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Curriculum Conference 2025
When
Thursday, 13 MarchWhere
No 11 Cavendish Square, LondonPrice
BESA Member Early Bird tickets available until 31 December for £110 + VAT and feesJoin us at the Curriculum Conference, a pivotal event focused on the new government’s curriculum and assessment review, set to shape the future of education in the UK.
The conference will delve into the highly anticipated findings of the Curriculum Review, set to be published in 2025. Gain exclusive insights into the timeline and potential changes that could redefine the educational landscape. This is your chance to stay informed, understand the implications for schools, and actively contribute to this pivotal review process. Don’t miss the opportunity to help shape the future of teaching and learning!
The agenda for this event will cover a range of critical and forward-thinking topics, including:
Workplace Readiness: Equipping pupils with the skills they need to thrive in the modern workforce.
AI in Curriculum Development: Exploring the use and application of AI in creating curriculum resources, with a focus on identifying and addressing biases.
Oracy: Highlighting the importance of developing students’ spoken language skills and its role in education.
Key Themes from the Curriculum Review: A deep dive into emerging trends and priorities from the anticipated review findings.
Future of Assessment Panel: Discussing formative assessments, continuous improvement, and the evolving landscape of student evaluation.
If you aren’t a BESA member we please ask that you ensure you book the tickets that are indicated for Non-Members – otherwise your ticket will be refunded.
BESA will not be offering refunds for this event. It is possible to transfer your ticket to a colleague at any point from the time of booking to 7 working days before the event.
To ask any questions, please email eventsteam@besa.org.uk.
We would like to thank Cambridge University Press & Assessment for their support as a Thought Leader Sponsor
“A really informative day and so valuable in terms of keeping your eye on the education ball!”
Jo Gibbins, Crick Software Ltd
“The speakers were well selected and spoke on pertinent topics in insightful, engaging and memorable ways.”
Aaron Gaff, Discovery Education
Agenda
10:00am
Registration and refreshments
10:30am
Welcome from the Chair
10:35am
Key Themes from the Curriculum Review – A deep dive into emerging trends and priorities from the anticipated review findings.
11:20am
Embedding Oracy in the Curriculum
Louisa Reeves, Director of Policy and Evidence, Speech and Language UK
The Labour Government have made the introduction of Oracy into the curriculum one of their landmark education policies prior to the election. In this session, BESA will hear from the Director of Policy and Evidence at Speech & Language UK on how Oracy should be included as part of a broader curriculum rather than as a standalone subject.
12:05pm
Workplace Readiness
Tom Ravenscroft, Founder & CEO, Skills Builder Partnership
Join Tom Ravenscroft, founder of Enabling Enterprise, as he explores the transformative power of integrating enterprise skills into the core of education. Drawing on his experience as a teacher and entrepreneur, Tom addresses the disconnect between traditional education and the modern workforce. Discover how his innovative Skills Builder framework equips students with essential skills like creativity, teamwork, and resilience, and how these can be taught, measured, and embedded into any curriculum. Learn how his work with schools, teachers, and businesses is redefining “soft skills” as essential for all learners, ensuring every young person is prepared to thrive in the 21st-century world of work.
12:40pm
Lunch
1:40pm
Reducing the impact of high-stakes assessment
Chair: Eylan Ezekiel, Head of Hamilton Brookes, Principal – Ezekiel Consultants
Panel:
– Kate Bailey, Managing Director, Cambridge Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, Cambridge University Press and Assessment
– Sir Mark Grundy, Chief Executive Officer, Shireland Collegiate Academies Trust
England has one of the most demanding assessment regimes in the world, at KS4, students can expect to do over 33 exams in the final months of their school period. Does it need to be this way? There is an increasing school of thought that our current assessment regime is outdated, and ineffective at providing targeted support for young people. This panel will look at how more continuous, formative assessments could be used to reduce the burden of high-stakes assessments on students whilst providing teachers with actionable insights on student performance so that assessment can be used to make timely, purposeful interventions.
