Past event
Next Generation Schools Conference 2026
March 26, 2026
Past event
In partnership with Good Future Foundation, this year’s conference included workshops from schools across the country who are working to develop exciting approaches to leadership, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment that make a difference to learning, engage and motivate teachers and build stronger communities. Workshops led by schools from the Rethinking School project explored a variety of questions:
The conference also marked the launch of the first Big Education book and the launch of the Big AI Project, with some great sessions on AI in schools led by leading experts from across the UK.
92% of respondents said the workshops at the conference were excellent and 100% said they would come again next year!
| Workshops | ||
| Fran Wilby, Rethinking Assessment, and Sam Burgess, The Sele School | I am more than just my grades: How can learner profiles evidence a breadth of skills and strengths?’ | Learner profiles are being developed globally as well as across the UK in order to create a more holistic picture of student achievement. This workshop will share progress of the work with our Rethinking School working group over the past two years, together with wider learning from the sector. The session will offer insights and guidance for teachers and leaders who want to explore the potential of Learner Profiles in their schools and colleges. |
| Gemma Goldenberg | Beyond the Walls: Evidence-Based Benefits of Outdoor Learning and Play | Outdoor spaces offer powerful opportunities for children’s learning, regulation, and wellbeing. In this practical, research-informed session, we’ll explore how time spent outdoors supports attention, emotional wellbeing, and behaviour. From sunlight and sensory input to freedom and fresh air, outdoor environments help calm busy minds and foster deeper engagement – especially for children who struggle to focus indoors. Whether you’re working in a school with a forest or a concrete playground, you’ll leave with fresh ideas and evidence-based tools to help children thrive beyond the classroom walls. |
| Tom Doust, iOi | Igniting imagination in the classroom | In this playful workshop, educators and school leaders will explore tangible ways to embed creativity across both formal and informal learning. We’ll explore the power of imagination in education, drawing on key learning theories, including constructionism and STEAM, and discover how they come alive through participatory approaches in primary settings. This is an active hands-on minds-on session designed to leave you inspired and ready to reimagine your own classroom practice or school approach. |
| Liz Robinson, Big Education | Creating the right culture for positive change in schools | School leaders do so much more than the job description would suggest, and building relationships is at the heart of their role. This workshop explores how a set of culture building tools can support leaders in building effective teams and in creating school cultures that enable innovation. The Big 8 is built on insights from psychology and client-centered coaching, and the tools focus on how to empower individuals to think and act with autonomy by creating overall team coherence and psychological safety. The tools are practical and learnable – and in this workshop, you will benefit from some hands on experience of using them, as well as considering how they might support you in your leadership role. |
| Angela Colvert and Alison Buxton, Maker Schools, Sheffield University | Design thinking as pedagogy: the importance of the Maker{Cycle} in for creative thinking and doing | In order to help children respond to real world challenges, we needed to look at how innovators in different areas of society and in different communities effectively solve problems. This session introduces the Maker{Cycle} as a pedagogical tool for supporting creative physical and digital making in the classroom and how it can impact learning across the curriculum. We will share the many ways in which this tool underpins our work, supports children’s learning and transforms educators’ practices. |
| Matt Morden, Surrey Square Primary | Design Thinking: Empowering Staff and Unlocking Sustainable School Improvement | In schools, challenges often demand quick fixes — but these rarely lead to lasting change. This workshop introduces design thinking as a practical, human-centred approach that empowers staff to take ownership of school improvement. Drawing on examples from Surrey Square Primary and the Big Education book, we will explore the Double Diamond model and how it can be used to tackle “wicked problems” such as staff workload and equity of opportunity for pupils. |
| Nicola Noble and Lea Martin, Big Education | A different approach to community engagement | This workshop explores a new approach to supporting families in the community. The Old Kent Road Family Zone formed to create a collaborative of organisations that can support a multitude of difficulties families in challenging circumstances might face. This workshop explores the approach and how it might enable better community engagement in your own context. |
| Robert Lobatto, Headteacher, The King Alfred School | A practical guide to a Big Education: balancing head, heart and hand | Sharing insights from a book that I have recently co-edited that brings together creative, imaginative and expansive practices from amazing schools across the UK. From outdoor learning to creative thinking, and human-centered leadership to new ways of assessment, how do we create a better education system for the next generation? |
