| 8.30am |
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Arrival and exhibition
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| 8.45am |
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Early morning breakout session (London event only)
What does leadership in the independent sector look like in five years?
An in-conversation session considering the challenges, opportunities, and strategies which all leaders in the sector need to be reflecting upon
With Tom Middlehurst, ASCL Deputy Director of Policy, Lindsey Hughes, Headmistress, Channing School, and Neil Smith, ASCL Independent Sector Specialist in conversation.
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| 8.45am |
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Local Representatives meeting
An opportunity for Local Reps to meet with the General Secretary and a member of the Presidential Trio. (closed group for ASCL Local Representatives/Council Members only)
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| 9.30am |
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Welcome
Sean Breslin, ASCL Partnerships Manager
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| 9.35am |
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Education, Actually
The big issues in education: challenges and opportunities
Pepe Di'Iasio, ASCL General Secretary
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| 9.50am |
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Essential Insights: Leading the landscape
The shifts, pressures and policy moves reshaping education, and what it means for you as a leader.
Tom Middlehurst, ASCL Deputy Director of Policy (curriculum and assessment)
Julia Harnden, ASCL Deputy Director of Policy (funding)
Claire Green, ASCL Post-16 and Skills Specialist
Andy Jordan, ASCL Inspection and Accountability Specialist
Margaret Mulholland, ASCL SEND and Inclusion Specialist
Tiffnie Harris, ASCL Data, Disadvantage and Primary Specialist
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| 10.50am |
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Working with ASCL partners
Essential updates from our sponsors and exhibition partners
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| 11.00am |
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Break and exhibition
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| 11.25am |
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Essentials in depth | Breakout choices A
Qualification reform with AQA
Details to follow.
Leading Through Reform: Creating the capacity for change
Kathryn Morgan, Leadership and Workforce Specialist
Ambitious reform does not implement itself. As SEND, curriculum, accountability and workforce reforms converge, school and college leaders face the challenge of turning national policy into sustainable change locally. This interactive session explores what leaders need when organisations are being asked to change while simultaneously managing significant operational pressures. We will consider capacity as well as capability: time, relationships, professional agency, expertise and organisational space. We will also ask a deceptively simple question: if we are asking schools to do something new, what can they stop doing? Participants will leave with practical questions to help them lead change sustainably.
Developing a more effective and strategic Pupil Premium Strategy
Tiffnie Harris, Data, Disadvantage and Primary Specialist
Tiffnie will begin this breakout with a summary of why outcomes for disadvantaged learners can remain consistently lower than non-disadvantaged, despite a range of whole school strategies. Understanding the gap in your own context against national comparisons, knowing your priorities and having a working document that reflects this, is a vital starting point.
Tiffnie will share examples of effective Pupil Premium strategy documents, guiding participants through what more effective practice looks like.
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| 12.00pm |
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Essentials in depth | Breakout choice B
Supporting schools with inclusion and SEND through accredited online provision Alessandro Capozzi, Director of Operations, Academy21
Details to follow.
One Year On: A review of the renewed Ofsted framework
Andy Jordan, Inspection and Accountability Specialist
In this breakout, Andy will provide a detailed review of the renewed Ofsted framework highlighting themes that have emerged since inspections began in November 2025. Andy will also provide clarity on some common misconceptions and share some ‘top tips’ when preparing for an inspection.
Post-16 Essentials: Navigating reform and leading change with Claire Green
The post-16 landscape is undergoing significant change. This breakout will provide a concise update on the key policy, qualification and accountability reforms shaping post-16 education, including curriculum and assessment developments, vocational and technical qualifications, accountability measures, and progression expectations. Participants will explore what these changes mean for schools and colleges and consider how best to respond within their own contexts. Through discussion and practical reflection, participants will gain a clearer understanding of emerging challenges and opportunities and leave better equipped to make informed strategic decisions that support high-quality post-16 provision and positive outcomes for young people.
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| 12.30pm |
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Lunch and exhibition
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| 1.30pm |
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Essential Insights: Leading the organisation
ASCL specialists across workforce, pay, pensions, legal and member support share the practical guidance and backing to help you lead with confidence.
