On Wednesday 17 May, The Schools and Academies Show took place at the ExCel in London. With a goal to provide the education community with inspiring content, policy updates and practical resources, the show helps educational institutions to overcome their most pressing challenges and improve outcomes for all teachers and students. With more than 150 exhibitors and 3,000+ visitors, the eight-hour-long event was packed with useful information, insights and resources.
After the Chair’s welcoming address, the opening keynote was delivered by Baroness Barran MBE, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the School System, who last spoke at the Schools and Academies show in November 2022. Her speech focused on key areas within her ministerial portfolio, including the Academies and Regulatory Commissioning Review and Education Investment Areas and their role in supporting system-led improvement.
More than 3,000 guests attended the leading education policy event in London
Throughout the day the Main Stage saw an incredible selection of speakers. Olympic Gold Medal winner, Mo Farah, spoke about his journey to Olympic gold and how important his education was in supporting his early development and continued success. The Education Strategic Engagement Lead for Apple, Gillian Penny, discussed the company’s dedication to building the best ecosystem to support and inspire schools as they prepare the next generation to thrive and lead the world. Ofsted’s National Director for Education, Christopher Russell HMI provided an update from the work of Ofsted, and we saw various panel conversations around the next steps for education, with a focus on funding the ‘merger era’, as well as the importance of location and environment, education policy and much more.
Guests heard first hand from leading policymakers and keynote speakers
The Main Stage was only one of a great selection of exhibiting theatres, with other stages focusing on important sectors of the education community such as business, finance, school improvement, sustainability, wellbeing, learning, and many others. There were also interactive networking features set up across the show floor to help visitors make great new connections and spark ideas with like-minded peers.
The show had an incredible line up of guests speakers, including Olympic Gold Medal winner, Mo Farah
The UK’s leading education policy event, which runs twice a year, achieved what it set out to with thousands of guests gaining real value from the incredible selection of speakers, panellists and exhibitors. The next Schools and Academies Show will take place at the NEC, Birmingham, in November.