2:40pm
AI in Curriculum Development
Patrick Stribley, Director Data Science, Faethm by Pearson
This session explores the future role of AI in curriculum development, presented by an experienced professional in AI and computer science. The discussion will cover key opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into curriculum products, drawing on technical insights and practical knowledge of ‘what works.’ Topics will include understanding and addressing issues such as ‘bias’ in AI, examining what ‘bias’ means in this context and whether it can be mitigated.
3:15pm
Refreshments
3:30pm
Design and Delivery: Successful Curriculum Implementation
Chair: Emma Bourne, Managing Director, Curriculum Macmillan Education
Panel:
– Sarah Baber, Chief Executive Officer, Great Learners Trust
– Paul Cherry, Director, Policy, Partnerships and UK Sales, Hachette Learning
With a major update to the national curriculum on the horizon, what does it take to navigate these changes effectively, from development to classroom practice? This panel brings together publishers and educators to reflect on lessons learned from past curriculum updates and explore how publishers can support teachers in managing the workload challenges associated with such transitions.
4:15pm
Curriculum change and the global landscape – reflections on the past, observing the present and preparing for the future.
Panel:
– Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin, Deputy Head of Division and Senior Economist / Analyst, OECD – OCDE
It might be ‘all change’ for curriculum in the UK, but what does this mean for our international schools and will the new UK requirements correlate with global curriculum themes? We’ll explore these questions and consider the opportunities/challenges presented by curriculum change when working internationally. We’ll hear from international school organisations and countrywide reform leaders as we uncover key shifts and trends that have shaped the international curriculum market in recent years and consider what to anticipate in the near future.
5:00pm
Closing remarks
5:10pm – 6:00pm
Drinks Reception
Speakers
Louisa Reeves, Director of Policy and Evidence, Speech and Language UK
Louisa Reeves is Director of Policy and Evidence at Speech and Language UK (formerly I CAN). Louisa is a speech and language therapist with 30 years of experience of working to support children and young people with speech and language challenges. She has been involved in a number of large scale projects developing and evaluating tools and programmes for early years settings and schools and is responsible for the evaluation of the outcomes and impact of all the charity’s project and development work. She also leads on Speech and Language UKs policy work including developing and implementing the charity’s strategies to influence key decision makers and our Public Affairs work. She has done a variety of media work including live interviews and broadcasts.
Tom Ravenscroft, Founder & CEO, Skills Builder Partnership
Tom started his career as a Teach First teacher in East London in 2007 after graduating from the University of Oxford. He founded the Skills Builder Partnership in 2009 with the mission to ensure that one day, everyone builds the essential skills to thrive. Since then, the Partnership has grown to more than 950 education institutions, employers and impact organisations reaching 1.8 million individuals in 2024. The model is now being replicated in more than twenty countries and Tom has been recognised as a leading social entrepreneur by being elected an Ashoka Fellow.
Eylan Ezekiel, Head of Hamilton Brookes, Principal – Ezekiel Consultants
Eylan Ezekiel is an edtech leader, with extensive experience in product development, publishing strategy, and partnerships. He has worked with organisations such as Oxford University Press, Arts Council England and Pearson: driving projects that enhance teaching and learning across the UK. Known for his expertise in product development, digital publishing, and team management, Eylan is committed to supporting educators with high-quality, impactful resources. With a strong focus on collaboration and strategic vision, he has successfully led initiatives that connects organisations to empowered teachers, to improve outcomes for learners at scale.
Paul Cherry, Director, Policy and UK Sales, Hachette Learning
Paul is Director for Policy and UK Sales at Hachette Learning working across the UK’s policy landscape to develop partnerships that inform our Product plans. He leads the UK Sales teams across Primary, Secondary/FE and Assessment. Paul was previously the Publishing Director for UK Curriculum, leading the team responsible for developing resources for teachers and learners across UK schools and colleges.
Hachette Learning is one of the largest educational publishers in the UK and publishes across a wider range of subjects, courses and services than any other leading UK education publisher, including assessment and professional development.
Paul has spent over 30 years working in journals and educational publishing, firstly at The Royal Society, then Collins Education, with a brief freelance spell. He joined Hodder Education in 2008.
Paul sits on the Board of the Educational Publishers Council. He is also a school governor at a secondary school in east London.
