5th FED National Education Summit 2026

Conversations with purpose: National Education Futures

Tuesday 21st April
9am-3.30pm
Leonardo Royal
Hotel, Oxford
Leonardo Royal Hotel, Oxford

‘Conversations with purpose’ sets the theme for the 5th Annual FED National Education Summit. Anchored in the FED National Education Futures Projects, the day will open with big questions that spark thought-provoking panels, meaningful dialogue and powerful opportunities to connect.

Big questions

Keynote Speakers
0
Summit Speakers
0
Networking Hours
0 +
Keynote Speakers

Please click each speaker to learn more about their background and expertise.

Alex Bellos
Author & Broadcaster
Alex Bellos
Author & Broadcaster
Steve Chalke
British Baptist Minister
Steve Chalke
British Baptist Minister
Dame Julia Cleverdon
Campaigner
Dame Julia Cleverdon
Campaigner
Dina Ghobashy
Director of Global Education Transformation, Microsoft
Dina Ghobashy
Director of Global Education Transformation, Microsoft
Lord Jim Knight
Director, Suklaa
Lord Jim Knight
Director, Suklaa
Andreas Shleicher
Director of Education & Skills, OECD
Andreas Shleicher
Director of Education & Skills, OECD
Summit Speakers

Please click each speaker to learn more about their background and expertise.

Picture of Professor Patrick Alexander
Professor Patrick Alexander

Professor of Education and Anthropology, Oxford Brookes University

Picture of Sally Burtonshaw
Sally Burtonshaw

Director of Education Practice, Public First

Picture of James Cheater
James Cheater

Director of External Projects, White Rose Education

Picture of Ellie Costello
Ellie Costello

Author and advocate for students facing barriers to education

Picture of Jenna Crittenden
Jenna Crittenden

The Chartered College of Teaching – Rethinking Curriculum and OECD Creativity programme

Picture of Ali Durban MBE
Ali Durban MBE

Co-Founder, Gesher School

Picture of Michael Engelard
Michael Engelard

CEO, Skillsbuilder Partnership

Picture of Eylan Ezekiel
Eylan Ezekiel

Edtech Leader & Head of Hamilton Brookes, Oxford Brookes

Picture of Melissa Farnham
Melissa Farnham

CEO, ASDAN

Picture of Ian Fitzpatrick
Ian Fitzpatrick

Chief Executive, Daisy Education

Picture of Jennie Forde
Jennie Forde

Maths Hub Lead, Bucks, Berks and Oxon Maths Hub

Picture of Faye Gibney
Faye Gibney

Vice Principal, LEO Academy Trust

Picture of Gavin Govinden
Gavin Govinden

Headteacher, Leo Academy Trust

Picture of Dr Penny Hay
Dr Penny Hay

Professor of Imagination Creative Enterprise & Innovation, Bath Spa University

Picture of Shaheen Hassan
Shaheen Hassan

Assistant Professor, University of Warwick University

Picture of Marlon James-Edwards
Marlon James-Edwards

Manager, Upward Bound UK

Picture of Tara Jussa
Tara Jussa

Skills Lead, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Picture of Dan Morrow
Dan Morrow

CEO, Cornwall Education Learning Trust

Picture of Dr Nicole Ponsford
Dr Nicole Ponsford

Founding CEO, GEC (Global Equality Collective)

Picture of Bogdan Pop
Bogdan Pop

INTEL Skills for Life

Picture of Andrea Quincey
Andrea Quincey

Director, Early Years and Primary, Oxford University Press

Picture of Elliot Seller
Elliot Seller

Head of Connected Home, Innovation and Partnerships, Vodafone

Picture of Cheryl Shirley
Cheryl Shirley

Director of Digital Learning, LEO Academy Trust

Picture of Dr Claire Tasker
Dr Claire Tasker

Executive Headteacher, High Storrs School

Picture of Roberta Thomson
Roberta Thomson

Education Policy & Product Director, Pearson

Picture of Emily Verow
Emily Verow

Chief Executive Officer, Three Spires Trust

Picture of Nikki Wakefield
Nikki Wakefield

Strategic Hub Lead, Oxfordshire Careers Hub

Picture of Dr Fran Wilby
Dr Fran Wilby

Programme Director, Rethinking Assessment

Picture of Shareen Wilkinson
Shareen Wilkinson

Executive Director of Education, LEO Academy Trust

Jenna Crittenden

The Chartered College of Teaching – Rethinking Curriculum and OECD Creativity programme

