Learn more about our speakers below. Our speakers include leading practitioners in education, expert policy thinkers, and inspirational voices from across the sector. We will be adding more speakers as we approach the event, so keep checking back for more details.
Director of Education, No More Marking
Director of Education, No More Marking
Daisy Christodoulou is Director of Education at No More Marking, a provider of online comparative judgement assessments. She works closely with schools in the UK, Australia and USA on developing new approaches to assessment, and on applications of artificial intelligence in the classroom.
Before that, she was Head of Assessment at Ark Schools, a network of academy schools. She has taught English in two London comprehensives and has been part of UK government commissions on the future of teacher training and assessment.
Daisy is the author of three books about education: Seven Myths about Education (2013), Making Good Progress? The future of Assessment for Learning (2017), and Teachers vs Tech (2020).
CEO, Cygnus Academies Trust
CEO, Cygnus Academies Trust
Danielle Lewis-Egonu is the CEO of Cygnus Academies Trust. She has worked in school improvement and leadership development for over 20 years, supporting schools, leaders and local authorities. She is a published author writing about education and leadership and has recently co-authored a chapter in Outstanding School Leadership published by Bloomsbury Education. The book highlights the positive impact of leaders across the UK and globally.
CEO, Learning First
CEO, Learning First
Ben has advised governments in Australia, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia on education strategy and reform. Before founding Learning First in 2014, he was director of the Grattan Institute’s School Education Program. He also worked with numerous education systems across the world during five years at the OECD, where he conducted research on education policy and school and teacher effectiveness.
Executive Director, Steplab
Executive Director, Steplab
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.
Senior School Improvement Lead, The Roseland Multi-Academy Trust
Senior School Improvement Lead, The Roseland Multi-Academy Trust
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.
Associate Dean, Ambition Institute
Associate Dean, Ambition Institute
Dr Neil Gilbride CPsychol is Associate Dean at Ambition institute, and is a subject matter expert on SEND, inclusion, and leadership.
He is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Worcester . As a Chartered Psychologist, he applies the principles of psychology to leadership, learning and organisational behaviour. Neil's research explores the intersection of complexity theory and adult psychology to ask how we can better understand decision making within complex and wicked problems at strategic levels of responsibility. He is also an Associate Dean with Ambition Institute and advisor to the DfE NPQ framework review.
Executive School Improvement Lead, Windsor Academy Trust
Executive School Improvement Lead, Windsor Academy Trust
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.
Deputy Chief Executive, CST
Deputy Chief Executive, CST
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.
