Conferences

Inspiring the South West conferences bring leading national education speakers to the South West to inspire, challenge and elevate the quality of education for local educators.  Explore new ideas and strategies, network with peers and recharge your excitement for teaching.
Inspiring the South West conferences are suitable for anyone working in the education sector.

Taking a long view: improving curriculum coherence with Jon Hutchinson

1st March 2025, 10:00 - 14:00 @ Brannel School, St Stephen

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Conference speakers

Chris Lubbe - My Journey from Apartheid to Truth and Reconciliation

05 July 2025, 10:00 - 14:00 @ Brannel School, St Stephen

Chris is among the most highly sought-after keynote speakers, renowned for his captivating storytelling. With a gift for weaving narratives from his own experiences, audiences leave with hope and courage, long after the applause fades. 

Chris is an internationally acclaimed inspirational keynote speaker and 
storyteller. Drawing on his incredible story of resistance against apartheid, Chris 
leaves his audiences inspired to take action to bring about change within their 
personal lives, organisations and communities.

Having grown up in a ghetto in South Africa and witnessing firsthand the 
brutality of apartheid, Chris became an activist for democracy. Chris’ story 
contains themes of fear, determination, courage, love and forgiveness, all in the 
face of racial discrimination

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Reclaiming curriculum autonomy and confidence/curriculum coherence with Jon Hutchinson

Explore the importance of curriculum coherence with Jon Hutchinson, who will share insights on taking a longer-term view on pupils building knowledge and skills over time.  With case studies from Cradle to Career partners in the South West and nationally, Jon will share practical strategies to help you lead your institution in designing a curriculum and assessment approach that ensures all children can flourish.

About Jon

Jon Hutchinson is director of curriculum and assessment at the Reach Foundation. He has led the design of fully-resourced curriculum programmes across key stage 2 and 3, taught in over 150 schools. Prior to this, he was a primary school teacher and assistant headteacher Reach Academy Feltham, an all-through school in south west London. 

Leading Curriculum Development: the vital role of CPD with Nick Pointer

In this workshop for school leaders, Nick will outline why professional development is the core lever for driving ongoing curriculum improvement work in schools. The session will explore the pitfalls of proformas and other generic approaches to curriculum leadership, discuss the nuances of implementing changes to the curriculum, and provide attendees with concrete takeaways to review and hone their current curricular offers.

About Nick

Nick Pointer is a teacher educator, coach, and school improvement advisor focused on integrating best practices and research into teaching, curriculum design, and assessment. He specialises in instructional coaching and leads training both in the UK and internationally. His recent publications include a guide for novice science teachers on cognitive psychology (Routledge, 2024) and insights on professional development (‘The Expert Edit: Teacher Development’, 2023). He is currently Associate Dean of Learning Design and Strategy at Ambition Institute, where he established the Instructional Coaching programme in 2020.

Precision Curriculum, Meticulous Assessment with Lucy Gambier and Doug O'Brien
Using a precision curriculum approach and a new innovative assessment methodology to understand children's learning. A horizon scanning session, looking at future approaches for knowing what children have learnt in forensic detail and using this to drive school improvement.

About Lucy
Lucy Gambier has extensive experience in school leadership. Lucy Gambier is the Executive Headteacher at Penrice Academy in Cornwall, and serves as the Secondary Strategic Lead for the Cornwall Education Learning Trust. She began her tenure at Penrice Academy in September 2009 and has since been instrumental in its development. 

In addition to her role at Penrice Academy, Lucy is the Chair of Governors at Pool Academy, a position she has held since January 18, 2024. 

Her extensive experience in school leadership underscores her commitment to providing exceptional educational opportunities for students.


About Doug
Doug O'Brien is the Deputy Headteacher at Penrice Academy in Cornwall, where he has significantly contributed to the school's development. He has a strong background in science education, having served as Head of Science and Assistant Headteacher at the academy. Doug is also a member of the Cornwall Education Learning Trust's School Improvement Team, focusing on enhancing educational quality across the Trust.

Doug's dedication to education and his extensive experience in school leadership underscore his commitment to providing high-quality learning experiences for students.


Alex More - AI in the Classroom

17th May 2025, 10:00 - 14:00 @ Brannel School, St Stephen

Alex is a senior leader at both school and Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) levels, passionate about enhancing teaching through innovation, curriculum design, STEM and educational technology.

With a wealth of experience, Alex specialises in developing and delivering high-quality professional development on curriculum innovation and effective teaching and learning strategies. 

In 2023, his project ‘the Future Classroom’ was recognised as a top 100 global 
innovation, showcasing a range of ways to bring technology into contact with 
learning in a meaningful way.

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These conferences are free for CELT staff to attend. 

Contact schoolimprovement@celtrust.org to obtain a discount code or if you require any further information