National Conference 2025

Welcome

As many of you will know, we are hosting this national conference in the parish church from which the very first National Society for Education schools were founded in 1811, and it is a joy to be back here for this year’s event – ‘Flourishing Leaders, Flourishing Schools’. Indeed this year we are embracing and celebrating this long-term mission and identity by launching our new branding, website and social media as the National Society for Education – and we encourage to take a look at the new site at nse.org.uk and follow us on Instagram, X and Linked-In.

During the Autumn, we were delighted to co-publish a new document in partnership with Catholic Education Service and the Confederation of School Trusts – ‘Flourishing together: a collective vision for the education system’. Flourishing Together was a historic moment for these three organisations to co-publish together. This publication builds on much of our previous work on flourishing but also offers a much wider and expansive vision for the whole sector. We are delighted today to be unpacking various elements of this document, with a range of inspirational keynotes and workshops to help us to do this. In the document, we outline a vision for the ‘Class of 2040’ – this vision imagines a cohort of students completing secondary school in July 2040. It seems a long time away, perhaps too long to make any meaningful plans or strategies. However, the reality is that those very students are already in our education system today in Early Years.

We therefore ask – ‘what could only happen in the long-term, by taking a long-term view now?’ – and unpack this in a series of ’10 seeds of Flourishing’. Today’s keynotes will unpack this paper and provide inspiration and stimulus for our thinking as we shape the system together for the coming years.

As we gather today in this historic place, our hope and prayer is that this network will be further encouraged and strengthened to partner together in this collective narrative of flourishing together, and work for the long-term to re-build a system focused on the flourishing of all. The National Society for Education has been doing this for 213 years already – it’s now time for us to play our part in the next chapter of its story together!

Nigel Genders, CBE, Chief Executive, National Society for Education

Programme

Time Session Speaker
10:00 Conference opening worship, music and networking
10:25 Keynote 1 Sir Hamid Patel – Flourishing Leaders, Flourishing Schools
10:50 Keynote 2 Leora Cruddas – The 10 seeds of Flourishing
11:15 Coffee and Networking
11:45 Keynote 3 Andy Wolfe – Introducing the Flourishing Leaders Framework
12:15 Keynote 4 Sonia Thompson – Building the education system around Flourishing
12:45 Lunch
1:30 Workshop programme A
2:15 Workshop programme B
3:00 Keynote 5 Sufian Sadiq – The Class of 2040
3:20 Thanks and Closing Worship

Keynote Speakers

Sir Hamid Patel – Flourishing Leaders, Flourishing Schools

In this keynote, Sir Hamid will outline a vision for the centrality of flourishing leaders in an ever more complex educational system, in which we are facing greater challenges than ever before. In the midst of this, how might we find and lead others out of an authentic vision for flourishing for each and every adult in our care?

Leora Cruddas – The 10 Seeds of Flourishing

We were delighted to co-publish ‘Flourishing together: a collective vision for the education system’ with Confederation of School Trusts and Catholic Education Service. In this keynote, Leora will outline the shared calling to the 10 seeds of flourishing and how we might be able to work together for the long-term to bring about these crucial changes.

Andy Wolfe – Introducing the Flourishing Leadership Framework

As we continue to deliver the NPQ programmes to thousands of leaders across the country, today we share some key developments in relation to our new suite of leadership development programmes, which are being piloted with a group of school trusts, dioceses, FE colleges and independent schools from Autumn 2025.

Sonia Thompson – What would happen if the education system was built around ‘flourishing’

Our education system already has core narratives and beliefs – pressures that schools are under, and accountability structures that drive change in particular directions. In this keynote, Sonia will step back from these narratives and explore what would happen if the system did have a different core narrative around which to build.

Sufian Sadiq – The Class of 2040

The young people who will complete secondary school education in 2040 are already alive and in our system. They are aged 2 or 3 and are currently in Early Years. In this keynote, Sufian will explore what difference seeing our work through the eyes of these children could make, and how our decisions have an impact on them. What could only happen in the long-term by taking a long-term vision now?

Workshop Overviews and Locations

  • Andy Spens & Catherine Walmsley: Deep Dive into the Flourishing Leadership Framework

    The Nave (550 Theatre)

    —

    Haili Hughes, Sam Gibbs and Jo Lomax: Introducing the Flourishing Teachers Programme

    The Hall (120 Theatre)

    —

    Sarah Shreeve & Ed Vainker: The Class of 2040 – what can we only do in the long-term, if we take a long-term view now?

    The Scouts Den (50 Theatre)

    —

    Krystian McInnis & Emily Norman in conversation with invited guests - RE Leaders as Agents of Change

    Location:
    The Commons (40 Theatre)

  • Jonny Uttley: A career in which an adult can expect to flourish – vocation and retention of early career teachers and leaders

    The Nave (550 Theatre)

    —

    Margaret James & David Tait: What is SIAMS telling us about leadership at all levels?

    The Hall (120 Theatre)

    —

    Elizabeth Howat, Tobi Omoloso & Liz Kaddour: Flourishing Young Leaders

    The Scouts Den (50 Theatre)

    —

    Amjad Ali: Leading SEND in 2025

    The Commons (40 Theatre)

iSingPOP

iSingPOP support schools in creating inspirational collective worship, empowering children, parents, churches and communities to find their voice, and know they are loved. Find out more about their amazing work here: iSingPOP | Resourcing Schools and Churches to Explore Worship

National Society for Education

Archbishops’ Young Leaders Award

The Archbishops’ Young Leaders Award (AYLA) is a fully resourced leadership and character education programme designed to be delivered by teaching staff within the classroom. Available at KS1 through to Post 16. The AYLA has strong links to SMSC, British Values, PSHE, Character Education, Citizenship, RE and SIAMS.

Growing Faith Foundation

The Growing Faith Foundation seeks to benefit children and young people, helping them create the world they want to live in, specifically through the lens of the Christian faith. Every diocese has appointed one or more Growing Faith Champions to take forward the Growing Faith mission locally. The Growing Faith Foundation is developing work in four main areas: Networks, Learning Hubs, Programmes and Research.

Foundation for Educational Leadership

The National Society Foundation for Educational Leadership (previously known as “CEFEL”) was founded in 2017, providing Programmes, Networks, Research and Events to: ‘Develop inspirational leaders who are Called, Connected and Committed to deliver the Church of England Vision for Education.’ Since its inception it has delivered leadership development to thousands of leaders across the country through strategic partnerships with dioceses, school trusts, schools, FE colleges and universities.

Statutory Inspection of Anglican & Methodist Schools

Church of England and Methodist schools are subject to SIAMS inspection approximately every five years.