Deputy Junior Heads' Conference - Wednesday 4 March 2026 (St Paul's School, London)

Deputy Junior Heads 

Description

Conference Programme

Time

Session

Room

09:30 – 09.50

Registration

 

 

9:50 – 10.00

Welcome and introductions

 

Speakers:

Becca Barnett, Education Officer, HMC

Nick Arnold, Senior Deputy Head at St Paul’s Junior School

 

 

 

10.00 – 11.00

 

Keynote 1: Making customer service everyone’s business - The Deputy Head’s influence on recruitment, retention, and staff culture.

 

Deputy Heads play a pivotal role in turning strategic intent into everyday practice. This session explores how they can bring the staffroom with them, embedding consistent customer service behaviours that strengthen recruitment, retention and parental confidence. It offers practical leadership approaches to making every touchpoint count, without adding to workload!

 

Speaker: Rachel Hadley-Leonard, Founder and Independent Consultant at RHL

 

11.00 – 11.15

Refreshment break

 

11:15 – 11.20

Sponsor 1 presentation

 

11.20 – 12.05

 

Keynote 2: Turning Mirrors into Windows - A focus on EDI

 

Is your school’s EDI strategy a bolt on? Or is it already part of its DNA?

 

This session is designed specifically for Deputy Heads who want to move beyond tokenistic ‘diversity weeks’ and ‘festival celebrations’ towards an embedded and robust, pupil-led EDI culture. The session will explore pupil empowerment and gaining whole school confidence in EDI and will provide Deputy Heads with audit tools to assess the effectiveness of changes they may choose to make in their own school communities.

 

 

Speaker: Claire Lyons, Head at Oswestry School

 

 

12.15 – 12.45

 

 

 

Case Study Sessions (Academic/ Pastoral)

 

Session 1:

Academic: Jill Pawluk: Professional learning leading development in school

 

Pastoral:  Andrea Evans, Deputy Head (GSAL)Managing friendship issues amongst girls

 

 

 

12.45 – 12.50

Move to Next Session

 

12.50 - 13.20

Case Study Sessions (Academic/ Pastoral)

 

Session 2:

 

How should our curriculum adapt for the future in prep schools?

 

How technology is shaping the experiences of future generations, how school curricula are adapting to forthcoming changes inside and outside of the classroom with a particular on Prep Schools, and how we can ensure that the skills taught in schools align with an ever-evolving job market.

 

Speaker: Pippa Sutcliffe Culford: Creating a 21st c Curriculum (oracy)

 

Pastoral: Tanya Zalar, Character Education by the Team at St Paul’s (bringing in resilience) and belonging

 

 

13.20 – 14:00

Lunch

 

 

14:00 – 14:05

Sponsor 2 presentation

 

14:05 - 14.50

Networking and problem-solving sessions topics:

 

  • Attendance and school avoidance (linked with SEMH provision and managing emotionally based school avoidance - EBSA) 
  • Pupil welfare and pastoral care including challenges such as mobile phone use, AI and online safety 
  • Parental expectations and parental engagement
  • Tracking and assessment cycles/ products used by schools
  • Curriculum development and balancing the curriculum for the mid-21st century 

 

 

14.50 – 15.10

Refreshment break

 

15.10 16.10

 

Keynote 4: Strategies and tips for staff self-care & wellbeing in schools

 

Speaker: Mike Crossley, Educational Leadership, Wellbeing & Mental Health Speaker, Trainer & Instructor

 

 

16.10 - 16:15

 

 

Closing remarks and depart

 

Speakers:

Becca Barnett, Education Officer, HMC

Nick Arnold, Senior Deputy Head at St Paul’s Junior School

 

 

16.15

Optional School Tour