| Paddy Russell, Ladybridge High | Project based learning at Ladybridge High School | A practical insight into our ‘Project Trivium’ approach, which is based on working with experts, real world learning experiences and culminates in exhibitions of learning |
| Sarah Seleznyov, Big Education | Leadership for innovation | The world around us is changing more rapidly than ever and we are now preparing students for a future which will look very different to now. And yet, the way we shape and frame education in England has changed very little. This session explores the work of a group of 40 schools from across the UK who are seeking to innovate within the education they offer, so that students are prepared for a life they cannot yet predict, and provides a series of practical examples of innovative practice leaders might consider in their own contexts. |
| Daniel Thomas, School 21, and Emily Thomas, Pinner Wood | Cinderella shall go to the ball’ – Making the case for Oracy to be at the heart of everything we do | Using the journey and evolution of oracy at School 21 & Pinner Wood, and the rise of Oracy within the wider national context, we will make the case that, now more than ever, Oracy should be at the heart of our education system. An immersive session giving insight into the strategic vision and implementation of oracy within our two very different settings. Providing ‘small step, big impact’ practical examples for leaders and teachers to take away and use/have influence in their schools. |
| Soofia Amin, Kensington Primary | The power of multilingualism | This workshop will look at how promoting a multilingual approach provides schools with an asset based approach to languages, allowing them to unleash the power of their multilingual learners – educationally, socially, and culturally. This workshop is aimed at both primary and secondary contexts. Kensington is a part of the Rethinking School project. |
| Kath Bransby, Waldorf Education | The Pedagogical Potential of Craft | This workshop explores how craft can support STEAM education through hands-on, experiential learning. Drawing on principles from Waldorf education, it highlights the role of craft in also developing fine motor skills, and promoting mental health and wellbeing through flow and sense of competence. Participants will engage in practical activities and reflect on how craft-based approaches can complement academic learning. The session offers a grounded look at integrating craft into education to support both cognitive and holistic development. |
| Sam Greshoff | The respectful care of the young child | This workshop explores approaches to the education and care of young children in school nursery provision. Drawing on the principles of Waldorf early childhood education and the work of Emmi Pikler, it proposes the young child as a competent human being from birth, and looks at how professional love can support secure, nurturing relationships and wellbeing. Through discussion and practical activities, participants will reflect on how thoughtful, attentive care forms the foundation for healthy development and lifelong learning. |
| Keren Mitchell, Superkind | Active Citizenship That Works: Engaging Pupils Without Adding to Workload | With pupil engagement, attendance and belonging high on school leaders’ agendas — and Citizenship now a mandatory part of the curriculum — many schools are asking the same question: where do we start? This workshop explores how Active Citizenship and social action can act as a lever for engagement and belonging, supported by practical, low-cost resources from SuperKind that make Citizenship education straightforward to implement. Delegates will leave with a clear understanding of the impact of social action, workable frameworks that fit real school constraints, and real examples from schools using SuperKind to embed high-quality Citizenship provision without creating resources from scratch. |
| Tanya Roberts/Katie Bowles, Sandringham | Engaging teachers in Professional Learning: Lesson Study at Sandringham Primary School | Lesson Study has been used for almost 10 years as a model for professional development at Sandringham Primary School. We discovered it whilst looking for a model of professional learning which would give agency to members of staff. It soon became the perfect vehicle in which teachers could successfully engage in research alongside classroom practice. We will share how Lesson Study has transformed professional learning and become part of normal like at Sandringham. |
| Chris Anders | Real world learning: how preparation for the world of work can be built into the school curriculum | A narrow exams-focused view of education can cause unintended consequences. Philosophical and educational theories can inspire a practical response to broadening the school curriculum and so young people’s school experiences. How can you do that? One school’s decade and a half journey to developing and much broader and affordable school experience. |
| Seb Chapleau, Citizens UK | From talk to action: harnessing community organising for real change | There’s no shortage of conversation about transforming education – but how do we turn ideas into action? This workshop will explore how to move beyond “talking the talk” to truly “walking the walk,” focusing on building the power needed to address the issues we care about most. Through real-world stories, we’ll unpack how community organising can serve as a practical methodology for creating tangible, lasting change in the educational sector. |
