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Culture, Ethos & Connection’: We’re excited to invite you to this year’s CAPH Conference: Culture, Ethos & Connection. A day dedicated to exploring the heart of what makes schools thrive — the culture, ethos, and relationships that create vibrant, supportive learning environments.

As school leaders, we know that the social contract between school and home has faced growing challenges in recent years. But now more than ever, it’s crucial that we reconnect, rebuild, and strengthen the bonds that allow pupils to flourish both academically and emotionally. The exciting part? As teachers and leaders, we have the unique opportunity to reignite the passion, purpose, and excitement of teaching that can inspire the entire school community.

Join us for thought-provoking discussions, inspiring keynotes, and hands-on workshops, where we’ll dive into:

✅ Building a positive school culture
✅ Strengthening the ethos that drives success
✅ Fostering meaningful connections between school, home, and the wider community

Keynote Speakers and Guests include:

Christine Counsell - About the authors - Opening Worlds Christine Counsell - ARU

Christine Counsell is a leading curriculum thinker, writer and speaker, known for her influential work on curriculum design, knowledge-rich education, and subject-specific pedagogy. Formerly Director of Education at the Inspiration Trust and a lecturer at the University of Cambridge, Christine now works nationally and internationally with schools, trusts and education organisations, helping teachers and leaders craft curriculum with clarity, purpose and depth.

Christine Counsell KEYNOTE: Curriculum, Culture, and Connection: Building Belonging Through What We Teach

How does the curriculum we teach shape the culture of our schools?

How can it connect children not only to knowledge, but to each other, to their communities, and to the wider world?

In this inspiring keynote, Christine Counsell explores the deep relationship between curriculum, ethos, and belonging in primary schools.

Drawing on her years of experience in curriculum thinking and teacher development, she’ll show how a well-crafted curriculum isn’t just about content — it’s a powerful vehicle for connection, identity, and school culture. 

Through stories, practical examples, and powerful reflections, Christine will consider:

• How curriculum shapes the daily experience and ethos of a school
• Why every adult — from Headteacher to TA — plays a vital role in building curriculum connection
• What it means for primary pupils to belong in a knowledge-rich curriculum
• How we create coherence and meaning across the school, even with young children

This keynote is a rallying call for whole-school connection — one where the curriculum becomes a shared endeavour that binds staff inspires pupils, and strengthens culture at every level.

Christine Counsell WORKSHOP: Understanding The World - Knowledge, Belonging and Curriculum

In this compelling and practical workshop, Christine Counsell takes a deep dive into the ‘Opening Worlds’ approach to humanities — a curriculum designed to open up the world for every child through powerful knowledge, carefully sequenced content and a richly inclusive approach.

Christine will explore how Opening Worlds can transform the culture and ethos of a school by building shared narratives, nurturing belonging, and giving all pupils — especially the most disadvantaged — access to the language and concepts that shape our world.

Participants will come away with a renewed understanding of:

• The power of vocabulary and narrative coherence in history, geography and RE
• How curriculum choices can close equity gaps and build shared cultural capital
• Why humanities are vital to identity, inclusion and whole-school culture
• Practical strategies for subject leaders, teachers and TAs to enrich humanities teaching in their school

This is an essential session for anyone involved in primary curriculum leadership, especially those shaping humanities provision across KS2.

Professor Dame Alison Peacock (CCT) Professor Dame Alison Peacock - Hughes Hall and Clare O'Sullivan

Clare O'Sullivan is the Head of Educational Strategy, Membership & School Development at The Professional Teaching Institute (The PTI). Clare was an English teacher, AST and Deputy Headteacher for over 20 years working closely with the PTI as course designer for NTSDs and the English Residential Course. In 2018 she was seconded by the PTI as Head of Education Strategy and Development, establishing the Primary Hub model, developing leadership CPD and launching the Subject Leadership Certificate, including an international stream; leading to joining the PTI full time as Head of Educational Strategy, School Development and Membership in 2023. Clare is a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and passionately believes that teachers should remain curious about their chosen subjects.

