This event, focused on ongoing professional development for teaching and support staff, featured a welcoming address from Trust CEO Stuart Gardner, followed by an insightful presentation from external speaker Peps McCrea on the topic "What Drives Student Success in Schools?"
In his talk, Peps explored five research-backed practices—attention, distractions, participation, norms, and alignment—that often have greater impact than assumed.
Throughout the day, staff registered for a variety of sessions to support them in their role and department. Key learnings from these sessions will support individuals within their role, supporting the good work happening across our schools and regions to impact pupils.
Laura Gladstone, from the Education Drive Team at Thinking Schools Academy Trust, said “We believe in continually striving for excellence across the Trust and our conference is a key event in our annual calendar to support ongoing professional development.
“It’s fantastic to see external speakers joining the Stronger Together conference to inspire staff, as well as our own internal speakers sharing their experiences and best practices across a variety of areas.
“This year's conference featured a series of expert-led talks, designed to enrich staff across teaching, support and central teams. There has been a strong sense of community and that our teams are part of something bigger than beyond their classrooms and offices.”
Special thanks to the below external speakers for their contribution to the Stronger Together Conference: