ASCL People and Culture Conference

Provocation One:
The workforce reality: where are we now?
Kathryn Morgan, ASCL Leadership and Workforce Specialist
Louise Hatswell, ASCL Conditions of Employment Specialist: Pay
This keynote will set the scene for the day, grounding our conversations in the current reality facing schools and colleges. Drawing on the latest data and sector insights, it will explore workforce pressures including recruitment, retention, workload and wellbeing. Through a people and culture lens, we will highlight key trends, challenges and emerging opportunities - providing a clear, evidence-based picture of where the education workforce stands now and what this means for the discussions ahead.

• Gemma Scotcher, Education Support
• Katie Tyson, DfE
• Amy Whittall, Mercian Trust
• Beryce Nixon, Exceed Learning Partnership
• Taryn Edge, Astrea Trust
• Jagdeep Pabla, National Education Diversity Awards

Workshop sessions (Select one and join breakout room)

Developing Talent by Design: Connecting Professional Learning, Teaching Excellence and Leadership Development
Beryce Nixon, Exceed Learning Partnership

Beyond Performance – Appraisal for Professional Growth
Louise Hatswell and Kathryn Morgan, ASCL
This workshop explores the shift from traditional, performance-driven appraisal towards a more developmental approach focused on professional learning and growth. We will examine how coaching, supportive dialogue and reflective practice can underpin meaningful appraisal processes that empower staff. Drawing on examples of effective practice, the session will support leaders to navigate the transition away from performance-related pay, including key policy and procedural considerations, while building a culture that values continuous development, trust and professional agency across the workforce. 

Rethiking retention: what drives staff to stay? 
Gemma Scotcher, Director of Communications, Education Support
Recruitment may dominate the headlines, but retention is where system pressures are most acutely felt. Drawing on De Neve and Ward’s evidence on the drivers of workplace wellbeing and insights from Revisiting the Retention Crisis, this session explores how school leaders can shift from firefighting to a more strategic, preventative approach. We’ll unpack the key conditions that shape whether staff stay, leave or disengage, and identify practical levers leaders can use to build healthier, more sustainable workplaces.

1.05pm

Provocation Three: People strategies and supportive school environments
Keynotes:

Thriving educators build thriving schools 
Jagdeep Pabla, Founder, National Education Diversity Awards
Teaching is one of the most purpose-driven professions, yet many educators continue navigating cultures not designed for long-term sustainability. In this keynote, Jagdeep Pabla, Founder of the National Education Diversity Awards (NEDA), explores the link between workforce culture, inclusion and retention, whilst celebrating the schools and leaders creating environments where staff can truly thrive.

Creating a organisation wide, cultural Blueprint as the foundation for your people strategy
Amy Whittall, Executive Director for Trust Development, The Mercian Trust
This session will explore the value of and approach to articulating a shared leadership and organisational culture before committing to writing a people strategy. The session will also explore reflections on benchmarking and developing this culture through data and intentional leadership development. 

Case Studies
Taryn Edge, Director of People and Organisational Development, Astrea Academy Trust
Antonia Spinks, CEO, Pioneer Educational Trust
Cooper Parry: (ASCL Premier Partner) recording to be shared with delegates

Workshop sessions (Select one and join breakout room) 

What leaders are doing right: building schools where staff thrive
Jagdeep Pabla, National Education Diversity Awards
What happens when we stop asking our colleagues to simply survive the profession and instead support them to build cultures when people genuinely thrive? Drawing on powerful examples emerging through the National Education Diversity Awards, this workshop explores the leadership decisions, policies and cultural shifts already helping schools and trusts strengthen retention, wellbeing, inclusion and long-term workforce sustainability.  

Flexible working as a retention strategy
Antonia Spinks, CEO, Pioneer Educational Trust 

What do we really mean by a people strategy and what steps might we take to develop a meaningful one?
Amy Whittall, Executive Director for Trust Development, The Mercian Trust
This session will explore provocations about what a people strategy is, and importantly isn't, and the ways in which organisational culture and intentional planning are key to building a strategy which can endure.    We will look together at some of the core questions to ask when developing a strategy, which assumptions it may be important to consider (both those which might be known and unknown) and the importance of risk appetite when developing your strategy.  The session will share examples which highlight the role of culture, intentionality and innovation in delivering your strategy.

Closing remarks
Louise Hatswell, ASCL Conditions of Employment Specialist: Pay

Delegates will also receive a recording with the latest pay and conditions updates by Louise Hatswell.