Speakers

Helen P Frostick, National Leader of Education & Headteacher St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary School, Richmond, London

Helen has been Headteacher of St. Mary Magdalen’s Catholic Primary School in the Archdiocese of Southwark for fourteen years. St. Mary Magdalen’s is a National Support School for the National College of School Leadership and is particularly effective in supporting schools with teaching, learning and writing and building ethos and communities.

Helen is a National Leader of Education with responsibility for supporting schools in challenging circumstances. She has recently been deployed by the City of London as a headteacher mentor as part of their leadership strategy.
Including the diverse experience of working overseas in Poland and Washington D.C, Helen has over 30 years of teaching experience. She writes for four national publications and specialises in safeguarding, narrowing the attainment gap, relationships education and the creative curriculum. Helen also speaks at national conferences on these subjects.

Deb King, Lead Practitioner, Extol Learning Trust, North East England 

Deb has worked in education for 24 years. She started her teaching career in Sunderland, moving to Hartlepool after three years to lead a key stage. She has led many subjects across the years, including English and Maths. Leadership experience was gained as a deputy head teacher for several years and acting Head teacher. Following this Deb moved to work as a Primary Maths Consultant/ Advisor for Hartlepool Local Authority, working across 31 primary schools supporting leadership teams and driving school improvement, as well as leading central and school based professional development. This work afforded her the opportunity to lead Moderation in Year 2 and Year 6 both across Hartlepool and Darlington. She led a team to verify standards of writing, reading and maths. Coaching staff, and supporting them to be a better version of themselves, formed a large part of her work in the authority. As Teaching and Learning Lead for the trust she is able to utilise her skills and experience to support our passion for teaching and learning and raising expectations in our schools.

Mike Foster, Deputy Headteacher, & Nerys Thornton, Deputy Headteacher, Thorntree Academy, Middlesbrough

Jon Tait, Deputy Headteacher, Acklam Grange School, Middlesbrough

Jon is an influential and inspirational education leader in a large and diverse North East secondary school. As an author, Jon has had three books published by Bloomsbury Publishing on classroom pedagogy, middle leadership and senior leadership. His fourth book on the Science of Learning is out in Sept 2020.

Jon regularly presents at teaching conferences both in the UK and internationally via Skype. This has included presentations to conferences in New York, Ohio and Dubai along with national conferences here in the UK. Jon also delivered a talk on the world famous TED stage in 2015, talking about ‘The Future of Learning’.

Helen Everitt, Deputy Headteacher, Oriel High School, Crawley

Helen has been at Oriel since it opened in 2004. As an assistant headteacher, she played a leading role in setting up this new school with her role initially including data and assessment whilst leading a quarter of the school pastorally and also being subject leader for science.

Helen was promoted to Curriculum Deputy Headteacher in 2007 and currently leads on the Pupil Premium alongside curriculum design and implementation amongst other varied roles.

The Pupil Premium agenda is one that Helen feels passionately about, and she has led Oriel's Pupil Premium team developing its bespoke and innovative approaches since 2013.

Ryan Sallows, SBM, Oriel High School, Crawley

Ryan is an experienced education professional. He has a strong background in community & business partnerships, school to school support and Further Education. Ryan has been a governor in secondary & primary schools and an FE college where he has supported all these institutions during Ofsted inspections. During Oriel’s most recent Ofsted inspection (October 2019) Ryan met with the lead inspector on both safeguarding and pupil premium topics helping the school to sustain it’s grading of ‘Good’.

Glenn Russell, Executive Headteacher, Stalham Academy, Norfolk

Executive Headteacher with over 15 years teaching and 11 years leadership experience, in primary and secondary schools, providing vison and skills to ensure a high quality of education for pupils. A proven record of improving standards, achievement and Ofsted outcomes. Specialist leader and Local Leader of Education accredited.

Has a passion for supporting and developing staff in order to ensure that children and young people achieve the best outcomes and get the greatest range of experiences possible.

Bases his approach to education around the philosophy of ‘Valued People, Successful Schools’.

Led Stalham Academy from inadequate to a school awarded 3 SSAT National awards for performance. Was shortlisted for TES Headteacher of the Year 2018.
Experience in opening 2 Free Schools, one Primary and one secondary. Opens his schools up to visitors and provides a range of professional development and support to schools.

Zoe Beach, Headteacher, Northwood Primary School, Darlington 

Zoe has been the Head Teacher of Northwood Primary School in Darlington since September 2014 and was previously the Deputy Head Teacher in the same school. She has worked in education since 1995 and has had the privilege of working in a range of different school contexts during this time. Her main goal is to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, are given the best education in a nurturing and safe environment and provide all children with the skills to be successful people in society.

Sara Wassell, Deputy Headteacher, Northwood Primary School, Darlington 

Sarah has been at Northwood Primary School since January 2015, firstly as Assistant Head Teacher then as Deputy Head Teacher since September 2016. She has been teaching for 12 years in schools with high levels of deprivation and is passionate about ensuring that all children achieve their potential through excellent teaching and learning.

Sean Harris, North East director for Ambition Institute, former school leader

Sean is a former Assistant & Deputy Headteacher and now works full time as the North Area Director for Ambition Institute supporting the development of school leaders and teachers to lead an impact in challenging school contexts.

Sean is vice-chair of Governors with Ashington Learning Partnership in Northumberland

He is also a trustee for Mission10; an organisation that enables young people from disadvantaged background to lead international community development projects.

