Morning, Thursday, 23rd October 2025
Online
This conference will examine next steps for raising attainment and standards in England’s primary and secondary schools, including strategies for narrowing attainment gaps and improving outcomes across diverse learner groups, alongside tackling inequalities.
With the recently published GCSE results indicating a decrease in pass rates alongside a rise in those having to undertake resits for maths and English, as well as both the recent A Level and GCSE results raising concerns around regional inequalities in attainment in England, attendees will consider steps needed to be taken by government ahead of the expected publication of a Schools White Paper this autumn. The conference includes a keynote address from Catherine McKinnell MP, Minister of State for School Standards, Department for Education.
Sessions will examine implementation and likely effectiveness of Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams by the DfE, which aim to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, and their role in supporting schools through targeted, evidence-informed intervention, as well as priorities for delivering sustained, tailored support focused on driving up standards in local contexts.
Attendees will consider the impact of social factors on aims to raise attainment and educational standards, including best practice examples of tackling education disparities in marginalised groups, and challenges posed by wider concerns over living costs.
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill proposals and inspection reform
The conference will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss proposed measures in the Bill - currently progressing through Parliament - including new statutory requirements on teacher qualifications, pay and conduct, with potential implications for recruitment, retention, professional development, and national consistency in special educational needs and disabilities provision.
The proposed introduction of Ofsted report cards will also be discussed, and the way forward for inspection reform in enabling transparency, accountability, and standards improvement.
Use of funding
Delegates will discuss funding and its potential impact on improving outcomes, including best practice examples of the use of the Pupil Premium. The conference follows the Government’s commitment in the 2025 Spending Review to increase the core schools budget by £2bn - including aims for raising standards and improving opportunity.
Attendees will assess the potential use of £132.5m from the Dormant Assets Scheme to support disadvantaged young people, with discussion on how funding might be delivered in practice through school, charity and community partnerships, and deployed to effectively support pupil enrichment, wellbeing and progression. Delegates will also consider how the Government’s recently proposed Better Futures Fund - aimed at supporting early intervention and progression for young people - might be used to direct funding to schools to address challenges around attendance, behaviour and attainment.
Strategies, curriculum standards and delivery, pupil wellbeing, and targeted support for disadvantaged students
Ahead of the expected publication of the final report of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review in England, delegates will look at developing a broad curriculum with high standards of core-content learning, the quality of assessment and qualifications, and the role of extra-curricular tutoring in supporting attainment. Attendees will also consider the process of introducing strategies to improve core pupil skills and building positive learning environments, alongside the impact of maths and English hubs so far in improving literacy and numeracy.
Sessions will consider latest thinking on strategies to address persistent disparities in attainment for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities and from disadvantaged backgrounds - particularly in light of findings in the Curriculum and Assessment Review interim report of inequities, an ongoing Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Children’s Educational Outcomes, and proposals for a more inclusive national curriculum and assessment system. Discussion will consider options for curriculum design, ways to strengthen the role of early intervention and wellbeing support, responding to complex pupil needs, behaviour challenges and exclusions, as well as development of attendance and behaviour hubs.
Workforce priorities
Areas for discussion include strategies for building workforce capacity and supporting leadership development, in line with proposed statutory requirements for teacher qualifications, pay and conduct set out in the Bill, and how these might be applied across different types of school and trust structures. The delivery of high quality teaching will be discussed, alongside supporting workforce training and development opportunities, steps to improve teacher retention and tackling workforce shortages, alongside the impact of staff wellbeing on teaching standards.
Collaboration and student progression
Coordination between schools and colleges will be a focus, including frameworks for aligning the delivery of education and skills with workforce needs. Delegates will consider best practice in collaboration with universities and employers to support progression and raise standards, drawing on initiatives such as tutoring provision and data-led evidence sharing. Attendees will also consider student progression to post 16 education, employment and university.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates.
