Ensuring Successful Outcomes
Friday 27th February 2026

Descriptions of the main themes and topics that our speakers intend to cover in their sessions are outlined below to assist you in gaining a strong overview of the conference and to help you choose the workshop sessions that best suit your needs and areas of interest:

9.30-10.30

MORNING KEYNOTE

The 3, 2, 1 of addressing poverty and disadvantage

In this opening keynote, long-standing SecEd and Headteacher Update editorial board member Sean Harris will outline three things we know about the barriers facing Pupil Premium children, two things we can do about these barriers, and will leave you with one provocation to take back to school.

Three barriers: Sean will dissect three of the biggest problems facing Pupil Premium children in 2026, discussing why poverty is much bigger than our free school meals data and Pupil Premium proxies will tell us, how family income affects so many other areas of a child's life (from health to school attendance), and the implications for our work in schools.

Two actions: Sean will outline two big strategies for responding to these consequences, discussing actionable ways in which schools can work with others to address the issues. Sean will outline his work developing place-based approaches to poverty. Throughout, Sean will draw on the work of Thames Valley Education and other trusts around the country, offering their "lessons learned", discussing how they "shift the dial" from off-the-shelf classroom strategies to actionable ways to address educational inequality more broadly. He will talk about Thames Valley Education's three Ps approach – People, Place and Policy – giving delegates practical ways to take this further in their roles and settings.

One provocation: Sean will leave us with a challenge – a set of questions to discuss together – and will suggest that we take one of these big questions back to our schools.

Sean Harris, doctoral researcher investigating poverty and educational inequality in schools, Teesside University; Director of PLACE (People, Learning and Community Engagement), Tees Valley Education, North East England

10.50-11.40
WORKSHOP ROUND 1 (MORNING)

PRIMARY: Belonging, psychological safety and school improvement

How do we create a sense of belonging for staff and pupils? We know there is an urgent need nationally. We know that when adults feel trusted, supported and purposeful, so do pupils. And we know that belonging and feeling safe in schools is key to achievement – especially for disadvantaged pupils. And yet the teaching profession is subject to high-stakes accountability, which can make this work challenging. In this workshop, Laura McPhee – author of Empowering Teachers, Improving Schools – will discuss how we can create environments where staff are able to learn from mistakes, provide supportive challenge, and deliver the very best outcomes for disadvantaged learners. Laura will set out why a trusted, supported and empowered teaching workforce is crucial if we are to achieve positive outcomes for our most vulnerable children. Laura will share approaches to school leadership that harness the power of belonging and psychological safety for school staff and pupils, discussing what this looks like in practice. The workshop will share case studies and strategies for how school improvement can be driven through a positive shared approach and how this fits into a school's Pupil Premium vision and strategy.

Laura McPhee, Director of Education, University Schools Trust, London

SECONDARY: Teaching strategies for closing the disadvantage gap

In 2023, Burnage Academy for Boys – an outstanding comprehensive school in Greater Manchester with almost 1,000 pupils aged 11 to 16 – achieved a Progress 8 average of +1.05. This compares to a Progress 8 score of +1.03 across its cohort of Pupil Premium pupils. What is even more remarkable is that 48% of the school's intake are eligible for Pupil Premium support and there are 44 languages spoken across the school. Burnage Academy serves some of the most deprived areas of Manchester and sits in the highest deprivation indices. High-quality teaching is integral to the school's Pupil Premium approach and in this workshop, delegates will hear about the most effective teaching strategies that have led to this success, especially in the English and maths classrooms. Other themes will include the use of reading interventions, specialist support staff, targeted academic support, and wider strategies such as attendance and behaviour. In 2024 Burnage Academy won the TES Secondary School of the Year award.

Helen Carter, Senior Deputy Headteacher, Burnage Academy for Boys, Greater Manchester

CROSS-PHASE: A team-based approach to Pupil Premium, equity and inclusion

As the director for Pupil Premium across The Mercian Trust, Lisa Morphet works with 12 diverse schools in the Black Country, an area facing some of the most significant socio-economic challenges in the country and where more than half of children in some constituencies serving the school live in poverty. This workshop will look at how the Pupil Premium and support for disadvantaged learners is delivered across the schools using a team-based approach which shares and quality-assures practice and challenges provision in a supportive but rigorous way. This ensures that good practice is not isolated within one school but embedded across the trust. The workshop will consider how leaders have created links between strategic groups, such as careers leaders, T&L leaders and PP leads within schools, as well as the trust-wide review process, where leaders work together to review, analyse, and reflect upon their strategies, learning from each other’s successes and challenges. The workshop will describe a range of successful Pupil Premium initiatives including a “no PP labels” approach and developing innovative community-based provision – illustrating different ways of embedding equity into leadership. Delegates will leave the session with practical strategies and ideas to take away, adapt, and explore in their own schools, whether primary, secondary, or alternative provision.

