When was the last time you got visit another school, department or classroom? Did you manage to capture everything you learned? How much of it were you able to communicate to your team in a way they got it?
The truth is: it doesn’t happen often enough, there is always something you’ll miss and it’s impossible to convey everything in a way they can run with it themselves.
If you like learning how other curriculum, subject and teaching specialists achieve results in their contexts (and be able to refer back to all the good stuff later), read on, because...
If you’ve not been before…
It’s our annual online conference celebrating brilliant practice happening in real departments and faculties everyday.
Talks go live at 8.30 am. 🕣
The conference space is now open. 📣
📺 70+ inputs
📝 hundreds of curriculum resources across
📚 18 subjects
Available to all for the next 7 days only.
After that they will only be accesible to:
anyone who registers by 06/07/26
speakers
paying members of the Curriculum Thinkers Community.
We - schools - Are In Beta - always learning (when we tune into others’ subject specific practice and cheer them on for putting it out there).
Huge thanks in advance to all the speakers (and colleagues who nominated and supported their submissions).
You make the Curriculum Thinkers Community a very special place to be.
If you find sessions and resources useful, be sure to let speakers know what you will take away in the comments beneath their sessions.
‘Building a Shared Culture of Teaching and Learning: Leadership mantras that shape expectations, inform practice, and drive continuous improvement across our school.’ - Phil Cocks, Deputy Head Teacher - Lead T+L across LSP trust, Chew Valley School .”
‘Beyond the Numbers: From Mock Exam Data to Meaningful Intervention’ - Stacey Pogoda, Head of Computer Science, Becket Keys CofE Free school.
‘Planning and Preparing Students to prepare for their GCSE Exams’ - Beatrice Finn, Assistant Principal Raising Standards and Exams, Orchard Mead Academy.
‘Teaching subject-specific reading, oracy, vocab or writing’ - Yasmin Akhtar, Assistant Principal , Moor End Academy.
‘Curriculum Design - Sharing the Why with Students’ - Rebecca Rowe , Assistant Head - Curriculum , Montpelier High School .
‘Why this? Why now? Using curriculum narratives to develop consistency, challenge and progress’ - Sarah Dowey, National Lead of English, Astrea Academy Trust.
Access subject leadership talks
‘AI That Actually Helps: Designing Tools That Improve Student Outcomes and Support Teachers’ - Dan Bartram, Assistant Headteacher, JFS School.
‘Supporting EAL students using Notebook LM’ - Ellis McCarthy, Curriculum Leader for Drama , Walton le Dale High School.
‘Supporting students to build their own AI tutor.’ - Matthew Domine, Deputy Principal. Leading on the Quality of Education. , Avanti House Secondary School.
‘Leading Humans Through Machine Change’ - Luke Harris, Director of Digital Strategy, Bloxham School.”
‘Using AI for Adaptive Teaching’ - Joanna Hughes, Group Director of EdTech, Berkhamsted Schools Group.
‘What is education for? A frame and a tool for school AI strategy’ - Chris Hack, Director of Digital Innovation, Abingdon School.
‘Testing AI Marking Properly: Keeping the Human in the Loop’ - Lee McLinden, DHT, Fulwood Academy.
‘Using AI to assess A Level Coursework - It Agreed with the Moderator’ - Aaron Connor, Head of Computer Science, Lancing College.
‘Improving departmental outcomes’ - Robert Turley, Head of Business and Economics, Oakwood Park Grammar School.
‘Using AI to assess A Level Coursework - It Agreed with the Moderator’ - Aaron Connor, Head of Computer Science, Lancing College.
‘Using Chooser Charts to empower students with design decision autonomy.’ - Joanne Taylor, Education consultant and PhD Student, University College London.
‘Creating an Inclusive KS3 Drama Classroom - Supporting Neurodivergent students to access the curriculum by removing the pressure of being perceived’ - Pamela Ritchie, Subject Leader of Drama, King’s Academy Brune Park.
‘English Language GCSE - what could be next? Finding certainty amongst the uncertainty’ - Amy Sebbage , Director of English and Associate Trust lead , King’s Academy Binfield.
‘Guided Reading Programme’ - Madeline Gant, Head of English and Reading Across the Curriculum Lead, Brighton Aldridge Community Academy.
‘Speak Like a Scholar: Effective Embedding of Oracy in the Classroom’ - Meera Kalan, Director of English, Avanti House Secondary School.
‘Developing an Effective 7 year Curriculum’ - Charlotte Matheson, Faculty Director - English. PE, Performing Arts and Managing Mentor, Harris Girls Academy Bromley.