Kathryn Morgan, ASCL Leadership and Workforce Specialist
Louise Hatswell, ASCL Conditions of Employment Specialist: Pay
Emma Harrison, ASCL Business Leadership Specialist
Melanie Moffatt, ASCL Conditions of Employment Specialist: Pensions
Mike Smith, ASCL Director of Member Support
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| 2.45pm |
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Essentials in depth | Breakout choice C
Income generation and maximising value for pupils
Lisa Bower, Head of School Engagement and Advocacy, Vivify
Julia Harnden, Deputy Director of Policy
Schools are under growing pressure to make every pound of funding go further. In this session, Lisa will explore how letting your school site out of hours can generate income while also placing your school at the heart of its community. She will cover the key considerations to weigh up before going down this route, and the financial and community benefits a well-run lettings programme can bring.
Flexible Working: Turning policy into strategy
Louise Hatswell, Conditions of Employment Specialist: Pay
Recruiting, retaining and supporting talented staff remains one of the most significant challenges facing schools and trusts. Supported by recent legislative changes, DfE priorities and evidence from education and beyond, flexible working is increasingly becoming a strategic workforce consideration. This breakout will explore the latest developments, national resources and examples of effective practice. We will examine how leaders can ensure compliance with changing legal requirements while adopting a more proactive and strategic approach to flexible working, helping to improve wellbeing, inclusion, workforce sustainability and organisational effectiveness, while creating an attractive and resilient workplace for the future.
Business Leadership
Emma Harrison, Business Leadership Specialist
Leaders face an increasingly complex landscape of statutory responsibilities, operational challenges and strategic priorities. This breakout session will help leaders identify the key business leadership issues that require attention throughout the academic year and consider how these align with wider organisational leadership responsibilities. The session will build upon the ten-minute overview of the essential areas leaders need to know, and explore the broad range of policy and compliance considerations that underpin effective school and trust leadership, including finance, governance, estates, health and safety, safeguarding, workforce, sustainability, information management, and organisational resilience.
Using the ASCL, NGA and ISBL Three Strands of Leadership report as a lens, participants will reflect on how operational, educational and strategic leadership responsibilities intersect, and how effective business leadership enables organisations to deliver their core purpose.
By the end of the session, participants will have identified their top three organisational risks and developed a prioritised focus for action that can be taken back to their setting. |
| 3.20pm |
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Essentials in depth | Breakout choice D
Next steps for the Curriculum and Assessment Review
Tom Middlehurst, Deputy Director of Policy
Tom will explore the key changes in the draft National Curriculum (expected to be published in mid November) reflecting on the key changes for schools and colleges, how to engage curriculum leaders with preparing for September 2028, and some of the hidden challenges of the new curriculum - such as which subjects are compulsory at KS4, where the new transferable skills sit, and where there are potential resource implications. Tom will also consider the changes to national assessments, including a high-level look at reforms to level 2 and level 3 qualifications, KS2 SATs and incoming Year 8 tests.
Funding implications for 2026/27
Julia Harnden, Deputy Director of Policy
This breakout will explore the key funding implications for 2026/27, alongside the strategic risks likely to shape the sector over the coming years, including workforce costs, SEND pressures, demographic change and capital needs. Participants will consider how to strengthen financial resilience, make informed strategic choices and build robust plans that support both educational priorities and organisational sustainability.
Three practical takeaways
- Identify the most significant financial risks facing your organisation over the next 3-5 years.
- Apply simple scenario-planning techniques to test financial resilience under different funding assumptions.
- Develop a practical framework for aligning strategic priorities, resources and risk management.
SEND reforms into action
Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion Specialist
Drawing on recent policy developments, evidence and leadership experience, this breakout will consider what meaningful inclusion looks like beyond compliance: clear accountability, confident workforce development, robust graduated response, and high expectations for every pupil. Margaret will focus on the systems, structures, and relationships that leadership teams can directly influence. Participants will reflect on the decisions that sit within their control, identify common implementation barriers, and leave with practical approaches for turning reform into sustained improvements in pupils’ experience, participation and outcomes. |
| 3.50pm |
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Essential next steps
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| 4.00pm |
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Close
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