vision into reality. We will show how developing an internal alternative provision, including a forest school, has supported inclusion and improved attendance, moving Oakmoor School from the bottom 25% nationally to the top 35% in just 18 months. Attendees will leave with practical strategies and renewed belief that calm and consistent culture change is possible in any context when we move forward together.
 
Learning outcomes

• Understand how clear systems and visible leadership can transform school culture.
• Learn how to build a culture of belonging and shared values that drive positive behaviour.
• Take away practical ideas for developing inclusive in-school provision to improve attendance inclusion and engagement.

• Secondary
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Andrew Marsh, Head of Sales, Education Mutual

In an era where online commentary, social media escalation, and misinformation can damage a professional’s reputation in minutes, protecting staff has never been more critical. This session explores the growing need for reputational and legal protection across the education sector. Drawing on real cases of defamation, false allegations, and reputational harm faced by school staff, Education Mutual highlights how these incidents impact wellbeing and organisational stability. Education Mutual’s Staff reputation legal protection service offers a proactive, sector‑specific solution, providing expert legal guidance and practical tools to safeguard staff when issues arise.

Attendees will gain insight into emerging risks, understand the legal landscape, and learn how schools and trusts can strengthen their duty of care by ensuring staff are protected and supported through this service.

Education Mutual is a main sponsor of ASCL Annual Conference 2026.

Learning outcomes

• Develop a clear understanding of what defamation is and how it applies to staff in professional setting.
• Recognise the emerging risks to staff reputation in a digital and highly scrutinised environment.
• Explore real‑world case studies of reputational incidents and their outcomes.

Target audience

• Primary
• Secondary
• Business Leaders
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Dean O’Donoghue, Deputy Head of Vocational Products, Cambridge OCR
Dr Chris Graham, Sustainability Lead, Hills Road Sixth Form College
 
Enriching a student’s experience is a fundamental aspect of a 16–19 study programme. It takes many shapes and forms, enhancing and supporting both aspirations and future destinations. One key area is sustainability and climate education, which aligns with the Department for Education’s strategy in this space.
 
OCR has collaborated with Hills Road Sixth Form College to develop resources that support the delivery of a new Level 3 qualification in Sustainability, offered as an alternative to the EPQ. Hear from centres about their experiences introducing the qualification and the benefits it brings for student progression and wider societal impact.
 
Learning outcomes

• Understand how knowledge and skills associated with sustainability can support and enrich students' experiences in progressing to employment and/or higher education.
• Identify how the qualification supports schools and colleges requirements in addressing DfE’s Climate Education Strategy.
• See how effective the learning and teaching experiences of students and staff who are delivering the qualification have been.

• Secondary 
• Sixth form/FE 
• Independent 
• Business Leaders
• Assistant Heads 
• Deputy Heads 
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Helen Prince, CEO, ChatterStars; English Advisor, Author & Former Senior Leader

With the introduction of the new Year 8 reading test, the spotlight is firmly on ensuring all students, especially those who struggled to meet expected standards at KS2, receive the targeted support they need to thrive in secondary literacy.

This workshop provides practical, evidence-informed strategies to identify, support, and accelerate the progress of struggling readers in KS3. Leaders will explore how to embed reading support into everyday classroom practice, while also preparing students for the demands of the new assessment framework. 
 
This session will also explore:

• reconnecting struggling readers through story: exploring how story-led approaches can reignite motivation and rebuild confidence, using narrative as a route into deeper comprehension.
• talk before text: spotlighting oracy as a bridge to reading fluency, with simple strategies like echo reading, choral reading and paired retellings that help make meaning more visible.

• Understand the key features and expectations of the new Year 8 reading test and how it aligns with national literacy priorities.
• Identify barriers to reading fluency and comprehension in KS3 students and apply targeted strategies to address them.
• Implement practical classroom techniques to support vocabulary development, reading stamina, and confidence in low-attaining readers.

