Speakers

Dr Hilary Cottam OBE is a social entrepreneur, author and policy advisor. Her work includes the creation of new approaches and services for ageing, family life, work and care. Her first book Radical Help (pub. 2018) was hailed as ‘mind-shifting’ by David Brooks in the New York Times, has been translated internationally, and is widely credited with changing narratives and practice around welfare systems across Europe. Her new book The Work We Need challenges us to think differently about work and place-based economic policy. Her current research and practice centres on the future of urban and rural work and on new care economies. Hilary holds an Honorary Professorship at the Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose at UCL; she was named UK Designer of the Year in 2005 for pioneering the field of social design and has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Dr Sally Burtonshaw is a Director at Public First, where she led the research for the Inquiry into White Working Class Outcomes. She also works on a wide range of other research and policy projects, including on the future of state-funded tutoring and countering mis- and disinformation in schools. Prior to joining Public First, Sally was Head of Policy at London Higher, representing over 50 higher education institutions across London. She began her career in a sixth form college and later worked on access and participation at The Brilliant Club. Sally is a trustee of The Elephant Group and a member of the Independent Schools Inspectorate’s Education Advisory Forum.

Jake Humphrey is one of the UK’s most trusted and respected voices on performance, leadership, resilience and modern mindset. A broadcaster, author, entrepreneur and host of the popular podcast, High Performance, Jake has spent more than 20 years working at the highest levels of elite sport and business, shaping conversations around what it truly means to perform at your best.

Katie Carr is a Director in the Education Practice at Public First. She leads the research for the Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes and a range of other high-profile education research and strategy projects, including surfacing the views of parents on education in the Parent Voice Project and understanding the views of parents, pupils and school staff in improving attendance in schools. Prior to this, Katie spent 10 years at the Department for Education, including as Chief of Staff to two Schools Ministers. She helped steer major legislation through Parliament and led national work on teacher recruitment and retention, regional school improvement, and school and trust strategy. Katie is Chair of Governors at a London secondary academy and a trustee of Tutors United.

Leora Cruddas is the founding Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts – the national organisation and sector body for school trusts in England. She has advised successive governments and sits on several Department for Education advisory bodies. She was recently the vice chair of the Head Teacher Standards Review Group, a member of the external advisory group for the Schools White Paper, SEND National Implementation Board and the Regulatory and Commissioning Review.

Prior to founding CST, she was Director of Policy and Public Relations for the Association of School and College Leaders. Leora has six years of experience as a director of education in two London local authorities. She is a visiting professor at UCL Institute of Education. Leora was made a CBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours.

Luke has dedicated his career to a single belief: that a young person's background should not determine their future.

He forged his reputation as founding principal of Dixons Trinity in Bradford – a school that has inspired many and shows what is possible in complex urban settings in the North. Under his leadership, Dixons Trinity was ranked first in the country for the progress of low-income students.

Luke now leads Dixons Academies Trust, serving nearly 20,000 students across 20 schools and one college in Leeds, Bradford, Greater Manchester, and Liverpool. He has a proven record of transforming complex schools and student outcomes, alongside an institutional commitment to award-winning place-based work that embeds Dixons as a civic structure.

He sits on the boards of UCAS, Teach First, the Knight-Stokes Cup (state school cricket), and the Confederation of School Trusts (CST). His expertise on culture and strategy is shared freely through Dixons OpenSource.

Luke’s work is driven by a commitment to the North and to the power of a single chance: helping students build self-determination and lifelong belief in themselves.

Maroof Khan is Head of Cricket at Dixons Academies Trust, providing strategic leadership and using sport as a catalyst for educational opportunity, inclusion, and social mobility. A former professional cricketer and ECB Level 3 Advanced Coach, he brings over 30 years of experience spanning elite sport, education, and commercial leadership.

His cricket journey began in Mumbai and progressed through county and international pathways before developing an extensive coaching career across England, India, the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. He has worked across women’s and girls’ cricket, mixed disability pathways, county age groups, and national high performance environments, including roles within England men’s mixed disability and women’s county pathways.
Alongside this, Maroof has held executive commercial roles within professional sport and financial services. At Dixons, he is leading the launch of the Dixons Cricket Academy, driven by a belief that opportunity, talent, and belonging should never depend on background alone.

Daniel Susskind is the Mercers’ School Memorial Professor of Business at Gresham College. He is also a Research Professor at King’s College London, a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University, and a Digital Fellow at the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. He is the author of Growth: A Reckoning, A World Without Work and co-author of The Future of the Professions. Previously, he worked in the British Government – in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, in the Policy Unit in 10 Downing Street, and in the Cabinet Office.

Bridget Phillipson was appointed Secretary of State for Education on 5 July 2024 and Minister for Women and Equalities on 8 July 2024.

She was elected as the Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in May 2010.

Sir Hamid is Chief Executive of Star Academies. He has led the trust since its inception. Sir Hamid is passionate about the highest of ambition for children and young people from the most disadvantaged communities across the country, and this vision has guided the philosophy of the trust and his work in particular.

Sir Hamid is a member of several national and international strategic educational and policy forums. In this role, he has contributed to the development of strategies and programmes as diverse as teacher training, leadership development, community cohesion, curriculum reform and social mobility. He is committed to the development of a strong and world-class academy sector, and actively works to improve its reputation.

In recognition of his service to education, Sir Hamid was made a CBE in 2015 and awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021.

Sir Hamid is Chair of the Confederation of School Trusts.

Sir Martyn Oliver started as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector at the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills in January 2024. He has worked in education since 1995 starting as a teacher and joined Outwood Grange Academies Trust in 2009 where he became Principal of Outwood Grange Academy and then a National Leader of Education. In 2016, Sir Martyn was appointed Chief Executive and Accounting Officer for Outwood, a role he held until he started as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector. Sir Martyn has also previously held Trustee positions for the Office for Students, Education Endowment Foundation, Confederation of Schools Trusts and for the David Ross Education Trust, was a board member of the Department for Education’s Opportunity North East and has advised both the government and the DfE on a number of groups.

Steve Rollett is Deputy Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), the national organisation and sector body for school trusts in England. Before joining CST, he was Curriculum and Inspection Specialist for the Association of School and College Leaders. Steve has sat on a range of advisory bodies, including Ofsted’s curriculum advisory group. Most recently he has supported Oak National Academy and the Department for Education’s remote learning advisory group. Originally trained as a history teacher, Steve was a vice principal of one of England’s most improved secondary schools before moving into a career in education policy.