GSA/HMC Junior Heads’ Conference, Wednesday 12 - Thursday 13 March 2025 (The Welcombe Hotel, Stratford Upon Avon)

Time

Session

Room

Wednesday 12 March 2025

10.30 – 11.00

Arrival and Registration

Trevelyan Restaurant

11.00 – 11.15

Welcome, opening remarks and introductions

Speaker: Naomi Bartholomew, Head of Preparatory School, St Catherine’s Bramley and Rachel Cookson, Principal, Infant & Junior School, King’s School Macclesfield

Sponsor:

The Welcombe Suite

11.15 – 12.15

Keynote 1: Leadership with heart - I care, You care, We care

Speaker: Nina Jackson, International Education Consultant

The Welcombe Suite

12.15 – 13.00

Delegate-led case studies

Taming the Tech: Fostering Real-World Connections for Healthy Child Development

Speaker: Vincent Weightman, Head of Junior School at Cheadle Hulme School

A coaching model of professional development and its impact on the performance of SLT / Middle Leadership and the rest of the school community

Speaker: Philippa Studd, Principal of Highgate Junior School

The Welcombe Suite

13.00 – 13.50

Lunch

Trevelyan Restaurant

13.50-14.00

Welcome back and Word from Sponsor

Sponsor: Quest

The Welcombe Suite

14.00 – 15.00

Keynote 2: Education Update

Speaker: Julie Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Independent Schools Council

The Welcombe Suite

15.00 – 15.30

Refreshment Break

The Welcombe Suite

15.30 – 16.15

Breakout sessions A – Choice of Workshop

1. Life post-headship – Jason Whiskerd, Educational Consultant, MTM and retired head at Brentwood Prep School and Bill Toleman, Education Consultant, Executive Coach and Mentor, Academic Tutor at the University of Buckingham, and retired Head from Bishop’s Stortford College.
2. 2.    How to embed sustainability into your school, culture, curriculum and community – Richard Dunne, Founder of The Harmony Project
3. 3.    AI in Education – Adam Webster, CEO of Sphinx AI and creator of RileyBot
4. Inspection: shared tips and experiences – led by Rachel Cookson, Principal, Infant & Junior School, King’s School Macclesfield

The Welcombe Suite

The Lady Bernard Suite

The Garden Suite

The Oak Room

16.15 – 16.25

Move between sessions

16.25 -17.10

Breakout sessions B – Choice of Workshop

1. 1.    Things I wish I’d known in my first 3 years of headship - Louise Martin, Head of Stormont School and Liz Norris, St Swithun's School, Winchester
2. How to embed sustainability into your school, culture, curriculum and community – Richard Dunne, Founder of The Harmony Project  
3. AI in Education – Adam Webster, CEO of Sphinx AI and creator of RileyBot
4. Inspection: shared tips and experiences – led by Rachel Cookson, Principal, Infant & Junior School, King’s School Macclesfield

The Welcombe Suite

The Lady Bernard Suite

The Garden Suite

The Oak Room

17.10 – 19.15

Free Time

19.15 – 19.45

Drinks Reception

The Welcombe Suite

19.45

Conference dinner

Dress code: Smart/casual

The Welcombe Suite

Thursday 13 March 2025

07.00 - 09.00

Breakfast

Trevelyan Restaurant

09.00 – 09.10

Welcome Back and Word from Sponsor

Sponsor: Education Horizons

The Welcombe Suite

09.10 - 10.00

Facilitated Networking Session

The Welcombe Suite

10.00 - 10.15

Refreshment Break

The Welcombe Suite

10.15 - 11.15

Keynote 3:  Every Touchpoint Matters - Building a whole-school customer service culture that enhances Recruitment, Retention & Reputation

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

The Welcombe Suite

11.15 - 12.15

Keynote 4: Lessons on Resilience from Everest’s Death Zone

Speaker: Rebecca Stephens MBE, First British woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest

The Welcombe Suite

12.15

Closing remarks

Speakers: Naomi Bartholomew, Head of Preparatory School, St Catherine’s Bramley and Rachel Cookson, Principal, Infant & Junior School, King’s School Macclesfield

Lunch and Depart

The Welcombe Suite