• Secondary 
• Independent    
• Assistant Heads    
• Deputy Heads 
• Headteachers 
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Hannah Matthews, Head of Digital Creativity at Canopy Education
 
In today’s fast-moving world of AI, automation and visual media, creativity is no longer optional, it’s essential. The latest Canva Creativity in Education Report reveals that 85% of hiring managers believe creative thinking will become even more critical in the age of AI, yet many graduates feel under-prepared.
 
By combining technology, pedagogy and creativity, this workshop will show how Canva Education can be more than a tool, it can be a catalyst for learning transformation. We’ll explore how trusts, schools and colleges can sign up for free, integrate Canva into their workflow, and design lessons that place student agency, visual communication and design-thinking at the heart of learning.
 
Participants will leave with a clear roadmap for embedding creativity across the curriculum, so students not only master content, but develop the communication, collaboration and critical-thinking skills they need for the future.
 

Learning outcomes

• Articulate the evidence base for creativity as a core education skill (drawing on the Canva report) and its links to employability and future-ready learning.
• Hands-on knowledge of how to sign up for and deploy Canva Education (free licence) and integrate it into a range of pedagogical models (eg, flipped classroom, project-based learning, visual thinking).
• Design a short plan for a classroom activity or unit that uses Canva to enhance student creativity, visual communication and metacognitive reflection, not just as “technology use” but as pedagogically purposeful design.

Target audience:

• Primary
• Secondary
•  Sixth form/FE
•  Independent
•  Business Leaders
•  Assistant Heads
•  Deputy Heads
•  Headteachers
•  CEO/Trust Leaders

Andrew Caffrey, CEO, Canopy Education

Jacob Lovick, Primary School Partnership Manager, Unifrog

How can we make sure every child - from their first years in school through to their post-16 choices - has the knowledge, confidence, and support to find their best next step? Drawing on insights from over 3,500 schools and trusts, this session explores what an equitable, joined-up approach to careers, PSHE, and work experience looks like in 2025 and beyond.

We’ll share examples of schools strengthening teamwork, reducing workload, and delivering consistent personal development across all phases. You’ll also hear how Unifrog is helping schools connect this journey seamlessly, from early aspiration-building in primary through to positive destinations at secondary.

Join us to reflect, share ideas, and take away practical steps for embedding an inclusive progression culture where every young person can thrive.

Unifrog is an ASCL Premier Partner and a main sponsor of ASCL Annual Conference 2026.

Learning outcomes

1. Understand how a whole-school (and whole-journey) approach to careers and personal development supports equity and aspiration.

2. Learn from case studies of schools improving student outcomes and collaboration using shared systems and data.

3. Explore how starting earlier, including at primary level, helps embed a culture of positive destinations for all.

Target audience 

• Primary
• Secondary 
• Sixth form/FE 
• Independent 
• Business Leaders
• Assistant Heads 
• Deputy Heads 
• Headteachers 
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Jamie Rogers, Director of Programmes and Partnerships
Shaun Brown, Deputy CEO, The Difference
 
Internal alternative provision, and specialist resource provision, are becoming an increasingly important focus for inclusive practice in schools and colleges. They have the potential to improve key outcomes for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and shape understanding and practice development across the whole school. But with so many models, from nurture rooms to inclusion hubs, what truly works?
 
Drawing on The Difference’s national research, What Works: Four Tenets of Effective Internal Alternative Provision (2024), this session will introduce and explore a practical framework for school and college leaders looking to build and develop models of effective internal provision which deliver whole-school impacts.
 
Participants will leave with a defined structure for evaluating and designing provision which reaches across their setting, and a clear understanding of how internal alternative provision can embody and amplify whole-school inclusion.

Learning outcomes

• Understand how internal provision is linked to national landscape and policy changes.
• Explore the key building blocks of effective internal provision; from defining purpose and measuring outcomes to ensuring sustainability.
• A take-away enquiry framework for evaluating the effectiveness of current internal provision.

• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Independent
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Tracey Leese, Assistant Headteacher, St Thomas More Catholic Academy

This session will explore the critical importance of increasing the visibility and influence of women in school leadership. Despite comprising the majority of the teaching workforce, women remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles.

Participants will examine the systemic barriers that contribute to this imbalance, including unconscious bias, inflexible working patterns, and limited access to leadership pathways. Through discussion, reflection, and practical activities, school leaders will learn how to create inclusive cultures that amplify women’s voices, support career progression, and retain female talent.

The session will highlight evidence-based strategies such as mentorship, sponsorship, and flexible leadership models. Furthermore, this session will explore empirical evidence to explore why women in their thirties are the demographic most likely to leave teaching, and how school leaders and processes can mitigate against this. This workshop will seek to challenge, empower and ultimately affect change for attendees.

Learning outcomes

• Identify and address systemic barriers that limit the visibility and advancement of women in school leadership, including unconscious bias, cultural expectations, and limiting assumptions.
• Develop strategies to amplify women’s voices within school leadership
• Facilitate participants to reflect on their own school culture including recruitment and retention strategies.

Target audience

• Primary
• Secondary
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

.  

Claire Archibald, Legal Director, Browne Jacobson

In an era of increasing digital innovation, data protection can feel like a constraint, but it’s actually a cornerstone of trust, efficiency, and effective leadership. This session explores how senior leaders can move beyond compliance to build a confident, proactive data protection strategy that truly works for their schools or trusts.
 
Drawing on real-world examples from the education sector, participants will examine what good governance looks like, how to embed a positive data culture, and the practical steps to move from reactive compliance to strategic resilience.
 
Whether you’re leading a single school or a large trust, you’ll leave with a clear framework and actionable ideas to strengthen your organisation’s data protection maturity and empower your teams to manage information safely, smartly, and with confidence.
 
Learning outcomes:

• Reframe data protection as a strategic enabler and recognise how strong data protection practices support trust, reputation, and effective digital innovation rather than being a compliance burden.
• Define the core elements of a sustainable data protection strategy: identify governance structures, leadership roles, and cultural drivers that embed accountability and consistency across schools.
• Prioritise actionable next steps: evaluate your current practice and outline practical steps to strengthen data protection maturity and resilience across their organisation.

• Data Protection Officers
• Governance leads
• Governance professionals
• Senior leaders

Ben Jordan, Director of Strategy, UCAS

As the education and employment landscapes continue to evolve, school and college leaders play a crucial role in ensuring students are equipped to make informed, confident decisions about their futures. This forward-looking workshop will explore how schools and colleges can work collaboratively with UCAS and other stakeholders to embed future-focused guidance and opportunities into the heart of the student journey. 

Drawing on the latest data, research, and insights from UCAS, this session will: 

• Unpack emerging trends in student choices and explore how school leaders can foster a culture of aspiration, inclusion, and evidence-based progression planning. 
• Provide practical strategies for embedding high-impact career conversations into the curriculum from Year 9 onwards. 
• Demonstrate how technology and personalisation can be leveraged to support early, informed decision-making. 

• A clear understanding of the future landscape of post-16 and post-18 choices. 
• Practical tools and case studies for use in their own schools or colleges. 
• Insight into how UCAS is innovating to support schools and students and how school leaders can shape that future together. 

Steve Cook, Senior Assistant Headteacher, Formby High School
Claire Wilkins, Director of Creative Arts, Formby High School
Victoria Harrocks, Community Arts Coordinator, Formby High School

A blueprint for creating high-quality, accessible, and engaging creative curriculum and community offers. This session will explore how to foster belonging, inclusivity and mutual respect through the arts, where all members feel valued and safe to express themselves. We will share our Artsmark Platinum-inspired toolkit to grow your creative curriculum, enrichment programme and cultural community from grass roots to large scale projects, providing key takeaways, emphasising how a thoughtful creative curriculum and community offer leads to stronger, more resilient communities. Our ‘call to action’ will challenge schools to be brave and take the next step in building their own ‘tribe’ celebrating your community and galvanising creativity in all its forms.

