General 2026 speaker

With over 18 years in Supported Employment, David works with primary schools promoting careers inclusion from an early age and supports secondary & special schools as well as colleges and post-16 institutions to embed Supported Employment within their careers guidance…

Alicia is a distinguished educational and employment strategist holding the position of Director of Post 16 at The Education People. Her expertise encompasses: Developing supported employment pathways for individuals with barriers to employment, facilitating their access to sustainable job opportunities. Leading…

Dave Woods – NAHT President (As of September 2026) Dave is currently the head teacher at Beaconsfield Primary School in Southall, London, and is NAHT’s President (As of September 2026). He started his career training and working in Sydney, Australia,…

Working as part of The Education People’s Primary School Improvement Team, Jan is both nationally and internationally recognised as a specialist in Early Childhood Education. After working as an Early Years Consultant and Senior Adviser, he was appointed by the…

Clive Dunn is a Senior His Majesty's Inspector. He has considerable experience inspecting across maintained and independent mainstream and special schools. He also conducts inspections of initial teacher education and local area arrangements for special educational needs and/or disabilities. Clive…

Sarah Brough is the Programme Lead for Jigsaw PSHE 3-11, with extensive expertise in primary education and PSHE. As a qualified teacher with diverse experience across primary school roles, Sarah transitioned into advisory and consultancy work, supporting local authorities and…

Maria is an accomplished leader in education with over 17 years of senior leadership experience, specialising in supporting young people with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs. Maria spearheaded a transformative restraint reduction programme. This initiative was rooted in…

Rowena Hicks has over 30 years of experience in education, supporting staff and students to recognise their strengths, believe in their value, and thrive. Beginning her career as a primary class teacher in Brixton, London with one of the most…

Dr Alison Ekins is passionate about supporting the development of effective inclusive practices and provision to meet the needs of all pupils and has achieved this through direct work in schools as well as through national and international academic research…