| Tim Stayner, School 360 | Revolutionising lunchtimes: A fresh look at family style dining and OPAL | This workshop explores transforming lunchtimes with family style dining, fostering social skills and healthier eating habits. We’ll also examine the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) approach, enhancing pupil well-being through high-quality outdoor play. Discover how these strategies harmoniously create a holistic lunchtime environment, nurturing happy, engaged, and well-rounded children. Join us to unlock your school’s lunchtimes’ untapped potential. |
| Andrea Silvain, School 360 | How values can shape education | What does it mean to have your school’s values at the heart of everything you do, from curriculum and pedagogy to staff development and leadership? Find out about School 360’s approach to values-led education, including an honest reflection on success and challenges. |
| Leila Douiri, Surrey Square Primary School | The Identity Curriculum: why it matters and how to make it work | In this workshop, we will explore how identity-centred learning transforms children’s sense of belonging, purpose and agency. Through practical examples and planning tools, we will examine how an Identity Curriculum helps children understand themselves and others, celebrate diversity and develop empathy. The session highlights how an identity-rich approach strengthens vocabulary, oracy, emotional literacy and community cohesion, giving children the tools to thrive. |
| Max Girardeau, The Visionaries | Learning that supports life: reimagining education through a living systems lens | Our education systems were designed for an industrial age — yet they continue to shape the habits, hierarchies and ways of thinking that have brought us to ecological and social crisis. What would it mean to redesign learning as if life itself mattered? In this interactive session, we’ll explore the principles of life-centred learning — education that enhances, rather than depletes, the conditions for life. Using living systems design principles, we’ll examine how schools can evolve from mechanistic institutions to living communities that nurture connection, creativity and care. Through dialogue, reflection and practical design exercises, participants will explore how to shift culture, curriculum and leadership to support a more regenerative future for young people and the planet. |
| Hayley Peacock, Atelier 21 School | Serious Joy: the power of playoneering in primary through playful rigour, inquiry and character education | What if the future of education wasn’t about choosing between play and rigour, but about uniting them? In this talk, Hayley Peacock shares Playoneering, a pioneering approach that weaves together playful inquiry, academic rigour, and character education for a future-fit learning experience. Rooted in the Reggio Emilia Approach and aligned with the UK National Curriculum, Playoneering demonstrates how curiosity, creativity, and compassion can coexist with high standards and measurable outcomes. This approach makes Primary learning (ages 4–11) relevant, relational, and joyful, while building the deep thinking and resilience children need. Drawing on classroom examples—from playful maths to integrated inquiry projects—Hayley brings the theory to life, revealing how playful rigour doesn’t dilute learning; it deepens it. Attendees will leave inspired to reimagine their curriculum and pedagogy, seeing that future-fit education means returning to what matters most: human connection, creativity, and the courage to play with purpose. |
| Tom Shaw, Carr Manor | Progressive realisation of inclusive values within, between and beyond school | Tom will share how Carr Manor Community School delivers practice within, between and beyond school that is aligned to inclusive values. He will provide context and development for the case study shared in ‘Head, Heart, Hand: A Practical Guide to a ‘Big’ Education’. |
| Bertie Cairns, Bedales | From Outdoor Work to Digital Game Design: practical steps to designing school directed courses at KS4 | In this workshop we will work in groups to envisage courses that are not bound by exam board limitations. We will think about content as well as a variety of assessment methods. Of interest to those wishing to imagine futures or working in AIPs or thinking about creating a school directed course alongside their GCSE offer, or anyone wishing to think about what they would love to teach but can’t. |
| Richard Kieran, Woodrow First School | Tension, tales and tasks: designing a curriculum with stories | In this workshop, Richard will explain how his school’s implementation of Mantle of the Expert has brought depth, agency and excitement to the curriculum. He will show why children (and adults) find Mantle compelling and demonstrate techniques which could be used in your teaching. He will explore the power of tension and voice in this approach when developing stories together. |
| Alison Gellett, Big Education | Introducing AI literacy to primary and secondary school children | This session explores how children and young people are already using AI and what age-appropriate literacy looks like across phases, including key safeguarding aspects. We will outline simple, realistic ways schools can build confidence and safe habits without adding workload. The Big AI Project primary and secondary school AI literacy curricula will be showcased along with lessons learned from the pilot with 100 schools. |