Learning outcomes

• Ideas to promote and develop high quality creativity across the school.
• Maximise partnership working.
• Develop student leadership in the arts.

Target audience

• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Assistant Heads 
• Deputy Heads 
• Headteachers 
• CEO/Trust Leaders 

Mark Pritchard, Director of Education, Pioneer Educational Trust 
Jennifer Bartram, BBC Presenter and Communications Coach
 

• Primary 
• Secondary 
• Sixth form/FE 
• Independent 
• Business Leaders 
• Assistant Heads 
• Deputy Heads 
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

James Pope, Founder of HeadsUp4HTs

For the teaching profession to move forward together it is imperative that we create the conditions in which staff can thrive in their roles.  Effective wellbeing cultures begin with the leaders of an organisation.  This session will explore the factors that impact negatively on wellbeing for staff in schools and MATs before a series of activities that demonstrate how these factors can be addressed in simple but impactful action. 
 
Drawing on the insights gathered from working with over 5,000 school and trust leaders, we will share our nine steps to wellbeing and the importance of connecting and reconnecting with our personal and organisational purpose to build a sustainable culture of wellbeing.
 
Learning outcomes

• Understand the factors that impact on staff wellbeing.
• Explore effective strategies for addressing these factors.
• Understand how a culture of wellbeing for all staff is created and sustained.

Target audience

• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Dr Anne Murdoch, ASCL Senior Adviser, College Leadership
Nicola Welland, Deputy Principal, Tameside College, Manchester

Using a workshop presentation and group discussion, this session will focus on gaining a good understanding of what the skills white paper means for post-16 and further education. It will focus specifically on how schools and colleges can engage with employers to implement the Government’s target for engaging more young people up to 25 years, in provision set out in the white paper proposals.

Learning outcomes

• Understand the key features and intent of the post-16 and skills white paper for further and higher education.
• Discuss options for delivering the two-thirds Government target for young people under 25.
• Agree how to work with employers and industrial sectors to deliver the white paper proposals.

Target audience

• Sixth form/FE
• Independent
• Business Leaders
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers

Gemma Scotcher, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Education Support  

Great leadership starts with you. This interactive workshop gives you time and space to focus on your wellbeing. When you’re well, you lead better, and children and young people thrive too. Explore practical strategies to make your role sustainable and satisfying, including energy management, the seven types of rest, and the physiology of stress.

Hear insights from Education Support, the UK’s only charity dedicated to the mental health and wellbeing of education staff, and connect with peers. You’ll leave with actionable habits that will protect your energy and support you to have a long and fulfilling career.

Learning outcomes

Participants will:

• Develop practical strategies for sustainable leadership including actionable habits related to energy and stress management.
• Recognise the link between personal wellbeing and effective leadership and understanding of how energy, rest and stress levels directly impact our ability to drive outcomes for children and young people.
• Connect and reflect meaningfully with peers: one of the best parts of these workshops is hearing from fellow leaders who have learned (often the heard way) how to manage their own wellbeing in the most challenging (but best) job there is.

Target audience

• Relevant to leaders in all settings
• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE 
• Independent 
• Business Leaders 
• Assistant Heads 
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders 

Paul Glossop, Senior Lecturer in Initial Teacher Education, University of Derby

Moving forward together means ensuring every child makes progress, including those facing school refusal, SEND barriers, and SEMH challenges. This session demonstrates how strategic online and hybrid learning can be the bridge that keeps vulnerable learners connected to your school community. As attendance crises deepen, forward-thinking schools are discovering that online and blended provision isn't retreat, it's radical inclusion.