Dame Alison is Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching and a national leader in evidence-informed, child-centred education. Her approach to leadership is grounded in inclusion, aspiration and trust. As a former Headteacher and founding CEO of the College, she continues to inspire educators across all phases and roles to lead with principle, research and humanity.

Clare O'sullivan and Dame Alison Peacock KEYNOTE: Culture, Ethos and Connection: Leading with Purpose

What kind of culture do we cultivate in our schools — and how do we ensure it’s aligned with our values? In this keynote, Clare O’Sullivan and Dame Alison Peacock explore how schools build and sustain meaningful culture through clarity of ethos, strength of connection, and leadership at all levels.

They highlight the critical role of teacher advocacy, and the ways in which every educator — from Teaching Assistant to Headteacher — contributes to the moral and relational climate of a school. Central to this is access to high-quality professional development and strong professional networks, which empower staff to grow in voice, purpose and confidence.

This session invites deep reflection on what it means to lead with integrity, how we maintain our values in a changing educational landscape, and why the development of people is inseparable from the culture we aim to create.

Primary Hubs - Connection & Collaboration

Ben Towe: Ben is Executive Headteacher of Calstock and Stoke Climsland Primary Schools in Cornwall. With experience in leading school improvement and curriculum development, Ben is committed to the power of local collaboration, CPD, and community to support teachers and raise aspirations for pupils in rural and coastal contexts.

Clare O'Sullivan and Ben Towe WORKSHOP: Primary Hubs - Connection & Collaboration

What happens when professional development becomes embedded, local, and truly collaborative? 

In this insightful workshop, Clare O’Sullivan (The PTI) is joined by Ben Towe (Executive Headteacher, Calstock and Stoke Climsland Primary Schools) to explore the transformative power of Primary CPD Hubs.

Drawing on the success of regional hubs, including the South West, they’ll discuss how high-quality subject-specific CPD, rooted in professional trust and shared ambition, is building teacher confidence, deepening curriculum thinking, and creating sustainable networks of support.

With practical examples from schools, this session is ideal for leaders and teachers interested in growing meaningful CPD that improves teaching, strengthens school culture, and keeps expertise at the heart of education.

Craig Barton - Mr Barton Maths

Craig Barton is a maths teacher, podcaster, author, and advocate for evidence-informed practice in the classroom. He’s best known for Mr Barton Maths, his bestselling books including How I Wish I’d Taught Maths and Tips for Teachers, and his work with schools across the UK to improve teaching through small, sustainable changes.

Craig Barton KEYNOTE (am) and WORKSHOP (pm): Teaching That Sticks: Small Shifts, Big Culture

What if the biggest cultural shift in your school came from the smallest tweaks in the classroom?

In this energising and practical keynote, Craig Barton explores how high-impact, low-effort teaching strategies — drawn from his Tips for Teachers work — can do more than improve academic outcomes. When adopted consistently across a school, these strategies can help foster a calm, purposeful environment where pupils feel secure, staff feel supported, and everyone knows what great teaching looks like.

Craig will explore how routines like retrieval practice, modelling, questioning, and behaviour expectations are not just pedagogical techniques — they’re part of your school’s culture. When embedded thoughtfully and shared across classrooms, they create connection: between adults and pupils, between colleagues, and between values and daily practice.

Expect:

• Evidence-informed strategies that work for busy teachers and TAs
• Real-world examples from classrooms across the UK
• Insights into how habits become culture
• Plenty of humour and honesty from someone who’s been there

Whether you’re a Headteacher shaping school-wide ethos, or a TA supporting learning moment by moment, this keynote will leave you with practical tools and renewed clarity around what matters most in the classroom.

Because building a strong school culture isn’t about grand gestures — it’s about doing the small things brilliantly, together.