‘Using homework to embed key terms in KS3 Geography’ - Rachel Hawke, Head of Geography, Isca Academy.
‘Inclusive Fieldwork’ - Sandra Patterson, Head of Geography, Travel and Tourism, A2L Coordinator, DofE Manager, Ulidia Integrated College.
‘The Pedagogical Power of Writing Walls and Whiteboards’ - Arjan Reesink, teacher of Geography and Physics, Lancing College.
‘GA Conference theme 2026: Passionate About Geography’ - Fiona Sheriff, Head of Geography / Vice President of the Geographical Association, Kingsthorpe College.
‘Visualising Success: supporting pupils to see what excellence looks like using a visualiser in your Geography classroom’ - Simon Hind, Head of Geography & Lead Professional Mentor, West London Free School.
‘How to development long term memory across KS4 geography’ - Emma Bowers, Curriculum Lead Geography, Uxbridge High School.
‘No Feedback, No Problem: The power of modelling for success in A-Level Coursework’ - Eleanor Barker, Teaching Learning Assessment Lead, Head of Geography, Prendergast School.
‘Using ‘The Hook’ to improve students engagement and interest in the subject matter’ - Simon Vale, Head of Geography & Pupil Premium Lead, Tottington High School.
‘Local history walks in KS3’ - Owen Bryan-Williams, Head of History, Tiffin School.
‘Developing a culture of historical scholarship in the A Level classroom’ - Jonathan Mountstevens, Deputy Headteacher, Beaumont School.
‘Creating Layers of Meaning: Iraq from the Middle Ages to the Present’ - Sean Reece, Humanities Lead and Careers Lead, Reach Academy Hanworth Park.
‘How to promote social mobility through the A-level History Curriculum’ - Jo Bryce, Regional Lead Practitioner History, Astrea Academy Trust.
‘Disciplinary modelling: how to think like a historian at KS3.’ - Eleanor Lowe, Lead Practitioner, Harris Academy Chafford Hundred.
‘An Intentional Approach to MFL Growth’ - Carla March Ferrer, LP for MFL, Induction tutor and Head of Spanish, Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School.
‘Working Smarter, Not Harder: A Curriculum Built for Memory’ - Lee Coupe-Porter, ITT coordinator, Head of MFL, Orchard Mead Academy.
‘Preparing Students for the New MFL GCSE: How KS3 Curriculum Redesign Raised Aspirations and Readiness’ - Georgia Edwards, Faculty leader of MFL, Walton Academy .
‘Aligning KS3 MFL: Decisions, Challenges and Lessons Learned’ - Helen Robinson, Head of MFL, Curriculum Developer for MFL across the Lighthouse Schools Partnership Trust (4 secondary schools), Chew Valley School .
‘Using AI as a tool for boosting speaking confidence for GCSE Spanish students.’ - Dan Norman, Curriculum Lead for Languages, Uxbridge High School.
‘Using aligned resourcing to enable deeper pedagogical thinking’ - Samantha Lawrence, Director or Maths, Cornwall Education Learning Trust.
‘Ratio Tables Across the Curriculum’ - Kathryn Clark, Regional Lead Practitioner for Maths, Astrea Academy Trust.
‘Teaching through booklets - how booklets have been implemented across Y7’ - Edd Harvey, 2i/c Maths, Blaise High School.
‘An alternative approach to teaching time.’ - Laura Smith, Primary Maths Lead for the Inspiration Trust, Inspiration Trust.
‘Student-Led Social Impact Challenges: Turning PSHE into Action-Based Learning’ - Nicole Campbell , PSHE and Citizenship Consultant, Lilian Baylis Technology School.
‘Beyond Topics: A Three-Layer Curriculum Model for Citizenship and RSHE’ - Melissa Agnew, Subject Specialist Citizenship, Inspiration Trust.
‘Always Learning - Making Exceptionally Good PSHEE’ - Lottie Boumeester, Cross Trust Lead for PSHEE and Careers, Fulham Cross .
Access PSHE & Citizenship talks
‘Words with multiple meanings and how to teach them’ - Henry Ward, Biology Teacher, British School Amsterdam.
‘Making Scaffolding More Precise for SEND Learners’ - Michael Prince, Senior Lead Practitioner for Teaching and Learning, The Gateway Academy.
‘Inclusive pedagogy -Routine, Relationship, & Relief.’ - Amy Cooper, Deputy Head of Science , King’s Academy Brune Park.