Through compelling case studies, you'll see how online and hybrid models enable schools and families to move forward together, co-producing solutions for children with anxiety, trauma, medical needs, and neurodivergence. We'll share sustainable frameworks that strengthen pastoral systems, engage hard-to-reach parents as genuine partners, and maintain both academic progress and vital social connection. This isn't about lowering expectations,  it's about creating multiple pathways, ensuring inclusion means truly including everyone.
 
Leave with an actionable roadmap that will support you as leaders to develop ethical online/hybrid provision that ensures all pupils feel seen, safe and belong.
 
Learning outcomes

• Design sustainable online/hybrid learning models that enable schools to address school refusal, SEND, and SEMH barriers, maintaining connection to school community and academic progression without creating unsustainable staff workload.
• Build genuine partnerships with families of vulnerable learners through online/hybrid provision, enabling schools and parents to work together in co-producing support for children who struggle with traditional attendance patterns.
• Navigate the ethical, safeguarding, and quality considerations of online/hybrid provision with clear policies that ensure equity and maintain high expectations while creating flexible pathways that help all feel seen, safe and belong.

Target audience

• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Independent
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders
• This session is relevant across all phases as attendance, SEND, and SEMH challenges affect schools universally. It will particularly benefit leaders responsible for inclusion, pastoral care, attendance, and alternative provision.

Marc Rowland, Pupil Premium and Vulnerable Learners Adviser, Unity Schools Partnership

The session will be a practical workshop to support school and system leaders to address the challenges faced by pupils from low-income households. The session will include:

• inclusive culture, high expectations for all
• understanding low family income and how to respond to it
• assessment of need, not assumptions based on labels
• how to address the challenges of disadvantage in the classroom and wider school life
• empowering teachers to empower pupils and families
• the importance of systems, processes and relationships
• understanding how to address disadvantage from strategic planning to interactions in the classroom

• How to plan, execute and evaluate an effective Pupil Premium strategy.
• Understand characteristics of schools that are effective in addressing the challenges associated with disadvantage.
• Understand the pitfalls to avoid when implementing your Pupil Premium strategy.

• Primary 
• Secondary 
• Assistant Heads 
• Deputy Heads 
• Headteachers 
• CEO/Trust Leaders 

Matt McArthur, Deputy Headteacher, Frank Wise School

Mainstream schools must develop a new paradigm for inclusion in order to meet the needs of more children presenting with complex SEND profiles. Teachers and school leaders are seeking new ways of thinking in order to develop alternative curriculums, up-skill the workforce, and demonstrate the positive impact of their provision. This can seem like an overwhelming task, but proven models already exist within the system if you know where to look.

Matt McArthur, Special School Outreach Lead, will outline the local authority-funded model in Oxfordshire, demonstrating how special schools form a powerful collaborative network to share expertise and drive forward sustainable, high-quality inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This includes the development of internal, separate spaces, such as specialist units or resource provisions, which have become increasingly common. Matt will make the case that we can meet these challenges and transform the experience of inclusion for every child if we work together.

Learning outcomes

• Understand what an LA-funded specialist-mainstream outreach model looks like (Oxfordshire example)
• Learn about the impact that special schools can have when they are used as strategic assets for whole-system improvement.
• Sign-posted to practical benchmarks for driving sustainable, high-quality inclusive practice, including the strategic integration and effective use of internal, specialist resource provisions within mainstream settings.

Target audience

• Primary
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders
• The focus is on SEND and Inclusion, so anyone with interest in that theme.

Julie Liddell, Managing Director of Still Human, part of Edwin People
 
With 75% of the UK teaching workforce being female, understanding menopause, a natural transition in a woman’s life,  is vital for the education sector. The Menopause Charity estimates that 10% of women leave the workforce due to menopausal symptoms, while many others reduce their hours, step back from leadership or avoid promotion. This makes menopause a significant workplace and wellbeing issue.
 
Staff wellbeing underpins everything that happens in schools, influencing classroom culture, pupil outcomes, retention and recruitment. Supporting colleagues through menopause is therefore essential to sustaining a healthy, thriving workforce.
 
