ASCL Autumn Leadership Conferences 2025 - North East

Radisson Blu Durham

All helpful and informative for my current role but also developmental for areas where I have less experience.' Delegate feedback from the 2024 series.

These popular conferences feature essential updates by our policy specialist team, delving into the latest developments in policy and procedures and how these will impact on you and your organisation, helping you plan with confidence for the year ahead.

Suitable for all leaders and decision makers working in all phases of education and types of school, these conferences are an essential event in the education calendar.

We are working on the programme at the moment so please do return to this page for updates.

Speaker

Pepe Di'Iasio

ASCL General Secretary

Manny Botwe

ASCL Immediate Past President 2025-26 and Headteacher, Tytherington School, Macclesfield

Lee Elliott

Assistant Regional Director for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, Ofsted

Emma Harrison

Business Leadership Specialist

Louise Hatswell

Conditions of Employment Specialist: Pay

Andy Jordan

ASCL Inspection and Accountability Specialist

Programme

8.30					Registration, refreshments and exhibition
8.35					ASCL Local Representatives Meeting (closed meeting for ASCL Local Representatives/Council Members only)
9.25					Welcome and Introduction Vicki Mawson, Regional Officer, North East
9.30					Keynote Manny Botwe, ASCL Immediate Past President 2025-26 and Headteacher, Tytherington School
9.50					General Secretary Address: State of the Nation Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary
10.10					Curriculum, assessment, SEND and behaviour Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion Specialist This session will begin with an update on the Curriculum and Assessment Review interim report and what we can expect to see in the final recommendations to be published later in the autumn term. This section of the presentation will consider the implications of the CAR for school leaders and what they should be prepared for. The latest information on qualification reforms will also be covered and then detail on SEND, the new whitepaper, attendance and behaviour. The final section of the session will consider curriculum and assessment implications with a particular lens on inclusion and closing the gap.
10.50					Sponsor session – Academy21
11.00					Refreshments and exhibition
11.20					Securing the Future: Pay, Policy and People in Education Louise Hatswell, Conditions of Employment Specialist: Pay This session will provide a strategic overview of current and forthcoming changes affecting the education workforce. We will highlight national trends in recruitment and retention, including teacher training and support staff data. Delegates will be briefed on significant legislative reforms under the Employment Rights Bill, such as enhanced parental leave, and flexible working rights. The session will also emphasise the importance of flexible working, offering practical guidance on policy development and cultural change. Finally, we will encourage a shift away from performance-related pay towards sustainable leadership and professional growth, equipping leaders with the tools to support staff wellbeing and retention in a changing landscape.
12.00					Funding and operations 2025/26: Building organisational resilience Emma Harrison, Business Leadership Specialist We will take you through the latest policy developments relating to funding and business leadership for the current academic year.
12.40					Sponsor session – Vivify
12.50					Introduction to lunch discussion questions
13.00					Lunch and networking
13.50					The new Ofsted Framework Lee Elliott, Assistant Regional Director, North East, Yorkshire and Humber
14.30					Accountability, RISE and data Andy Jordan, Inspection and Accountability Specialist Andy will reflect on the session from Ofsted’s HMI about what the changes mean in a practical sense for schools and colleges. The session will also cover the new RISE teams and what intervention looks like, the data from the summer, the lack of Progress 8 data and the upcoming
15.10					Q&A and final remarks
15.30					Close

ASCL reserve the right to amend the programme should circumstances dictate

Fees

The conference fee for this event has been frozen at 2024 rates and we would encourage you to bring colleague(s) to increase the benefits for your organisation.

Standard rates for bookings

£285 (ASCL member)
£315 (non-member)
ASCL Council members £210 - 25% discount
ASCL Local Representatives – free of charge
Additional colleague from your leadership team £150

ASCL Local Representatives and Council members will also have the opportunity to attend a private meeting with the General Secretary and representatives from our member support team on the morning of the conference.

Day

18 November 2025
time

08:30 - 16:00
location

Durham
Day

See 'fees' tab below