Lisa Morphet, Director for Pupil Premium, The Mercian Trust, Black Country


PARTNER WORKSHOPPARTNER: DAISY EDUCATION / READING SOLUTIONS UK
Improving reading outcomes for disadvantaged primary pupils
Join Daisy Education for an interactive session exploring how Reading Plus supports schools to boost reading attainment and close the gap for disadvantaged learners. You’ll hear from a local school sharing their experience of embedding the programme and see first-hand how Reading Plus builds confident, fluent readers through personalised adaptive online learning and progress tracking. With evidence showing that year 6 pupils improve reading scores by 50% (vs 29% for non-users) and Pupil Premium children make 97% more progress than their peers, this session offers practical insights and proven strategies to enhance reading outcomes in your school.

11.45-12.30
WORKSHOP ROUND 2 (MORNING)

PRIMARY: Improving Pupil Premium outcomes in year 6

At Uphall Primary School, which is in one of the most disadvantaged wards in London, almost 50% of pupils in last year's year 6 cohort attracted Pupil Premium funding and 77% of children achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (compared to 47% nationally). In this practical workshop, Dr Kulvarn Atwal, author of The Thinking Teacher and The Thinking School, will outline how these outcomes have been achieved and the lessons that other primary schools can learn. Kulvarn will discuss some of the school’s key interventions and strategies including the role of teacher professional learning, and how dialogic teaching approaches have been developed and implemented. The workshop will consider other quality first teaching interventions, including the development of metacognition with pupils. The workshop will offer insights, lessons learned, tips and ideas and Dr Atwal will also be keen to discuss the work of and challenges facing delegates in their own schools.

Dr Kulvarn Atwal, Principal Learning Leader, Highlands Primary School, Ilford, Uphall Primary School, Barking

SECONDARY: Practical Pupil Premium strategies: A case study of a destination-led approach

In this workshop, delegates will hear about practical strategies and interventions at Oriel High School in Crawley (16% Pupil Premium) which aim to tackle barriers to progress such as attendance, literacy and focus on raising aspiration. Deputy Headteacher, Helen Everitt and SBM, Ryan Sallows will give an insight into Oriel’s collaborative whole-school implementation model which drives Pupil Premium interventions and approaches across the school. They will describe how Oriel tries to achieve maximum buy-in from staff, pupils, and parents. The school’s PP strategy has a destination-focused approach to measuring success and outcomes and uses community links and other providers to enhance provision. The session will include practical, real examples and transferable ideas, and will aim to give delegates something to take away with them and adapt/try in their own school settings.

Helen Everitt, Deputy Headteacher, Oriel High School, Crawley
Ryan Sallows, School Business Manager, Oriel High School, Crawley



CROSS-PHASE: Effective use of teaching assistants to support Pupil Premium in the classroom

In this workshop, Sara Alston – author of Working Effectively with your Teaching Assistant – will describe how teachers and teaching assistants can work together to improve outcomes for Pupil Premium children in their classrooms, offering a range of practical strategies and insights. Sara will discuss the role of the TA in the classroom and will outline the different high-impact models of TA deployment. Sara will discuss how we can ensure effective differentiation based on small tweaks and adaptions within the classroom and effective ways of sharing planning and information-sharing with TAs so they are able to work more effectively. Sara will discuss the use of interventions inside and outside of the classroom and the TA's role within these.

Sara Alston, SEND, inclusion and safeguarding consultant and trainer

PARTNER WORKSHOP
PARTNER: AXIOM MATHS
Understanding the maths experience of disadvantaged high prior attaining pupils: How can Axiom maths circles help?