Menopause is not just an issue for ‘women of a certain age’; it’s a whole-organisation concern. Younger women, partners, colleagues, managers and senior leaders all benefit from understanding its impact. Only by engaging everyone in the conversation can we build truly inclusive environments.
 
This session will deepen knowledge of menopause, its potential workplace impacts, and practical ways to create supportive, compassionate cultures for those navigating this transition.
 
Learning outcomes

• Increase understanding of menopause: develop a clear understanding of what menopause is, the range of physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms, and how these may impact workplace performance and wellbeing.
• Recognise the organisational impact: explore how menopause affects retention and understand why whole-organisation awareness and shared responsibility are essential for creating inclusive, supportive environments.
• Identify practical strategies for support: gain actionable tools and approaches to create menopause-inclusive workplaces, strengthen conversations, and embed sustainable practices that enable colleagues to feel valued, supported and able to thrive during this transition.

• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Independent
• Business Leaders
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Neil Renton, Headteacher of Harrogate Grammar School and DfE appointed Flexible Working Ambassador
Julie Wellacott, HR Partner and DfE appointed Flexible Working Ambassador

As ambassadors under this DfE supported cultural change programme, Neil Renton and Julie Wellacott will share why they got involved, what the impact has been and how this can still help more schools and trusts. 

With a focus on evidence as to why this is a continuing priority, Neil and Julie will share case studies and lived experiences gained from hundreds of participant schools, sharing evidence and their own leadership journey of how flexible working is helping improve recruitment, retention and wellbeing of colleagues. 

Their work over the last three years has created a rich resource of information, practical advice and myth busting, with a final chance to share this with leaders as their ambassador work closes at the end of March.

Learning outcomes

• Understand why flexible working in our schools continues to be an opportunity and a priority.
• Know the practical steps leaders can take to benefit from the information and resources developed.
• Take away a commitment to begin or embed your own flexible working practices, to make a real difference for leaders and all colleagues in your setting.

Target audience

• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Independent
• Business Leaders
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Julia Harnden, ASCL Deputy Director of Policy
Tom Middlehurst, ASCL Deputy Director of Policy 
Headteacher- tbc

ASCL Deputy Directors of Policy, Julia Harden and Tom Middlehurst, will give a comprehensive overview of the myriad of policy changes happening in 2026. 

Covering, among other things, the Employment Rights Bill, the Children Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, the two White Papers, SEND reforms and the Curriculum and Assessment Review, this workshop will be a one-stop shop to make sense of change. In conversation with a serving headteacher, Julia and Tom will explore the implications for school and college leadership, and what leaders can do now to prepare for these significant reforms in the years ahead. 

Don’t be swept away by this tsunami of change, let Julia and Tom help you navigate to calmer waters.  

Learning outcomes

• Understand the major reforms in education policy and legislation.
• Reflect on how other education leaders are preparing for change.
• Make sense of a whirlwind of reform.

Target audience

• Primary
• Secondary
• Sixth form/FE
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders

Neil Smith, ASCL Independent Sector Specialist

The independent sector is undergoing a period of considerable and rapid change, and over the course of the next decade, these changes are likely to create a sector which appears very different to what it looks like today.

This session will consider a range of potential scenarios which may emerge by 2036, considering the likelihood of each and what these might mean for those working in independent schools. The session will also invite contributions from attendees regarding actions which leaders and the sector as a whole can take in order to maximise the best possible outcomes for leaders, their staff and pupils, and the sector as a whole.

Learning outcomes

• Awareness of potential changes to the independent sector landscape during the next ten years.
• Awareness of the opportunities and risks these changes may present.
• Range of strategies independent schools can do to prepare for these potential changes.

Target audience

• Independent
• Business Leaders
• Assistant Heads
• Deputy Heads
• Headteachers
• CEO/Trust Leaders