Education Business Live

Education Business Live is a new event taking place on 19th March at London’s Evolution, designed to support the efficient running of education settings. The carefully curated conference and exhibition will bring together education professionals with a passion for effective school leadership, management, learning and teaching

Designed to support the efficient running of education settings, Education Business Live Conference & Exhibition on 19 March will bring together education professionals at London’s Evolution. The one-day event will include an inspirational line-up of educationalists, central government policy-makers, session talks, Q&As and networking opportunities to explore practical solutions for managing and developing education in the UK, while leading solutions providers share best practice and new ideas to enhance the services your schools and academies require.

The conference programme Rachel Younger, president of the NAHT union will be giving a welcome address at the start of the day. A number of separate conference streams will then follow, each taking on some of the main issues affecting school management, such as leadership, inspections, recruitment and retention, SEND, business management, sustainability, estates management and technology.

The Leadership session will explore the concept of effective school leadership and how it can be achieved. Speakers include Stephen Morales from the Institute of School Business Leaders (ISBL), Rob Lightfoot, CEO of the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE), and Hannah Stolton from Governors for Schools. These speakers will also take part in a Q&A panel discussion to discuss how using feedback can result in a better leader.

Ofsted inspections

This year will see changes in how Ofsted conducts its inspections, following its Big Listen consultation which was launched to address the impact that an inspection can have on mental health.

One of the most notable changes that resulted from the Big Listen was the removal of single headline judgements, which pave the way for the introduction of School Report Cards from September 2025. These aim to provide parents with a full and comprehensive assessment of how schools are performing and ensure that inspections are more effective in driving improvement.

These changes, as well as more practical tips for achieving a successful Ofsted outcome, will be covered in the second session of Education Business LIVE.

Amanda Jackson, lead senior inspector at Havering Education Services will start the session with an overview. Rob Carpenter, leadership consultant & trust leader of the Inspire Partnership, will then talk about a school’s improvement journey. He will be followed by Colin Diamond CBE, professor of educational leadership at the University of Birmingham, who will examine the new school score cards and what information they will capture.

Recruitment and retention

Labour’s manifesto promised to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers, with £450 million earmarked for the pledge. Recent analysis modelled how Labour could use the funding on a combination of pay rises and financial incentives to boost teacher supply.

Education Business Live will take on the theme of teacher recruitment, with sessions that will focus on the strategies to attract quality teachers to the profession and priorities for improving teacher retention.

Emma Hollis, CEO, National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), will speak about the future of initial teacher training, as well as how to keep good teachers in the profession. Funding temporary staff will be covered by John Wilson, category lead at the Crown Commercial Service, the UK’s biggest public procurement organisation and an executive agency of the Cabinet Office.

Lynne Birch, hub lead, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Teaching School Hub will be presenting on teacher development, including how to deliver high-quality training and personalised support. The panel discussion will debate the difference between induction and mentoring when it comes to teacher training.

SEND provision

It is widely acknowledged that the SEND system is not fit for purpose, which is affecting all areas of education, from teacher retention to increases in pupil absence.

Education Business Live will host a session dedicated to SEND provision, exploring the role of schools in SEND support, mainstream inclusion and leveraging collaboration.

Amanda Wright from the National Association for Special Educational Needs will discuss the role of schools in SEND support.

Alan Wood, director and co-founder at Evidence for Learning / theTeacherCloud, alongside Lando du Plooy, executive headteacher of Dersingham and Calverton Primary Schools in Newham, will examine the journey to effective learning and progress for learners with SEND. This will include a real life case study of how two mainstream schools have transformed their SEND provision, as well as a discussion on how schools are meeting the challenge of adapting to support learners with SEND.

Business management

The Bursar and Business Management conference will explore topics such as resource management, professional development, and approaches to financial management.

Ben Hardy from the Department for Education’s Schools Commercial Team will talk through the commercial support available to schools, and Lana Stoyles, head of business transformation at Nexus Multi Academy Trust will share a fresh approach to financial management.

Peter Melville, chief operating officer at South West Essex Community Education Trust / Incensu will discuss what MATs should consider when it comes to financial strategies.

The panel discussion will see the speakers debate the role of business in education, with the addition of Panel Darren Lowe from Crescent Purchasing Consortium and John Wilson from Crown Commercial Service.

There will also be a dedicated procurement session, which will be delivered by Mark Pearson, learning & development lead at Crescent Procurement Consortium. He will cover the new Procurement Act and what schools need to know.

Sustainability

The DfE’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy requires schools to write a climate action plan by September 2025, as well as select a sustainability lead. Education Business Live will host a session that will examine how schools can create a sustainable school.

Alex Green, head of Let’s Go Zero – the national campaign for all schools to be zero carbon run by climate charity Ashen, will discuss embedding sustainability into a school’s ethos and practical ways for schools to meet their net zero targets. Let’s Go Zero can offer  support by allocating schools with a Climate Action Advisor to provide guidance on creating and implementing a climate action plan.

Sam Dyer, headteacher, Thames Park Secondary School, and Ian Broyd, headteacher of Little Thurrock Primary School, will discuss the collaborative approach to sustainable schools, meanwhile Katherine Rose Orme, Procurement Manager at Crescent Purchasing Consortium and Dan Pardesi, chartered energy manager at Sustainable Energy First will explore how to best buy energy and efficiency goods and services for schools.

Dave Smith, director of procurement and Trust-wide projects at Osborne Cooperative Academy Trust, will host the panel discussion examining if the current net zero targets in schools are working.

Learning outside the classroom

Outdoor learning has a number of benefits for pupils, such as improving physical and mental health, as well as increasing focus and imagination for better academic performance. It also helps with social skills by having to cooperate and communicate with others.

Anne Hunt, CEO of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom will host this session which will give practical ways that schools can incorporate outdoor learning into the school day, as well as talk through the numerous benefits that outdoor learning provision can offer schools.

Estates management

School estates management teams face a number of obstacles. With many schools still suffering from having RAAC present, and others that are in dire need of repair, there is a lot to keep facilities management professionals busy.

To help keep them informed on the latest topics in their profession, there will be a session on estates management led by the National Alliance of School Premises Management (NASPM). Stuart McGregor, director of operations will discuss legal compliance and safe systems of work. They will share actionable advice and best practices essential for creating a conducive learning environment. Chris Coyle, operations manager at NASPM and headteacher Paul Jackson will debate this further during the panel discussion.

AI and Education Technology

Education Technology, or EdTech, is widely recognised to be a powerful tool to improve pupil performance, reduce teacher workload and save time on school management activities.

To help schools stay up to date with the latest discussions in technology, the AI and EdTech theatre at Education Business Live will discuss how using technology and artificial intelligence in the classroom can enhance teaching and learning.

Austin Earl from techUK will discuss why schools can’t ignore the strategic potential of AI. Niel McLean OBE from BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, will host a session to discuss the importance of supporting the development of teachers’ digital skills.

Getech and Google will have a dedicated session examining artificial intelligence and its uses in the teaching profession. There will be a live demonstration of Gemini AI and Hayley Cullimore, head of SEND at Asset Education, will give a case study on how it has been used to support SEND in a mainstream primary school Trust.

Rachel Quick, CEO of The Wherry School, will discuss how they see Gemini AI being developed to support pupils with autism. Wrapping the session up will be a panel discussion chaired by Roger Slade of Getech/Google.

STEM provision will also be covered, including how to attract a more diverse student pool to study STEM-related subjects.

In this session, TV Presenter & Champion for Women & Girls in Engineering, Kate Bellingham and Hilary Leevers, CEO at Engineering UK will tackle the challenges and opportunities of implementing STEM. Exhibition Education Business Live will host an exhibition, showcasing the latest products and services for the education sector.

Delegates can browse solution providers in areas such as technology, finance, facilities management, security, health & safety, catering, SEND provision, and many more. There will be networking opportunities and live demonstrations so education professionals can get hands-on experience using the products that will assist them in their roles.

The Education Business Awards

This year, the Education Business Awards will take place at Evolution on 19 March to coincide with Education Business Live.

Supported by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen), the Awards have recognised achievements in thousands of state and independent schools since 2009.

The Awards will celebrate excellence in over twenty categories, including those for Outstanding Progress and Leadership, SEN Best Practice and Provision, ICT Innovation, Procurement, Security, Environmental Practice, Building, Catering and more.

Register to attend Education Business Live for free here.