‘Improving Pupil Outcomes Through Effective Maths and Science Collaboration’ - Brotati Veraitch, 2ic Science and Technology Department, St Catherine’s School.
‘Back in Blank: The 4K Upgrade for Teacher Exposition’ - Abubakar Hatimy, Science Teacher, City of London Academy Islington.
‘The use of dual coding and pre-planned models as part of adaptive teaching’ - Gary Brecke, Science Lead Practitioner, Broadwater School.
‘Creating an enriching and engaging Sociology classroom at KS4 and KS5’ - Sam McKavanagh, Head of Sociology, Philosophy and Religion, Larkmead School.
‘Beyond the Textbook: Embedding Academic Reading in Sixth Form’ - Lucia Berridge, Director of Faculty for Social Sciences, The King John School.
‘Getting everyone singing from the same hymn sheet - how to empower non-specialists to ask the right questions at the right time in line management.’ - Adam Lamb, MAT Director of MFL, United Learning Trust.
‘Developing a “Feedback Toolkit”: Whole school approaches for using feedback to feed-forward’ - Katherine Baulcomb, Senior Lead Practitioner (T&L and Curriculum) and Teacher of Geography, Westminster City School.
‘How to design a blended A-level curriculum that is successful for high DPP/SEND settings.’ - Peter Corkish, Head of 6th form, Carterton Community College.
‘Agency for Middle Leadership’ - Claire Harley, Deputy Headteacher , Countesthorpe Academy .
‘What might a ‘capabilities’ curriculum look like?’ - Richard Bustin, Director of Pedagogy, Innovation and Staff Development and Head of Geography, Lancing College.
‘Rebranding after-school intervention to increase student attendance’ - Grace Savage, Assistant Headteacher of Raising Standards, Holy Trinity.
‘The Best of Both Worlds: Belonging and Academic Rigour’ - Lucinda Powell & Lucy Moonen, Directors of Teaching and Learning, Abingdon School.
‘Improving departmental outcomes’ - Robert Turley, Head of Business and Economics, Oakwood Park Grammar School.
‘The Power of Rehearsal’ - Lindsey Bennett, Head of Teacher Development, Astrea Academy Trust.
‘Curriculum: consistency without the micromanagement’ - Chelsea Phillips, Assistant Headteacher - curriculum , Broadwater School.
‘Building Equity into a Centralised Curriculum: A Framework for Diverse Learners’ - Leila Short, Assistant Principal - Quality of Education, Brighton Aldridge Community Academy.
‘Catalyst Conversations - Coaching for School Success’ - Ronnie Reading, Deputy Head - Educational Development, Abingdon School.
‘From Listening to Leading: How Pupil Voice Became a School Improvement Engine.’ - Liam Johnson, Associate Assistant Principal- Curriculum/ T&L, Fulwood Academy.
‘Interweaving data across the school’ - Oliver Waring, Assistant Headteacher - Data Development, JFS School.
‘Curriculum Cohesion: Driving Impact Through Trust-Wide Booklets’ - Craig Follett, Director of Education, The Roseland MAT.
Access Senior Leadership talks
This weekend, I went on our first class camping trip.
I’d be fibbing if I said I wasn’t apprehensive about it.
Two nights, no home comforts, excitable (and tired) little ones, near strangers for company, who all have differing levels of experience (and kit).
Lots felt beyond my control.
The way I cope is by planning. Lists, categories, items, checkboxes, roles and responsibilities.
So you can imagine my despair when I realise I have forgotten the kettle, coffee and eggs.
My initial thoughts are: “Breakfast is ruined. I won’t get caffeinated. Kids will go hungry. Meltdowns will ensue.”
I didn’t want to admit the mistake. I felt like a plonker. But bottling it up wasn’t doing us any good.
So I told my wife and apologised.
Then something wonderful happened.
Our tent-neighbour overheard and said: “Oh you can borrow our kettle and coffee". And I brought too many eggs”.
They had saved the day.
And so, I realise, the very reasons I was worried about going turned out to be the things that meant everything tuned out ok in the end.
Why am I telling you this?
Communities of schools, leaders and teachers (and the conferences they convene at) are much like class camping trips.
Everyone carries their own anxieties and vulnerabilities about their experience
Some people are further ahead than others
Everyone has something to give and something to gain
A shared vision, goal and empathy for your fellow campers will help you get through it together.
So if you believe in the power of the collective, like sharing ideas with other curriculum, subject and teaching specialists, join us for Curriculum Thinking Week 2026.
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