Dr Penny Hay

Professor of Imagination Creative Enterprise & Innovation, Bath Spa University

Tara Jussa

Skills Lead, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Summit Speakers

Alex Bellos: Best-selling author, broadcaster and Guardian columnist

Ali Durban MBE: Co-Founder, Gesher School

Andreas Shleicher: Director for Education and Skills, OECD

Bogdan Pop: INTEL Skills for Life

Dr Carl Ward: Chair, Foundation for Education Development

Cheryl Shirley: Director of Digital Learning, LEO Academy Trust

Dr Claire Tasker: Executive Headteacher, High Storrs School

Dan Morrow: CEO, Cornwall Education Learning Trust

Dina Ghobashy: Director, Global Education Transformation, Microsoft

Ellie Costello: Author and advocate for students facing barriers to education

Elliot Seller: Head of Connected Home, Innovation and Partnerships, Vodafone

Emily Verow: Chief Executive Officer, Three Spires Trust

Eylan Ezekiel: Edtech Leader & Head of Hamilton Brookes, Oxford Brookes

Faye Gibney: Vice Principal, LEO Academy Trust

Dr Fran Wilby: Programme Director, Rethinking Assessment

Gavin Govinden: Headteacher, Leo Academy Trust

Ian Fitzpatrick: Chief Executive, Daisy Education

James Caan CBE: Serial entrepreneur and former investor on Dragon’s Den

James Cheater: Director of External Projects, White Rose Education

Jenna Crittenden: The Chartered College of Teaching – Rethinking Curriculum and OECD Creativity programme

Jenni Forde: Maths Hub Lead, Bucks, Berks and Oxon Maths Hub

Lord Jim Knight: Director, Suklaa

Marlon James-Edwards: Manager, Upward Bound UK

Melissa Farnham: CEO, ASDAN

Michael Engelard: CEO, Skillsbuilder Partnership

Dr Nicole Ponsford: Founding CEO, GEC (Global Equality Collective)

Nikki Wakefield: Strategic Hub Lead, Oxfordshire Careers Hub

Professor Patrick Alexander: Professor of Education and Anthropology, Oxford Brookes University

Dr Penny Hay: Professor of Imagination Creative Enterprise & Innovation, Bath Spa University

Roberta Thomson: Education Policy & Product Director, Pearson

Sally Burtonshaw: Director of Education Practice, Public First

Shaheen Hassan: Assistant Professor, University of Warwick University

Shareen Wilkinson: Executive Director of Education, LEO Academy Trust

Tara Jussa: Skills Lead, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

2026 Summit Programme

9.00am

Registration, refreshments and networking

9.30am

Welcome to the 5th Annual FED Summit

Dr Carl Ward, Chair of the Foundation for Education Development

9.50am

Keynote Speech – Why Numbers Count

Alex Bellos, Author and Broadcaster

10.40am

The Big Conversations - A choice of three:

The Big Belonging Conversation

How can schools create positive senses of belonging?

Chair:

  • Ali Durban, Co‑Founder of Gesher School

Panelists:

  • Dr Claire Tasker, Headteacher at High Storrs School
  • Sally Burtonshaw, Director of Education at Public First
  • Nicole Ponsford, CEO at the Global Equality Collective

The Big Creativity Conversation

Can we build a golden thread of creativity through the system?

Chair:

  • Roberta Thomson, Education Policy and Product Director at Pearson

Panelists:

  • Elliot Seller, Head of Connected Home, Innovation and Product Partnerships at Vodafone
  • Jenna Crittenden, Teacher Advocacy Lead at the Chartered College of Teaching
  • Dr Penny Hay, Professor of Imagination and Reader in Creative Teaching and Learning at Bath Spa University

The Big Economy Conversation

– Do we need to do more to connect education to the economy?

