Speakers

Alex has worked in various roles in the Professional Development team at Hachette Learning for over 12 years. During this time, he has commissioned a wide range of professional development products to support teachers’ growth, including in-person workshops, online self-paced modules, and most recently, Hachette Learning Publications (formerly John Catt). He has a keen interest in understanding the challenges of the modern-day classroom and works closely with leading experts to develop practical solutions that support teachers and improve student outcomes.

Before becoming a physics teacher, Ben taught English as a Foreign Language in Berlin; his interest in literacy stems from this time. He taught secondary physics for 18 years in Ghana, London and East Anglia. In 2013, Ben became a primary school teacher and leader. He is currently the Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy at Paradigm Trust. He has served on Ofsted's Science Advisory group and on the steering panel of the EEF's Primary Science Report. He is the author of The Big Ideas in Physics and How to Teach Them and co-author of Primary Science in a Nutshell with Leigh Hoath.

Claire is an Executive Director at Steplab, having previously led schools and trust-wide school improvement. Claire is the co-author of Symbiosis: the Curriculum and the Classroom and is Standards Officer for the charity LitdriveUK, a subject association that provides PD and resources for English teachers.

Craig Follett is the Senior School Improvement Lead at Roseland Multi Academy Trust, where he has driven rapid strategic improvement to secure 100% ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted judgments across a portfolio of previously inadequate sponsored and re-brokered schools.

He acts as a practising Ofsted Peer Inspector and School Improvement Adviser, bringing extensive quality assurance expertise from his previous roles as a PiXL Associate and Challenge Partner Reviewer. Additionally, he serves as an NPQEL Facilitator, training the next generation of executive leaders.

Prior to his current role, Craig was a Head of School within the Greenshaw Learning Trust and is a graduate of the Reach Foundation Trust 100 cohort.

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.

Ian is a senior leader at Lift Schools, where he leads the trust’s flagship 490 vision across 59 schools. One of the longest serving trust leaders in the country, he has worked within the trust since 2009, focusing on sustained school improvement through high quality leadership and teaching.

His work is grounded in the intelligent use of data and insights to sharpen performance, including quantifying education debt at both school and pupil level to inform precise provision. He has supported some of the country’s most challenging schools and is deeply committed to improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

At the core of his approach is a belief in the twin importance of strong character and secure knowledge. He sees education as a source of hope, opening up opportunities that many young people may not otherwise see in their daily lives.

Jablai Saleh is a forward-thinking educational leader committed to innovation and sustainable school improvement. She leads with strategic intent, driving meaningful change and embracing opportunities that positively impact pupils, staff and the wider community. Her professional interests include pedagogy, educational technology, curriculum design and research that challenges and extends my thinking. Her current research and work includes screening pupils in EYFS and key stage one for working memory. Jablai is the Headteacher of a three-form entry primary school serving a community with high levels of deprivation. Alongside this role, she supports the wider sector as an NPQH coach (with the NIOT) and is a Local Authority writing moderator.

John is originally from Liverpool and spent his secondary years on the Isle of Man, giving him experience of both urban and rural education. His teaching career began in 2001 in a middle school in Settle, North Yorkshire, before moving to London in 2003, where he has remained.

During his time in London, John has held senior roles including SENCo, inclusion leader and deputy headteacher, and has been headteacher in three schools across Newham, Barking and Dagenham, and Croydon and Sutton. He is now Executive Director of Primary at STEP Academy Trust.

John’s work has consistently focused on serving communities facing high levels of deprivation, with a clear moral purpose to raise aspirations and improve outcomes for children. Since joining STEP, he has been recognised as a National Leader of Education and now leads trust wide leadership development and the strategic oversight of SEND, including training, coaching and talent mapping.

Joshua Perry is the co-founder of Smartgrade, an assessment standardisation platform that specialises in supporting school trusts with assessment across their trust. Joshua is also co-founder of Carousel, a retrieval practice platform and school CPD provider, and was previously part of the leadership team of Ark Schools.

Kat Howard is Executive School Improvement Lead at Windsor Academy Trust, working with schools across the West Midlands region and leading curriculum and assessment across the trust.

Previously, she was a director for a large school trust Teaching School Hub serving over 200 schools across the north and north east Lincolnshire region. She is a writer, speaker and in previous roles, a senior leader and subject lead in secondary schools, as well as an English specialist.

Prior to her career in education, Kat gained extensive experience in the financial sector, overseeing recruitment, training and operations for a leading high street bank flagship project across the North West. In addition to her in-school role, Kat was an Expert Advisor for Teacher Development Trust, writing curriculum content for the Reformed NPQ Leadership Suite. Kat is also a council member at the Chartered College of Teaching and a Trustee for Education Support.

Lauren Meadows works as a Curriculum Director for Unity Schools Partnership and CUSP, serving over 40 schools in the East of England and more than 900 schools as part of their international curriculum partnership. Lauren has worked with a wide range of national organisations, advising on curriculum and assessment design and strategic school improvement, including partnering with Alex Bedford to co-author Curriculum with Unity Schools Partnership (CUSP). She has dedicated her life to improving educational outcomes for children across the sector. Driven by her servitude to children and the belief that it is possible for every child to receive an excellent education, she has worked with primary, secondary, special and alternative provision settings across the country. She also works with the Research Schools Network, delivers NPQs and is currently studying assessment design at Cambridge University.

Liz Cowley is the National Lead for Secondary English and Reading at Lift Schools.

Nimish Lad is Director of Curriculum Development for a Creative Education Trust, working on developing teachers' understanding of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy. Having previously been a vice principal for curriculum and assessment in a large secondary school, Nimish has a history of helping teachers better understand why they are teaching, what they are teaching, and how they can ensure that knowledge has been learned. Nimish is the author of Shimamura’s MARGE model of Learning In Action (2021) and can be found on X @nlad84

Stuart is Director of Education at Evidence Based Education, and one of the team behind the great teaching toolkit - the personalised professional growth platform to help teachers flourish. He is a qualified teacher himself, who has worked in both middle and senior leadership roles in schools. Currently, Stuart serves on the advisory boards of lernen: digital (a German teacher development project) and Impact. He is a co-author of the EEF's Implementation Guide, as well as the EEF's DIY evaluation guide, and EBE's 'great teaching toolkit: evidence review'. He is fascinated by finding sustainable ways to help teachers flourish and belong in their professional lives.

Robyn Ellis joined Dixons Academies Trust in March 2022, to lead on Dixons OpenSource, onsite, insight and external partnerships. Robyn now looks after communications, projects and the office of the school and college trust leaders.

Prior to working at Dixons, Robyn was the global head of leadership development and manager enablement for Booking.com, a leading digital travel company. She has held a number of roles in change, communications, programme management, strategy, talent development and leadership.

Robyn started her career in education, consistently working with leaders in schools in the most challenged areas and is deeply committed to our mission of challenging educational and social disadvantage in the north of England.

Sam Crome is a school leader, currently a Headteacher and Director of Education for Xavier Catholic Education Trust in Surrey. He has lead in primary and secondary schools, across a range of roles in middle and senior leadership. For the last few years, Sam has studied high-performing teams, trying to better understand how teams can become more than the sum of their parts. He regularly blogs, speaks, and works with schools regarding their teams, helping educators to maximise their effectiveness, and is author of The Power of Teams: How to create and lead thriving school teams. He remains convinced that this is an area that needs more attention and exploration.

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.

Tracy Goodyear FCCT is Director of Teacher Development at The Mercian Trust, where she leads trust wide professional development, contributes to strategic approaches to expertise building, and supports leaders across multiple schools in creating coherent, evidence informed CPD systems. She is a Fellow, Assessor and Council Member of the Chartered College of Teaching and a Regional Leader for WomenEd, championing equity, leadership development, and professional growth across the sector. She is also a proud facilitator of the global #IAmRemarkable movement. Tracy is the founder and Chair of the Trust wide CPD Leaders’ Forum, which involves shaping cross trust communities of practice, supporting implementation, and evaluating the impact of professional learning at scale. Tracy is deeply committed to improving teacher recruitment and retention by strengthening professional autonomy, cultivating expertise, and developing supportive, high challenge professional cultures.