Ella Atkinson
Head of Teaching and Learning, The Rivers C. of E. Academy Trust
Ella Atkinson is Head of Teaching and Learning at a large primary academy trust in the Midlands. Previously, she served as Deputy Headteacher with a focus on teaching and learning. She has worked closely with Maths Hubs and holds both the Local Leader of Mathematics Education (LLME) and Professional Development Lead qualifications.
While her passion began in primary mathematics, her work now centres on improving pedagogy across all subjects, with a particular commitment to supporting vulnerable learners. She designed the Rivers Teaching Toolkit, a practical, evidence-informed framework that supports planning, classroom delivery and assessment. Drawing on research from cognitive science and effective pedagogy, the toolkit provides teachers with clear, purposeful strategies to use at the right time.
Ella currently leads an ambitious CPL model for teachers and senior leaders, informed by Teacher Research Group and lesson study approaches, to drive sustained school improvement.
1 Workshop series one
Empowering every teacher and pupil: leading high-impact inclusion through excellent teaching at scale
Inclusion in mainstream settings remains one of the most urgent priorities for contemporary education. This session explores how leaders and teachers can redefine inclusion with ambition and clarity, challenge low expectations, and implement an evidence-informed improvement model that drives coherence, consistency and excellence. Participants will explore a working model that ensures every learner is supported through high-quality teaching, scalable trust systems and school level approaches, making inclusion real, sustainable, and impactful for staff and pupils.