Rachel Higginson - Home - Higginson Creative Education

Rachel Higginson is a nationally respected educator and consultant, known for her work on inclusive practice, Early Years, and emotional wellbeing in schools. She is the founder of the Finding My Voice project — an initiative supporting schools to amplify pupil voice and create emotionally safe, relational school cultures where all learners can thrive.

Rachel Higginson KEYNOTE: Finding Our Voice: Through Culture, Connection and Care

What if the foundation of a great school culture isn’t just what we say to children — but what they feel safe enough to say back?

In this emotionally resonant and thought-provoking keynote, Rachel Higginson draws on her powerful Finding My Voice project to explore how schools can become places where every child is heard, valued, and able to thrive. From the Early Years onwards, children develop a sense of self through the relationships around them — and through the trust that their voice matters.

Rachel will share how real belonging is built through small, consistent acts of connection — and how school culture is shaped not by policies, but by people.

This keynote will explore:

• The deep link between voice, identity and wellbeing
• How emotionally safe cultures support learning, regulation, and confidence*The role of adults — from TAs to SLT — in modelling connection and care
• Practical strategies to help even the quietest children find their voice

Drawing on real stories from her Finding My Voice work in schools, Rachel offers both inspiration and tangible tools to help staff at every level cultivate a culture where pupils (and adults) feel they matter.

A keynote that will leave you reflecting on your own voice, your influence, and the power of truly listening.

Rachel Higginson WORKSHOP: Finding Our Voice – Building Culture Through Connection and Care

What if school culture wasn’t just about what we teach — but how deeply we listen?

In this engaging and practical workshop, Rachel Higginson draws on her Finding My Voice project to explore how educators can nurture emotionally intelligent school cultures, where every child — from Early Years through to Key Stage 2 — is supported to develop identity, confidence and a strong sense of self through authentic connection.

• Participants will explore:
• The relationship between pupil voice, identity and emotional wellbeing
• What emotionally safe culture looks and feels like in everyday school life
• How adults at all levels — from TAs to SLT — model care and relational leadership
• Simple, impactful practices to support children in finding (and using) their voice

Using real stories and examples from schools across the UK, Rachel shares tools and techniques to support school staff in creating culture from the inside out — with people, not just policies, at the heart.

Jenna Crittenden - The Chartered College

Jenna Crittenden is an experienced school leader, curriculum strategist and education advisor. With a background in senior leadership and system-wide school improvement, she now works nationally to support schools in designing coherent, inclusive and values-driven curricula. Jenna believes that curriculum is a living expression of a school’s ethos and culture, and champions the role of collaboration in shaping a shared educational vision. Her work supports educators to rethink not just the what of teaching — but the why, rooted in identity, equity and the needs of their communities.

Jenna Crittenden WORKSHOP: Widening Horizons: Embedding Equity Through Culture and Connection

In this thought-provoking session, Jenna Crittenden invites us to rethink curriculum as more than a sequence of knowledge — but as a mirror of our school’s culture and ethos. Through her leadership experience and work across school communities, Jenna explores how a truly meaningful curriculum must reflect not only what we teach, but why we teach it, and for whom.

She will challenge us to reflect on:

• How curriculum expresses a school’s core values
• The role of collaboration in shaping shared purpose and coherence
• And how curriculum can promote equity, relevance and intellectual ambition for all pupils

Designed for both school leaders and classroom practitioners, this session offers practical insight and bold thinking — inviting us to see curriculum as a collaborative act that builds culture and connection, not just content.

The Brilliant Club

The Brilliant Club is an award-winning education charity that works in partnership with schools and universities to increase the number of pupils from underrepresented backgrounds progressing to highly selective universities. Through programmes such as The Scholars Programme and Join the Dots, they support schools to build a culture of high aspiration, academic confidence, and long-term achievement.

Their work is underpinned by a commitment to equity, collaboration, and educational connection — values that resonate deeply with the CAPH conference theme. The Brilliant Club brings deep expertise in building purposeful school cultures that empower both pupils and educators.

