If you would like to be added to our waiting list please get in touch with your school adviser.
FULLY BOOKED
Friday 13th November 2026
Our conference theme : Creating a New Story
Sponsored by
Keynote Speakers
Zoë Arden
Zoë works at the intersection of leadership and storytelling. She is a Fellow at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and has supported thousands of business leaders globally to strengthen their capability, confidence, courage and commitment to lead change through her training programmes and influence and impact coaching.
Her book Story-Centred Leadership – Crafting Cultures of Change illuminates how our stories can engage, motivate and mobilise others. More than ever, we need stories that help us build healthy, productive workplaces and communities – stories that grow our sense of agency as citizens, grounded in the belief that every voice and every action matters.
Zoë designs and delivers leadership programmes for many global businesses. She is the co-author of CISL’s Leadership Capabilities for a Sustainable Future framework and her online courses including Communicating for Influence and Impact and Leading Sustainability: High Impact Leadership have a global alumni.
Previous business roles include Director at telecoms giant BT where she developed BT Retail’s responsible business strategy, reporting into the CEO; European Managing Director at global communications firms Weber Shandwick and Golin; Director of advisory firm SustainAbility, and Vice President of US agency Access Communications, working with Apple. In her spare time, she treads the boards at her local theatre and swims in the River Thames, whatever the weather.
Joe Seddon
Joe Seddon is the Founder and CEO of Zero Gravity, an award-winning organisation that helps talented young people from low-opportunity backgrounds access leading universities and careers. Raised in a single-parent family in Morley, West Yorkshire, Joe studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford before founding Zero Gravity with the final £200 of his student loan.
Since its launch, Zero Gravity has supported more than 23,000 students into leading universities and careers, including over 1,000 into Oxford and Cambridge, and works with major employers including HSBC, KPMG, McKinsey, Rolls-Royce and Snap to widen access to opportunity.
Recognised as one of Europe's leading social entrepreneurs, Joe has been named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, featured in The Sunday Times Young Power List and honoured in King Charles III's Birthday Honours. He is a regular contributor to national media and speaks widely on social mobility, education and the barriers that prevent young people from realising their potential.
Through his work, Joe challenges assumptions about talent, opportunity and social mobility, arguing that while talent is everywhere, opportunity is not.
Wendy Shearer
WENDY SHEARER is a performance storyteller, oral historian and writer of Guyanese heritage. She is the author of Caribbean Folktales: Stories from the Islands and the Windrush Generation and three children’s books: African and Caribbean Folktales, Myths and Legends, The Bird of A Thousand Colours and Spooky Stories of the World featuring terrifying folktales, legends and myths from every continent. She has also contributed stories to: Bedtime Stories: Beautiful Black Tales from the Past, Super Great Kids Stories and Herba Mythica: Myths and Folk Tales of Sacred Healing Plants.
Renowned for weaving African and Caribbean diaspora histories with folklore, Wendy has been described as a masterful storyteller, bringing hidden and lesser-known stories to life with joy and cultural sensitivity.
Wendy regularly works with cultural institutions, including schools, libraries, archives and institutions across the arts, leading workshops, oral history projects and performing her stories at acclaimed venues, including the V&A, British Museum, London Museum, Story Museum and the British Library.
She has been a Script Consultant for the award-winning CBeebies show JoJo and GranGran and appeared on the episode: Time For a Folktale.
Wendy’s professional background is in TV Broadcasting, having produced programmes for Children’s BBC (CBBC), Nickeloden and PBS America. She is the Patron of Tall Stories Theatre Company and Chair of The Society for Storytelling – raising public awareness of the value and benefits of spoken stories.
Testament
Testament is a writer, rapper, educator and world-record breaking beatboxer.
Testament is writer of awards nominated play BLACK MEN WALKING(UK Theatre Awards, Writer’s Guild of Great Britain) and ORPHEUS IN THE RECORD SHOP which was broadcast on BBC Four TV.
Testament’s diverse work includes spoken word, composing music for award winning adverts, writing musicals, performing poetry at Downing Street, making radio history documentaries, nature essays and freestyle rapping for Nobel Peace Prize winners.
Testament has had numerous TV appearances on BBC, ITV and Sky Arts and has been the guest host on Radio 4poetry show The Verb twice. His poetic radio drama DAUGHTER won Special Commendation at the BBC Audiodrama Awards 2022 and was nominated for the Prix Europa.
He was 2019 Channel 4 Writer-in-Residence for THE ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE Manchester and was Black Nature Writer-in-Residence for the Yorkshire Dales 2024, and part of the HOT POETS eco-poetry collective. He is also a writer on the hit NETFLIX animated show Castelvania Nocturne.
As a facilitator, Testament runs the HIP-HOP Clinic -which runs rap, poetry and beatbox workshops around the world. He has also worked with BBC Bitesize and presented GCSE Poetry podcasts.
What delegates said last year...
"Great conference- best CPD of the year that I attend."
“Wonderful day - really worthwhile and value for money.”
"A thoroughly great day, thought-provoking and enjoyable!”
"Well worth myself and my deputy head attending to be able to have the time and space to talk to each other."
"Fabulous organisation. Wonderful choices for speakers. Good facilities. Enjoyable conference.
The venue
The Met Hotel
5 King St, Leeds LS1 2HQ
We are delighted to be moving to a new venue this year, The Met in Leeds which is ideally positioned right next to train and bus links.
SPECIAL OFFER
Bring your team and save £98!
Yes, that is right! We have a multi-ticket offer so you can come as a group of three leaders in your school and save almost £100. For those wishing to book a larger group and even reserve a table, email [email protected].
With thanks to our conference sponsors...
Womble Bond Dickinson
At Womble Bond Dickinson, we understand that education today is about more than teaching, it also involves navigating a complex legal and regulatory landscape with confidence. Our nationally recognised education team supports schools, academies, colleges, universities, and educational charities with practical, forward-thinking legal advice that makes your job easier.
Whether you're expanding your Academy Trust through academy conversions and trust mergers, managing your school estate, looking for governance and charity law advice, dealing with safeguarding concerns, employment matters, data protection, intellectual property issues or responding to regulatory pressures, our team is here to guide you. We combine deep sector knowledge with the breadth of a full-service law firm, helping you make informed decisions every step of the way.
We are ranked by Chambers UK as one of the leading specialist school and academy legal practices and we are known by our clients for providing a responsive and down-to-earth service, whilst delivering on value for money.
Womble Bond Dickinson provides you with expert guidance, so you can focus on shaping the future of education.