Diocese and CAPH Spring Conference - Transforming Inclusion 

Weds 18th March 2026 | Wadebridge Showground

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The collaborative Cornwall Spring term event brings together educational leaders from across the county, and aims to focus on what matters most in our schools: ensuring every child is seen, supported and given the chance to be their best self.

Key Themes and Focus Areas:

• Inclusion: A strong commitment to ensuring all children and young people—regardless of background or circumstance—have the support they need to thrive.
• Equity and Outcomes: Discussions centred on improving outcomes for all learners and closing gaps in attainment.
• Workforce Development: Addressing recruitment, retention, and professional learning across the education sector.
• Place-Based Leadership: Exploring how local contexts can inform and strengthen system-wide approaches to school improvement.
• Shared Vision: Aligning strategic priorities across the county to support coherence and collective impact.

Conference Highlights:

• Keynote Presentations from local and national leaders, sharing insight and challenge
• Panel Discussions on current issues facing Cornwall’s schools
• Collaborative Workshops designed to share best practice and foster innovation
• Networking Opportunities to build and deepen partnerships across sectors

9am - Keynote Speaker: Mohamed Abdallah - Regional Director (South West) at The Reach Foundation, Founder of Drawbridge Collective and Trustee for Kernow Learning:

The Mattering Model: What if Belonging Is Only 50% of the Answer?

Mohamed Abdallah will explore the vital role of belonging and mattering in creating thriving school cultures. Drawing a clear distinction between the two, he will show how mattering goes beyond feeling valued to include the active contribution of adding value, a dual need that shapes the experiences of pupils, staff, and families alike. Mohamed will argue that developing a culture of mattering is not a soft option, but a core requirement for improving engagement, attendance, and wellbeing. He will challenge the idea that this culture can emerge organically, instead making the case for intentional, embedded practices that ensure every member of the school community is seen, significant, and empowered to contribute.

9.45am - Keynote Speaker: Alysia Lara Ayonrinde – Engagement Lead for The Racial Justice Unit

Alysia-Lara Ayonrinde is the Engagement Lead and National Education Lead for Racial Justice at the National Society for Education and Leads on the Difference programme.  Her established career in education spans over 15 years, encompassing senior leadership roles across the UK, West Africa, and South America. Alysia-Lara brings unique, evidence-based perspectives that supportively challenge conventional norms. 

Difference equips children with three formational habits that can transform everyday relationships. Pupils grow their understanding of the habits as they progress through primary school, with each key stage exploring specific themes and questions.

• Be Curious – Community - Listen to others’ stories and see the world through their eyes.
•  Be Present – Embrace - Encounter others with authenticity and confidence.
•  Reimagine – Power - Finding hope and opportunity in places where we long to see change.

11am - Panel Discussion - Leading Flourishing Communities, with:

• Dr Jen Blunden OBE: CEO TPAT and Chair of the CEP Operational Board.
• Rachel Delourme: Head of Inclusion and SEND, Co Chair of Centres of Excellence.
• Dan Morrow: Trust Lead and CEO of CELT, Co Chair of Centres of Excellence

This thought-provoking discussion brings together key voices from across Cornwall’s education landscape to explore how collaboration, inclusion, and leadership can help our schools — and the communities they serve — to flourish.

Topics for discussion

• The evolving role of system leadership in Cornwall - Cornwall Education Partnership (CEP)
• Inclusive Education Communities - How partnership working can strengthen outcomes for children and young people
• The importance of inclusion, wellbeing and community connection at the heart of flourishing education.

11.25am - Keynote Speaker: Nia Richards - Creative Leadership in Challenging Times

Drawing on insights from the Pretty Poverty Report and the wider Disciplined Enquiry work of the Attendance and Belonging Working Group, Nia explores what it means to lead creatively in times of constraint and change.

This keynote challenges leaders to think differently about engagement, belonging, and community connection — reframing adversity as a catalyst for innovation. Through practical examples and reflective insight, Nia invites school leaders to consider how creativity can drive both equity and resilience within their own contexts.

1pm - 3.30pm - Afternoon Roundtable Workshops: (4 x 30 mins and / or mixed with 1hr sessions)

30 minute workshop choices:

• Alysia Lara Ayonrinde: Difference
• Carly Brooker: Cognition and Learning: Working Memory, how memory works, strategies and impact.
• Nicky Hepworth: Parental Engagement Framework
• Dandelion Learning: Greater Depth in Writing
• Josh Lury: CODE Maths Hub - How can Teaching for Mastery support equity and inclusion in the classroom?
• Vanessa Morley: Kernow English Hub - An Overview of KS2 fluency
• Nia Richards: Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE): The Leadership Playbook 
• Victoria Sargeant - Wolferstans Solicitors – HR for Schools – Employment Update

One hour workshop choices:

• Faye Heming: School Support Solutions: Adaptive Teaching
  
• Christiaan Stirling: Emotional Logic –  improving behaviour, perseverance and attendance by using kinaesthetic resources to develop emotional intelligence. For both primary and secondary colleagues.

Reaffirm the power of connection between leaders, institutions, and communities as the foundation for long-term, sustainable improvement in education across the county and beyond.

3.30pm Close

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