School Leadership Summit 2025: Leading Through Limitation
A unique gathering organised by the Heads Forward network that seeks to demystify leadership, foster authentic connections and ignite a collective passion for change in education.
You are invited to Lead through Limitation!
If you’re in a school leadership role – or are interested in school leadership – join us at this year’s Heads Forward School Leadership Summit.
Heads Forward is a grassroots network of Teach First ambassador headteachers and education system leaders, united by the Teach First mission - to make education fairer. This event, designed by leaders for leaders, focuses on how we can all lead through limitations.
Heads Forward School Leadership Summit 2024: Disrupting Disadvantage
In 2020, we embarked on a mission to host an annual School Leadership Summit to provide information and inspiration to anyone interested in school leadership.
Our inaugural event was a huge success, bringing together 150 teachers, leaders, social enterprises and charities from across the country for panel discussions, practical workshops and keynote speeches.
The pandemic prevented us from hosting a summit in 2021 and 2022, but in March 2023 we will be back and bigger than before!
Look out for details of this next event and in the meantime, here’s a quick video montage of our last event.
Click here to watch the incredible moments from last year’s Heads Forward School Leadership Summit!
Heads Forward School Leadership Summit 2020: Inaugural Event
In 2020, we embarked on a mission to host an annual School Leadership Summit to provide information and inspiration to anyone interested in school leadership.
Our inaugural event was a huge success, bringing together 150 teachers, leaders, social enterprises and charities from across the country for panel discussions, practical workshops and keynote speeches.
The pandemic prevented us from hosting a summit in 2021 and 2022, but in March 2023 we will be back and bigger than before!
Look out for details of this next event and in the meantime, here’s a quick video montage of our last event.
Keynote 1
To open the day we had Dan Moynihan, CEO, Harris Federation in conversation with Ed Vainker.
The panels were:
‘Inclusion and Exclusion – how do we get the balance right?’ chaired by Ben Keely, Headteacher, Harris Academy Greenwich & featuring Elroy Cahill (headteacher, Kingsley Academy), George McMillan (Executive Headteacher, Harris Federation) & Kiran Gill (The Difference)
Panel: ‘How far beyond the school gates should a school’s role extend?’ chaired by Will Mackintosh, Headteacher, Ark John Keats & featuring Becks Boomer-Clark (Director of Secondary, Ark), Mohsen Ojja, (National Director of Education at E-ACT), & Mei Lim (Reach Children's Hub).
Workshops were led by:
Izzy Ambrose & Patrick Farmborough, Greenshaw Academy Trust
Ed Vainker & Rebecca Cramer, Reach Academy Trust
Charlie Kennard, London Screen Academy
Mike Baxter, COLA Southwark
Dennis Simms, Educational Consultant
Steve Adcock, Deputy Director of Secondary Academies, United Learning Trust
Mark Smith, Ada, National College of Digital Skills
David Thomas, Jane Austen College
Topics included: Enacting the curriculum - How to turnaround a failing school - What has Ofsted learnt since September - Big behaviour blunders - Accessing degree apprenticeships for 6th formers - Cyclical T&L monitoring and development - Cradle to career provision - How to have conversations you dread.
Keynote 2
To close the day we had Amanda Spielman, HM Chief Inspector in conversation with David Thomas
We also provided a free creche for conference attendees as part of our commitment to being family friendly.