Culture, Ethos & Connection: 

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.

Presentationa and links from the day (where available) are by speaker below:

 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.

Jenna's presentation is available here

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.

Supporting teacher change: How I observe a lesson and give feedback 

We may want to change what we do in the classroom, but we will be fighting a losing battle without our students on board. Craig examines a framework for helping students build positive, sustainable habits and routines in our classrooms. The framework is grounded in research, and each stage is illustrated by concrete examples from teachers and students he have worked with over the last ten years.

Call and Respond 

Call and Respond may seem like a weird way to ask students to participate: the teacher says one half of a statement, and then all students respond in unison. In this workshop, Craig will share several use cases for Call and Respond, as well as practical tips and strategies to maximise the chance of it being effective.

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

Resource link: Tips for Teachers  cover all the areas Craig talked through at the Conference.

Craigs books are available here

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.

Keynote Presentation here

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

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.

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.

Presentation available here

 Nia Richards - Creativity, Culture & Education (CCE) & Sarah Childs 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.

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.