The Brilliant Club - Lindsay Rose and Jessica Galliver WORKSHOP: Widening Horizons: Embedding Equity Through Culture and Connection

How can we ensure that our school culture reflects not only our values — but our commitment to equity and connection?
In this session, The Brilliant Club explores how schools can embed equity and aspiration into the heart of their ethos and culture. Drawing on their work with pupils from underrepresented backgrounds, they share practical strategies that help educators build cultures of connection — where every pupil sees their potential reflected, supported, and championed.

Expect insights into:

• How school culture shapes long-term aspiration and opportunity
• The role of collaborative CPD in developing inclusive practice
• How strong professional networks can help embed sustainable change
• Why equity must be a shared value, not a standalone intervention

Whether you are a classroom teacher, senior leader, or support staff, this session will encourage you to see culture not as something we inherit — but as something we create, together.

Nia Richards - Creativity, Culture & Education (CCE) & Penryn Creativity Collaboratives

Nia Richards is an educational leader, consultant and programme director with Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE). With a background in arts and education, Nia has worked across schools and cultural organisations to embed creative learning and inclusive practice. She is passionate about supporting school leaders to think differently — using creativity as a catalyst for meaningful change, equity and connection. Nia’s work is grounded in the belief that when schools embrace culture and creativity, they unlock new possibilities for all learners and communities.

Creativity, Culture & Education (CCE) & Penryn Creativity Collaboratives WORKSHOP: Creative Leadership in Challenging Times: Cultivating Culture, Equity and Innovation in Schools

In the face of increasing complexity across the education landscape — from rising disadvantage to mounting social care demands — we need school leaders who can think differently. This session, led by Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE), explores how creative leadership and cultural engagement can equip educators at all levels to build inclusive, resilient and values-driven schools.

Drawing on CCE’s international work with educators, this interactive workshop offers practical frameworks and provocations to help schools embed creative thinking and innovation into their culture and ethos. Participants will consider how curiosity, cultural capital, and collaborative thinking can unlock new approaches to long-standing challenges — from inclusion to wellbeing to pupil engagement.

This is a session for those who believe in the power of imagination as a force for school improvement — and want to lead with vision, connection, and creativity at heart.

Tanya Ovenden Hope, Cornwall Research School, Cornwall Council's Educational Effectiveness, The PTI

Tanya Ovenden-Hope
Professor of Education and Director of the Centre of Excellence in Education at Plymouth Marjon University, Tanya’s research focuses on coastal and rural education, teacher development, and educational inequality. She is a nationally recognised voice in championing contextualised solutions for small schools.

Clare O’Sullivan
Director of Programmes at The Professional Teaching Institute (PTI), Clare supports teacher-led CPD and collaborative models that are sustainable and rooted in subject-rich practice.

Cornwall Research School (John Rodgers)
Cornwall Research School supports schools to engage with evidence-informed practice, helping leaders and teachers to translate research into meaningful, context-sensitive strategies.

Local Authority (Andrew Beasley)
The Local Authority plays a key role in enabling place-based collaboration and providing infrastructure for the Small Schools Network to thrive.

Ben Towe
Executive Headteacher of Calstock and Stoke Climsland Primary Schools, Ben is a passionate advocate for the power of small schools and has played a leading role in the development of the SW PTI Hub across Cornwall.

WORKSHOP: Small Schools, Big Conversations: Research, Collaboration and the Power of Networked Learning

This session explores how small schools can thrive through research-informed collaboration. With input from Tanya Ovenden-Hope (Dean of Place and Social Impact, Marjons), John Rodgers (Cornwall Research School), the Local Authority, and The PTI, this workshop shares how collaborative networks enable leaders and teachers to navigate shared challenges through collective learning, curriculum innovation, and sustainable improvement.

Discover how collaboration – not isolation – is the key to empowering small schools in rural and coastal communities.