In this Partner Workshop hosted by the charity Axiom Maths, we will share research about when and why some pupils lose their love and aptitude for maths – and how this disproportionately affects those facing disadvantage. Delegates will discover how the Axiom maths circles programme can tackle this and we will hear directly from a secondary school implementing the approach. The programme begins in year 7 and continues through to year 11, providing a five-year pathway that builds mathematical confidence and ambition. Axiom partners with schools to fund and support maths circles regionally, helping more pupils sustain their success and enjoyment of maths.

Gwen Tresidder, Head of Region (East Midlands and South Yorkshire), Axiom Maths

13.30-14.30
AFTERNOON KEYNOTE

Oracy education: Creating talk-rich classrooms where disadvantaged pupils thrive

Voice 21 is the national oracy education charity, which exists to increase access to high-quality oracy education for those children who need it most. In this practical keynote, Amy Gaunt, co-author of The Oracy Imperative, will explore how oracy education can be a transformative part of your Pupil Premium strategy. She will highlight how a focus on oracy can be particularly empowering for pupils who face systemic barriers, fostering a stronger sense of belonging and wellbeing, enhancing academic outcomes and preparing young people for life beyond school. Delegates will leave with practical strategies for developing oracy teaching and provision in their schools. The session will outline effective approaches to teaching oracy and creating inclusive classroom environments that value all ways of speaking. Amy will also focus on improving literacy, expanding pupils’ linguistic repertoires, and building language-rich classrooms where pupils grow their vocabularies.

Amy Gaunt, Director of Strategic Development, Voice 21; Co-author, Transform Teaching and Learning through Talk: The Oracy Imperative

14.30-15.20
WORKSHOP ROUND 3 (AFTERNOON)
PRIMARY: Closing gaps with equity-driven leadership and practice

This workshop will explore how school leaders can create meaningful, sustainable change for disadvantaged pupils by combining evidence-informed strategies with equity-driven leadership. Tenisha Jones-Davis will draw on experience of leading in a high-Pupil Premium school, alongside on-going MBA research into strategic leadership and resource-allocation, to share practical approaches for maximising Pupil Premium impact. The session will cover how curriculum design can redress gaps and ensure representation, as well as behaviour and belonging, including restorative practice and behaviour systems that reflect high expectations without perpetuating bias. We will discuss aligning staff values with a whole-school vision for disadvantaged pupils as well as strategies to address bias and inequality. There will be advice for working with families, agencies, and communities to address barriers such as poverty, mental health, and youth violence. The session will touch upon oracy and closing the vocabulary gap, including practical interventions to support language development. Participants will gain insights into how leadership decisions, staff development, and community partnerships can collectively close attainment and opportunity gaps. The workshop will challenge attendees to focus instead on how values-driven, strategic leadership can transform outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

Tenisha Jones, Deputy Headteacher, St John's and St Clement's CE Primary School, London

SECONDARY: The Bridge: Breaking down barriers to school attendance for vulnerable pupils

In this workshop, we will hear about The Bridge – a provision created by Penistone Grammar School as part of its approach to reducing the post-Covid absence of vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils. The Bridge is an internal provision at the school (14% Pupil Premium) which seeks to support pupils who struggle to attend lessons and take part fully in the school day. It consists of a physical space within the school where Pupil Premium and other vulnerable pupils can go if they need to. Located there are teaching staff including higher level teaching assistants who can work with pupils to offer pastoral and academic support, including one-to-one tutoring in core subjects and small group sessions. The workshop will describe how The Bridge has been set-up, what has proved effective, the lessons learned and barriers overcome, and will ultimately offer advice for other schools interested in adapting and adopting this approach.

Graham Teasdale, Assistant Principal, Pupil Progress KS3 & Strategic Leadership of Pupil Premium, Penistone Grammar School, Sheffield

CROSS-PHASE: Safeguarding Pupil Premium Children

This workshop will focus on the common safeguarding needs of Pupil Premium pupils and will offer practical advice for how schools can provide effective intervention and support, including spotting the signs early and how to engage and work with families. The practical session will explore the barriers to learning and wellbeing that disadvantaged pupils can often face as well as the safeguarding risks and heightened vulnerabilities often present within this cohort, including issues such as neglect, exposure to domestic abuse, online risks, and mental health challenges. Delegates will discuss early identification and the importance of staff being alert to signs of concern, and how we can use data, attendance patterns, and pupil voice to spot issues early. There will be a range of practical strategies including approaches to building strong relationships, ensuring safe spaces in school, embedding a culture of belonging, and working in partnership with families and external agencies. The session will touch upon staff training, clear reporting processes, case studies and how to create an inclusive school ethos with strong pastoral systems and communication channels. Delegates will also explore the links between wellbeing, safeguarding, attendance, engagement, and attainment.

