The full-day event started with breakfast and an informal chance to catch up with colleagues after the half-term break.

The conference was officially opened with a warm welcome from Ann O’Brien, Vice-Chair of Trustees, and David O’Toole, CEO of The 3-18 Education Trust.

Our keynote speaker was Jaz Ampaw-Farr who is one of the UK’s most sought-after motivational speakers. Jaz delivered an emotive and empowering opening keynote encouraging staff to think about being “10% braver” in their day-to-day work and lives. Jaz also spoke powerfully about the impact that teachers have had on her own life.

The conference included 15 workshops for both teaching and non-teaching staff. Staff chose their sessions based on their individual career development needs. Popular sessions included AI Essentials for Schools, Arbor, Inclusive Leadership, Teaching and Support Staff Pensions and Effective Communication.

During an informal lunch staff had another opportunity to network with colleagues from all schools. There was also time to visit some of the stands on offer, which included NAUSWT The Teachers’ Union, Quilters Financial Advisers, UNISON and Vivup employee benefits.

The final session of the day was devoted to Network Groups, where new and existing staff groups collaborated and shared best practice on a specific subject area. This session was introduced as a direct result of staff feedback from last year’s conference and created an additional opportunity for staff collaboration.

David O’Toole, Chief Executive Officer at The 3-18 Education Trust, said the event was a resounding success. “It is inspiring to see all our schools represented here today, and to be in the company of so many of our staff community. We highly value being part of a team at The 3-18 Education Trust, and the conference is a great example of this in practice.” 

Next year’s conference will take place in November 2025.