Conferences and Festivals

In this session we will:

• Develop an understanding of key DEI concepts and language
• Reflect on our own identities and lived experience
• Explore our individual and collective power, privilege and blind spots
• Consider how to communicate our DEI commitment through our vision, mission and values
• Understand how to develop cultural intelligence

This session will be led by Hannah Wilson. Hannah is the Co-Founder and Director of #DiverseEd/ She is the Co-Editor of Diverse Educators: A Manifesto. She is a former Headteacher who now works independently as a leadership development consultant, coach and trainer with a focus on DEIB. She is also a primary school governor and mentor for a young carer.

In this session we will:

• Consider the recruitment timeline touchpoints
• Understand the barriers to attraction
• Reflect on how inclusive the recruitment process is for different candidates
• Discuss how to diversify the workforce in an authentic instead of a tokenistic way
• Explore how to educate all stakeholders involved in the people management strategy

This session will be led by Hannah Wilson.

In this session we will:

• Reflect on why we need to diversify our curriculum to create belonging for all of our learners.
• Explore misconceptions about curriculum content.
• Engage with vision for what a truly diverse curriculum looks like.

This session will be led by Bennie Kara. Bennie is a former school leader in the East Midlands, who now provides support and training for schools wishing to diversify and decolonise their curriculum. She also provides leadership coaching and training. She is the author of ‘A Little Guide for Teachers: Diversity in Schools’ and the co-editor of ‘Diverse Educators: A Manifesto’. She was awarded the Joan Goody Prize for Diversity and Inclusion by NATE in 2021 and received the Sage Social Justice Award in 2022.

In this session we will:

• Consider the lived educational experience of those racialised as Black and Brown.
• Become conscious of the additional barriers people racialised as such may face in schools.
• Become conscious of the difference between being non-racist and anti-racist.
• Build confidence in understanding the need for an anti-racist learning environment, curriculum and educators.
• Build confidence and competence in knowing how to handle racist incidents at school.

This session will be led by Rachel Clarke. Rachel is the founder of Apex Educate, co-founder of Promote Equality and Deputy Headteacher of an inner-London school. Rachel is the granddaughter of Wales' first black Headteacher, is a Senior Lecturer at Cardiff Met and is also part of the DARPL team that is developing anti-racist professional learning across Wales. Rachel works with schools, educational settings and companies that are seeking to become anti-racist and work towards racial justice being realised. Rachel's ability to train all levels of staff in anti-racism has developed people's understanding of equity and has supported them on their anti-racist journey.

Everyone knows someone going through the peri/menopause and by increasing awareness we can address our biases and aid teacher recruitment and retention.

In this session we will deepen understanding of the perimenopause, especially among those who are either not yet experiencing it, or never will, so they can best support themselves, and/or those around them, to ensure an environment is created where everyone feels they belong, and aid retention

This session will be led by Nicky Bright. Nicky works as an independent leadership development consultant, facilitator and coach in a variety of sectors including video games, engineering and education. As the foundations of great leadership are laid in our energy management, Nicky is passionate about raising awareness of the peri/menopause. Nicky is a former headteacher and Chair of the Girls' Schools Association's Professional Development Committee.

In this session we will:

• Share the lived educational experience of LGBT+ gender diverse people.
• Become conscious of the additional barriers gender diverse young people may face in schools.
• Become conscious of the historical and current statutory guidance and legislation in relation to supporting gender diverse people.
• Build confidence through exploring the developing language around gender identity and expression.
• Explore the distinction between sex, gender identity, and gender expression.
• Build confidence and competence in supporting trans young people as they come out in an educational space.
• Grow confidence and competence in challenging transphobic language.
• Develop competence in reimagining our educational spaces, and making them more diverse, equitable, and inclusive of gender diverse people.

This session will be led by Jo Brassington (they/them). Jo is an educator, speaker, and author whose work focuses on making educational spaces more emotionally honest and inclusive. They are the co-founder of Pride & Progress: a podcast, platform, and community group working to amplify the voices of LGBT+ educators, and explore ways to reimagine our educational spaces as more LGBT+ inclusive. Their first book ‘Pride & Progress: Making Schools LGBT+ Inclusive Spaces’ published earlier this year.