Among the event's highlights was the expert panel on "Forging National Cohesion Through School Leadership in a Diverse Education System." CSSC Chief Executive Mark Baker joined discussions under the theme of "Educational Systems: From Impact to Efficacy." Mark took the opportunity to reinforce the importance of relationships in leadership and improvement and stress the need for proactive trust based support and challenge. The panel was chaired by Richard Gill CBE and also featured panellists from across the UK, including Sheena Devlin, General Secretary of ADES, and Cathryn Billington-Richards, Principal Improvement Partner for Curriculum at the Central South Consortium Joint Education Service.
The summit explored how targeted support strategies shape education outcomes at all levels, from international perspectives to local practices. Keynote speakers included Dr Kathryn Weston on parental engagement, motivational speaker Jaz Ampaw-Farr, Professor Toby Greany on sustainable school leadership, and Frank Norris MBE discussing alternatives to Ofsted's inspection framework.
Great Practice sessions with AoEA Associates and Senior Associates provided an opportunity for accredited members to share their experience and knowledge with fellow senior educationalists. Stephanie Kenny-Quinn, School Improvement Professional, Education Authority (EA), spoke under the theme of Organisational Development on "Settling into a New School: Supporting Pupils at a Time of Change." Maria Stewart, Area Planning Officer, EA, presented under the Leadership theme on "Enhancing Home-School Partnership for Families who use English as an Additional Language (EAL)."
The event reinforced the importance of collaboration across education systems to deliver effective, equitable learning environments for all children.
The AoEA provides Accreditation and Training for Education Advisers, and other Senior Leaders in Education. Find out more about AoEA here.
18 June 2025