Event Details

Key Speakers

	Neil Flint, Director of Academies, Young People's Learning Agency
	Sir Bruce Liddington, Director-General, E-ACT
	John Bangs, Visiting Professor, Institute of Education

Overview

Pledging that every child should have access to safe classrooms, talented and specialist teachers, the best curriculum and exams and smaller class sizes, the new coalition Government has committed to raising standards in British education through transforming the schools system.

Strongly advocating that head-teachers and teachers are the best people to run schools and drive improvements across the whole education system, the government has sought to give schools greater independence from central control, stripping down the national curriculum and offering schools more choice over examinations. The government has also extended the opportunity to receive academy status and freedoms to all primary, secondary and specialist schools.

Central to improving education standards is ensuring the equality of opportunity between disadvantaged children and those from wealthier backgrounds. In order to improve access to quality teaching, the government has offered excellent teachers the chance to set up ‘free schools’, whilst introducing pupil premiums. Efforts will also be increased to improve the standards of teaching in every school, through empowering teachers in the classroom, attracting talent through greater incentives, extending Teach First and raising teaching entry requirements.

As the coalition Government sets out its road-map for change, this special symposium offers a timely opportunity for schools, local authorities, the third sector and other key stakeholders to understand and assess the new administration’s reform agenda for the education sector. The symposium will explore how best to take forward the Government’s proposals to shape the future of schools, raise standards in teaching and learning and unlock the talent in every classroom. Delegates will have the opportunity to:

Delegates will:

• Examine the new reforms to the national curriculum and examination system
• Consider how to improve standards in the classroom, through attracting high calibre teachers and improving pupil discipline
• Discuss how to close the attainment gap between rich and poor children, through utilising academy freedoms and setting up ‘free schools’
• Share innovative approaches to everyday schooling

Programme

Who Should Attend?

• Schools
• Ofsted
• Central Government and Agencies
• Headteachers, Principals and School Management
• Behaviour and Attendance Teams
• School Admissions Teams
• Chief Education Officers
• Child Poverty Teams
• Children Missing Education Teams
• Children in Care Teams
• Children and Young People’s Services
• Local Councillors
• Children’s Trusts
• Connexions
• Curriculum Development Teams
• Directors of Education
• Disabled Children’s Teams
• Educational Welfare Teams
• Parent Council Representatives
• Parent Partnership Teams
• Parent Support Advisors
• Parental Engagement Teams and Advisors
• Parenting Organisations
• Independent Learning Providers
• Teaching Unions and Federations
• SEN Coordinators
• Skills and Apprenticeships Teams
• Vocational Learning Teams
• Charities, Social Enterprises and Cooperatives
• School Access Managers
• External Relations Teams
• Extended Schools Services
• 14-19 Managers and Advisors
• Partnership Development Teams
• Performance, Standards and Quality Teams
• School Access Managers
• School Adjudicators
• School Business Managers
• School Governors and Management
• School Improvement Teams
• School Inclusion Teams
• School Place Planning Managers
• LEA Teams
• Local Authority Legal Teams
• Strategy and Commissioning Teams
• Strategy and Planning Teams

“ One of the first things we have done is give professionals more scope to drive improvement by inviting all schools to consider applying for academy freedoms… We will continue to ensure that academies are used to drive faster and deeper improvements in deprived and disadvantaged areas. But we will now also provide you with the kind of autonomy that has served schools in America, Canada, Sweden and Finland so well and allow all schools the freedom to develop their own curriculum and fully control their own budget and staffing.”
— Secretary of State for Education, 17th June 2010

“ The generation of teachers currently in our schools is the best ever, but given the pace of international improvement we must always be striving to do better. That is why we will expand organisations such as Teach First, Teaching Leaders and Future Leaders which have done so much to attract more highly talented people into education… That is why we will reform teacher recruitment to ensure there is a relentless focus on tempting the best into this, most rewarding, of careers. And that is why we will reform teacher training to shift trainee teachers out of college and into the classroom.”
— Secretary of State for Education, 17th June 2010

“ The most important element of a great education is the quality of teaching and Free Schools will enable excellent teachers to create new schools and improve standards for all children. This Government believes that passionate teachers who want to make a real difference to education should have the opportunity.”
— Secretary of State for Education, 18th June 2010