Dr Jennifer Barker

National Director of Learning, Ormiston Academies Trust

Jen is National Director of Learning at Ormiston Academies Trust where she oversees professional development for 5,000 staff. She has spent the last 15 years grappling with the evidence base about how to enable effective teacher and leader development. Prior to that she spent nearly a decade working as a primary teacher in schools in Manchester.

Hall 8b

1 Series two

Designing mainstream settings in which children with SEND can flourish

This session will guide you to think strategically about the building blocks for mainstream settings in which children with SEND can flourish, such as workforce design, staff training, enhanced provision, curriculum, and parental engagement. We’ll learn about the practical strategies suitable for leaders at every stage of the SEND journey, combined with time for reflection with colleagues. You will leave inspired to review, improve or fine-tune your whole-trust approach to supporting children with SEND.

Hall 10b

1 Series one

Going smartphone free: Ormiston Academies Trust's journey

In this session, we will explore Ormiston Academies Trust smartphone free approach. Drawing on both research and real-world implementation across a large trust (45 schools including specialist, AP, primary and secondary), we will examine the rationale and evidence underpinning phone-free policies, and their impact on a wide range of school and pupil outcomes. We’ll learn about the key challenges encountered, and speakers will reflect honestly on what they wish they had known from the outset. Whether you’re considering a similar policy or refining one already in place, this session offers practical insights and lessons learned from leading change at scale.