| Alison Gellett, Big Education | How do you equip teachers for an AI infused world | A practical session showing AI adoption with purpose while supporting strong pedagogy. Participants will take away clear ideas for tools they can use immediately and guidance on maintaining student independence and avoiding shortcut culture. Lessons will be shared from The Big AI Project Pilot involving 100 schools and there will be reflection on the UK-wide and global picture within education. |
| Alison Gellett, Big Education | What do school leaders need to approach an AI infused world? | A strategic session for senior leaders on planning for AI across curriculum, safeguarding, assessment and operations using The Big AI Project. The focus is on practical, values-led decision making so leaders can shape coherent and sustainable whole school approaches. |
| Kerri Hall, Big Education | Enrichment for All: Bringing the Enrichment Benchmarks to Life in Your School | Enrichment is already a vibrant part of many schools – but how do you take what’s working and elevate so that every young person can flourish? In this session, we’ll explore the new Enrichment Benchmarks and how they can strengthen existing practice, deepen equity, and unlock creativity in your setting. Expect inspiring examples from schools and communities, practice reflection tools, and a chance to connect with peers reimagining what enrichment can make possible. |
| Liz Robinson and Shaun McInerney | Rethinking leadership: why ‘systems-wise leadership’ might be what we need | This session will be a chance to engage with some new ideas and content about leadership. Co-created by the ‘Rethinking Leadership’ group, our ‘systems-wise concept map’ is an attempt to articulate how it is that we need our leaders to be in order to bring about the change we need in the system. Drawing from academics, practitioners and policy makers, the group has shared insights and honed these into our ‘map’, as a stimulus for reflecting, rethinking and creating, be that as a teacher, leader, learning designer or policy maker. |
| Daniel Emmerson, Good Future Foundation | Strategic AI implementation | An introduction to how Good Future Foundation’s AI Quality Mark supports schools to build safe, thoughtful and measurable approaches to AI. We will share examples from schools that have completed the process and outline how it strengthens leadership, curriculum planning and safeguarding. The AI Quality Mark is completely free for schools, and this session will focus on how and why this is the right framework for your school. |
| Moray Dickson, School 21, and Daniel Love, King Alfred School | Designing CPD: The Ultimate CPD | Daniel and Moray share the process undertaken by a range of schools in redesigning their CPD offer for whole staff. The session will outline the importance of horizon scanning, feedback, and iterative design, as well as some of the key principles that emerged as underpinning a great CPD offer. The session will also reflect on how the process itself was its own act of professional development, and how it could be used to address a range of challenges that schools face. |
| Joe Hallgarten | One step beyond… your national curriculum: how primary schools can take back (local) control through an explorer curriculum | In this workshop, Joe will facilitate a discussion about whether and how primary schools can create curricula that respond to local needs, talents and assets. He’ll describe the Explorer Curriculum he co-designed in partnership with primary schools in East London, and will be joined by others with practical experience in this space. |
| Kathryn Puch, Surrey Square Primary, and Julie McDevitt, Ardnashee School | Creative care mapping: nurturing the whole child | It all starts with the Core – Core Skills, Wellbeing, Relationships, and Values – with each element valued equally. Provision Mapping is a critical process that reflects this balance, ensuring that every child is seen as a whole learner: academically, socially, and emotionally. Pastoral care is at the heart creating a safe, nurturing environment where every pupil feels valued and supported. A trauma-informed approach blends creativity and flexibility through the ASC Pathways—Advocate, Support, and Champion—ensuring help is timely and tailored to individual needs. With a dedicated team and strong partnerships with families and agencies, empowering pupils to thrive. This is more than care; it’s a culture of trust, inclusion, and resilience. |
| Kimberley Olliff Cooper, and Gerry Docherty ThriveNow | Making space for what matters: putting relationships back at the heart of learning with ThriveNow’s AI Project Weaver | Explore ThriveNow Education’s innovative AI Project Weaver, a tool designed to seamlessly integrate the National Curriculum with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); alongside a focus on embodied learning, and profound human relational practice. This session introduces the ThriveNow Framework, offering delegates a hands-on opportunity to experience how the Project Weaver co-designs objectives-met, meaningful, and motivating inquiry projects. Designed to save teachers significant time, this tool cultivates the essential Learner Traits (human aptitudes) and utilises the Five Verse-al Ways of Knowing (transdisciplinary curriculum). Participants will have the opportunity to design and then take away a transdisciplinary inquiry project, focused on the SDG and National Curriculum areas of their choice. |