Chair:

Panelists:

  • Lord Jim Knight, Director at Suklaa
  • James Caan CBE, Former Dragon and Serial Entrepreneur
  • Melissa Farnham, CEO of ASDAN
  • Nikki Wakefield, Strategic Careers Hub Lead at Enterprise Oxfordshire
11.20am

Break and networking

11.45am

Shorter Conversation - A choice of four:

The Big Maths Conversation

What do we need to do to improve math’s teaching and learning?

Chair:

  • James Cheater, Director of External Projects at White Rose Maths

Panelists:

  • Shaheen Hassan, Assistant Professor at the University of Warwick
  • Jennie Forde, Maths Hub Lead at Bucks, Berks and Oxon (BBO) Maths Hub

The Big Skills Conversation

From classroom to home: building skills across boundaries and generations.

Chair:

  • Jo Malone, FED Executive Team

Panelists:

  • Michael Engelhard, UK CEO of Skills Builder Partnership
  • Bogdan Pop, Skills for Life at INTEL
  • Tara Jussa, Digital Inclusion Officer at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

The Big Literacy Conversation

What does it mean to be a literate 21st‑century citizen?

Chair:

  • Eylan Ezekiel, Head of Hamilton Brookes

Panelists:

  • Gavin Govinden, Principal at Furzefield Primary Academy
  • Shareen Wilkinson, Director of Education at LEO Academy Trust
  • Marlon JamesEdwards, Manager of Upward Bound UK
  • Sally Burtonshaw, Director of Education at Public First

The Big Creativity Sprint

What does creativity mean in your setting?
 
Facilitator:

  • Fran Wilby, Head of Rethinking Assessment
12.30pm

Lunch & Networking

12.30pm

The One Big Thing.

What’s the one big thing you would change in education?

A chance for you to make your suggestions, with guest contributors.

12.30pm –12.55pm and 1.00pm – 1.25pm

1.30pm

Educating for the Future.

Andreas Schleicher, Director of Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD)

2.05pm

Impact Workshops - Choice of four

Secondary English – Increasing reading engagement

  • Ian Fitzpatrick, Managing Director at Daisy Education

Reading with AI – Literacy research from Northern Ireland schools

  • Eylan Ezekiel – Head of Hamilton Brookes

Building Belonging – Reshaping classrooms for inclusion

  • Ellie Costello, Executive Director at Square Peg

The One Big Thing – What’s the one big change leading CEOs would make to improve schools?

  • Emily Verow, CEO at Three Spires Trust
  • Dan Morrow, CEO at Cornwall Education Learning Trust
  • Philip Hedger, CEO at LEO Academy Trust
2.45pm

Educating for the future

Dina Ghobashy, Director of Global Education Transformation at Microsoft, in conversation with Professor Patrick Alexander, Professor of Education and Anthropology at Oxford Brookes University.

3.20pm

Closing remarks

Dr Carl Ward, Chair at the Foundation for Education Development

3.30pm

Close

Sponsors

To find out more about our sponsors and supporters, please click the logo...

BigChange
bigeducationlogo
TheBigConversation
Blg Logo Square
British Educational Suppliers Association
CharteredCollegeOfTeaching
Childrens
CityGuilds
City Of London
configured
cronneCreative
DeliveryAssociates
edpolnet
FairEducationAlliance
GCSEpod
Globalbridge
Headsup4hts
Leading Indepentent Schools
Hub4Leaders
Picture1
jaffa-foundation-logo
Lexonik
LondonFirst
NGA-logo
Microsoftteams Image 249
TheNorthernPowerhouse
ParentKind-Logo
SpeakersforSchools
stGeaorgesHouse
Sos
TimeForChange
TheUlInnovationCorridor
ukYouth
wholeEducation
Picture1 1
YouthEmployment