Big conversations. Real experiences. Long-term change.
Friday 10th July, 1pm-4pm
Brooks Building, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6GX
Education is full of noise right now. But how often do the people living the system – learners, parents, teachers, leaders and communities – genuinely shape the conversation?
The Foundation for Education Development (FED), in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, invites you to join the inaugural National Education Assembly for the North: a collaborative, cross-sector event bringing together people from across education and beyond to explore some of the most urgent questions facing our learners and the education system today.
This is not another conference built around polished presentations and quick fixes.
It is a space for:
- Honest conversations
- Sharing lived experiences
- Challenge and curiosity
- Practical long-term solutions grounded in reality.
The National Education Assembly (NEA) exists to ensure those closest to education have a meaningful role in shaping future policy and practice – moving beyond short-term reactive reform towards something more thoughtful, inclusive and sustainable.
Together, we will explore:
A Curriculum for Life
How well do schools and colleges prepare young people for life, work and the future they are entering?
SEND and Inclusion
What is the lived experience of the SEND system for learners, families, practitioners and leaders?
Trust, Relationships and Home-School Partnerships
What helps build trust between schools, families and communities – and what gets in the way?
What to expect
- A lively opening panel
- Honest discussion about what policymakers still do not fully understand about education today
- Interactive breakout sessions
- Cross-sector collaboration
- Space to listen, contribute and connect
- Practical insights that will feed into FED’s and the NEA’s wider national work and long-term education thinking.
There will also be refreshments, networking and plenty of opportunities to meet others working across education, research and wider civic life.
Who is it for?
We warmly welcome:
- teachers and school staff;
- education leaders;
- learners and parents/carers;
- researchers and academics;
- charities and community organisations;
- employers and partners working alongside education;
- and anyone passionate about the future of learning and young people.
Because meaningful change rarely starts with the loudest voices in the room. It starts when people feel heard. Places will be limited. Booking is essential.
Hosted by the Foundation for Education Development (FED) and Manchester Metropolitan University