Sean is a writer and regularly contributes to TES, Youth & Policy, SecEd magazine and academic journals such as the British Journal for Religious Education. He recently published a book with the University of Teesside in late 2019 that encouraged academics to work closely in partnership with schools to raise aspirations and attainment in schools.

Sean regularly presents as a keynote speaker and facilitator with schools and other organisations

Matt Bromley, Educational Consultant, Bromley Education, Yorkshire

Matt Bromley is an education writer and advisor with over twenty years’ experience in teaching and leadership including as a secondary school headteacher and principal, FE college vice principal,, and MAT director. He also works as a public speaker, trainer, and school improvement lead, and is a school governor. He writes for various newspapers and magazines and is the author of numerous best-selling books. His education blog, voted one of the UK’s most influential, receives over 50,000 unique visitors a year. Matt regularly speaks at national and international conferences and events, and provides education advice to charities, government agencies, training providers, colleges and multi-academy trusts.

Grace Kelly, Wellbeing and Resilience Lead, St Bede’s Catholic High School, Ormskirk

As an experienced teacher, having held a number of middle and extended leadership roles in my 15 year career, Grace passionate about providing the best form of education to the students in our care and likewise she is passionate about the necessity to educate ourselves on our own personal well being and the need to be kinder to ourselves in an increasingly pressurised world, so that we can model well being strategies with those whom we teach.

Grace believes we must find the balance in order to fully succeed both personally and professionally. Following the completion of a scholarship in this area, it then led to the launch of her ‘benddontbreak’ well-being workshops which enable her to work alongside staff and students in a variety of educational institutions, to enable them to reflect on their own well being, their life plates, their goals, their work ethic, and their mind-set and to remind them that they cannot pour from an empty cup. The holistically healthier we become, the more productive we will be in our roles to teach, support and inspire the young people in our care.

Marc Rowland, Deputy Director of the National Education Trust & author of A Practical Guide to the Pupil Premium

Marc is currently the adviser for improving outcomes for disadvantaged learners for the Unity Schools Partnership.

Marc works with the Education Endowment Foundation’s national Research School Network. He is also working on a range of programmes focussed on educational disadvantage nationally. He was formerly the Head of Rosendale Research School in Lambeth.

Marc has also been working with the Jersey government for four years on the introduction and implementation of a ‘Jersey Pupil Premium’. This has led to a marked improvement in outcomes for disadvantaged pupils there.

Marc has worked / is working with, numerous Local Authorities, Multi Academy Trusts, Teaching School Alliances and groups of schools nationally on long term projects to support better outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.  

Marc has also worked with the Department for Education and over 550 individual schools to support them with their strategies to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.  

The second edition of Marc’s award-winning book, ‘An Updated Practical Guide to the Pupil Premium’, was published in December 2015 (John Catt Educational).  His latest book ‘Learning without Labels’ was also published by John Catt in March 2017.  

Dr Donna Chambers, former primary school headteacher, Earl Education Consultancy

Donna Chambers is a Doctor of Education. She has extensive experience in the field of education and specialises in working with parents to improve the partnership between them and the school. Donna enjoyed thirteen years as a primary school headteacher, before moving to the London team as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education. Donna is now an educational consultant and supports leaders with school improvement, safeguarding and inclusion. In addition to her consultancy role, Donna has been the interim executive headteacher at two very different special schools.

Faye Longden Thurgood, Assistant Headteacher, Brune Park Community School, Gosport and Kerry Payne, Headteacher, Rowner Junior School

Faye Longden-Thurgood (AHT) and Kerry Payne (HT) are the leaders with responsibility for the vision and strategic use for Pupil Premium across the Gosport and Fareham Multi-Academy Trust. The MAT includes two large secondary schools, two primary schools and a special school for boys with SEMH needs. We as school leaders approach the use of Pupil Premium across all phases with the intent to ensure equity of opportunity and outcomes for all pupils - we recognise that learners achieving age related expectations is the greatest impact we can have on our disadvantaged community. Our approach builds upon relevant research (EEF, Sir John Dunford) using it alongside our robust and thorough understanding of our learners to make informed decisions about the effective use of funding.

Adele Bates, Education & Behaviour Specialist

“I have had bottles of juice poured on my head, been whacked by a skateboard – and I have taught a year 7 pupil who has experienced severe trauma in their life, how to read their first ever word…”

Adele is a teacher, speaker, writer, educator and advocator for inclusion in education and students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. With over 17 years’ experience, Adele teaches these pupils in a variety of educational settings, trains others to do so and advises on whole school approaches to supporting these pupils - in schools, universities and other youth-based public services.

Garry Freeman, SENDCo and Assistant Principal, Park Lane Academy, Halifax, National SEND System Leader & Associate of Leeds Beckett University

Currently SENCo and Assistant Principal at Park Lane Academy in Halifax, Garry has taught for 42 years in high and special schools throughout West Yorkshire as a member of Senior Leadership Teams, Head of History, Head of Humanities, Curriculum Support Co-ordinator and SENCo. He began his work in the field of SEND as Behaviour Support Coordinator, researching and evidencing causes of low-level and more complex in-class behaviours.

Garry is a skilled Whole-School SEND Reviewer, a National SEND System Leader and has been a project lead for local authority improvement support. He is an Associate Consultant for Nasen and Chair of their 0-11 Advisory Group. He is highly experienced in individual school–to–school support, with multi-academy trusts and local authorities, and he writes extensively for a range of educational publications.

He has recently worked with the DfE on effective websites and SEN Information Reports.

Ofsted described his practice as “beyond outstanding… inspirational!”