Ann Marie Christian, Independent Safeguarding Consultant

PARTNER WORKSHOPPARTNER ARTIS FOUNDATION
Using performing arts to engage disadvantaged children in their learning

• How Artis Foundation specialists boost curriculum engagement in the primary school
• Using performing arts to support pupil wellbeing and communication skills
• Hear from one primary school about how they have implemented the Artis approach

15.40-16.30 

WORKSHOP ROUND 4 (AFTERNOON)
CROSS-PHASE: Pupil Premium, pupil and parent voice and participation

Exploring school through the eyes of children growing up in a lower-income household, this session will provide ideas, tools and practical advice for educators wishing to develop their pupil and parent voice/participation. Drawing on the work of the Child Poverty Action Group, the session will offer practical, tried and tested strategies for how schools can provide meaningful opportunities for pupils and parents from low-income families to give feedback on their experience of school. Delegates will hear examples from other schools that have developed approaches to talking to their families about money and school costs and the workshop will advise on how to talk about poverty and money with both pupils and parents, including how to navigate difficult conversations, how to offer support sensitively, and how to refine your school communications. The workshop will signpost proven tools that you can use in your own school to get feedback from your whole school community to inform your approaches to supporting children from lower-income families.

Georgina Burt, Senior Education Policy Officer, Child Poverty Action Group
Zoe Gray, Youth Participation Officer, Child Poverty Action Group

SECONDARY: Beyond the label: Practical approaches to closing the gap

This interactive workshop draws on Dr Sophia Kapcia's more than 22 years of teaching experience, her role as a Raising Achievement Lead for Pupil Premium pupils, and her research in equity, inclusion, and intersectionality to explore practical strategies for supporting disadvantaged learners. Rather than treating PP as a label, the session reframes it as a lens for understanding diverse pupil needs and for identifying and removing barriers to learning. Participants will engage with evidence-informed approaches that are cost-effective, sustainable, and rooted in classroom practice, while also considering whole-school culture and parental engagement. Through case studies, myth-busting, and collaborative tasks, delegates will explore strategies ranging from literacy support, scaffolding, and effective feedback to parental engagement, cultural capital, mentoring, and staff development. Delegates will leave with a toolkit of low-cost, high-impact strategies, alongside a renewed understanding that equity, advocacy, and consistency are the foundations for closing the attainment gap. Colleagues will deepen their understanding of the diverse challenges faced by Pupil Premium pupils, identify low-cost, high-impact strategies for the classroom and school, as well as for parental engagement and inclusive practice.

Dr Sophia Kapcia, Education Researcher & Visiting Lecturer, Birmingham Newman University; Teacher of English, City Academy
CROSS-PHASE: Making sense of absence: Building connections to tackle attendance challenges

Steven Russell is someone who has lived it – as a child, Steven Russell lived with 10 foster families, was placed in two children’s homes and attended five schools. His experiences give him unique insight into the challenges life presents for disadvantaged children. Steven has spent two decades working in education and social care where his role as a 'Dual Perspective Specialist' makes him uniquely placed to bridge the gap between our work and the lived realities of many vulnerable young people. This workshop is designed to help primary and secondary school leaders tackle the on-going challenges of pupil absence by exploring the root causes of absence and adopting a compassionate, connection-driven approach. The session will provide innovative and practical strategies to re-engage pupils and foster a sense of belonging within schools. Steven will explore the deeper, often hidden reasons behind pupil absence, moving beyond surface-level assumptions, before introducing his five elements of connection as a framework for building trust and fostering meaningful relationships with pupils. The workshop will offer practical strategies to create a welcoming and supportive school environment that encourages attendance. Steven will offer tools to engage with pupils compassionately, addressing their individual needs and challenges, and insights into how schools can collaborate with families, communities, and other organisations to create a network of support. The workshop will be interactive, combining real-life scenarios, group discussions, and innovative ideas to inspire school leaders to think differently about absence and its solutions.

Steven Russell, Dual Perspective Specialist and Author of Drip By Drip Day By Day