SUMMIT 2017 Programme Announced

4th October 2017

The annual SCHOOLS NorthEast Summit is fast approaching – there’s only two weeks to go until our biggest education event hits the North East. The Summit programme has just been announced and it's sure to be a day Heads and school leaders can't miss - from key note speeches to panels, sessions and networking, it's the only education event in the North East of its kind

David Laws
Executive Chairman of the Education Policy Institute and former Schools Minister

David Laws' keynote speech will reflect the aims of the Education Policy Institute’s mission to raise standards in education.  Drawing on the work the institute produces through rigorous data analysis, research and the exchange of information and knowledge.


Sir Kevan Collins
Chief Executive, Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)


Education policy, education reform and social justice. Harnessing evidence to improve outcomes for all.

Sir Kevan’s keynote speech will focus on the national priority to improve outcomes for young people facing economic disadvantage.  Kevan will focus on the Education Endowment Foundation's (EEF's) latest studies. Working with schools across the country to evaluate over 140 innovations, the EEF is committed to providing rigorous, independent evidence to support and inform school improvement.

Melanie Renowden
Deputy CEO, Ambition School Leadership


In this informative session Melanie Ronowden will discuss the following:

• Leadership behaviours, skills and knowledge: What do middle leaders need to be able to do as individuals and as a team?      How is this changing?
• What do we know about effective CPD? (drawing on leadership development theory, design principles and the 2016 CPD        standards)
• Designing your intervention, drawing on strategies such as 70/20/10, stretch assignments and incremental coaching
• Evaluation: how will you know if it’s worked?

Ambition School Leadership is dedicated to the continuous development of leaders within schools across England and Wales.

Rebecca Allen
Director, Education Datalab


Rebecca Allen will be delivering two sessions at the Summit:

Teacher Learning Curves: how to increase the quality of teaching in your school
Experience is a powerful performance enhancer for teachers. Most people know that teachers improve quickly in the first few years of their careers. But why does experience play such an important role in how teachers acquire skill? Why do the performance-enhancing effects of experience diminish over time? This session will help school leaders and teachers devise plans to ensure that all colleagues can keep improving the quality of their teaching instruction.

Delivering the EBacc for the many and not the few
The Government continues to use the EBacc to drive curriculum change in secondary schools, with a new national 75% target for entries and the proposed EBacc APS. This session will look at how schools have responded so far, and discuss prospects for increasing entry rates to language subjects. We will review evidence from schools who have already radically realigned their curriculum towards EBacc subjects, and discuss how pupils with low prior attainment or those from disadvantaged backgrounds are likely to fare.

Rebecca is the Director of Education Datalab. She is an expert in the analysis of large scale administrative and survey data sets, including the National Pupil Database and School Workforce Census. Her research explores the impact of government reforms on school behaviour, with a particular focus on accountability and teacher labour markets.

Philippa Cordingley
Chief Executive, CUREE


Co-constructing evidence based professional learning for school leaders
This interactive session explores the design, implementation and outcomes of a pilot, for a new form of leadership development based on research about leadership learning, designed in partnership with school leaders through research based consultation and co-construction. Commissioned by the Teaching Schools Council these programmes offer a bespoke, sustained and iterative rhythm of supported and evidence-rich development geared to establishing a sustainable network of support.  The aim is to create a resource for use in other regions. One programme was targeted at "anointed but not appointed" Heads and the other at new Executive Heads. The programme designers are Philippa Cordingley and Paul Crisp, from CUREE, and Philippa will present lessons learned and explore with participants the key tools, approaches, benefits and challenges of such bespoke development.

Louise Quinn
Assistant Principal, The Academy Shotton Hall
Research Schools


In collaboration with the Education Endowment Foundation, Research Schools are at the forefront of evidence based practise within the school network.  They become leaders in bridging between education research and everyday classroom practise, engaging with local schools in a variety of ways.

Louise has vast experience of how a Research School can impact on the education provision in the region.

Cathryn Kirby
Ofsted Regional Director, North East, Yorkshire and Humberside


Her Majesty’s Inspectors continuously provide updates of the ever-changing policies generated by the Government. Cathy’s briefing will cover any changes and planned changes to school inspection, for example: inspecting governance and how inspectors establish the progress made by pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The session will also include time for questions and answers.

John Hardy
Head Teacher, St John Vianney RC Primary School
Teaching Schools


Teaching Schools are dedicated to the improvement of schools, ensuring the highest standards of teaching and leadership development is attainable for every school and academy in the region.

Find out about what a Teaching School is, how they are important to the region, how they can help improve standards and school to school collaboration. Hear about the CPD opportunities they run, how to access the resources and research produced, and where to access support for you and your school.

Ann Mroz
Editor, TES


As editor of TES, Ann is at the forefront of what’s hot and what’s not in education.  Don’t miss your chance to hear from this dynamic individual and her thoughts on Leadership in a changing educational landscape.

Panel debate
Title: Leadership in a changing educational landscape
Chair: Ann Mroz, Editor, TES,
Panel members: David Laws, Executive Chairman, Education Policy Institute, Sir Kevan Collins, CEO, EEF, Leslie Powell, North East Learning Trust, John Hardy, Chair, SNE, Mike Parker, Director, SNE.

There is nothing constant except change and in the world or education this has never been more true. Leaders have the unenviable task of driving through change, but how do they achieve that?  Have your chance to put your question to this esteemed panel of experts and find out the answers to assist you to lead in these turbulent times.

To book your place at the Summit, click here