The very first Community Education & Early Years Virtual Conference took place on Saturday and we were thrilled to welcome members new and old to gather and talk about education – both recent developments and proposed changes to come.
We opened our day with an address from Caroline MacDonald, our chair for the day, followed by AGS Alasdair McDiarmid who outlined why it is so important for Community to be a family across all sectors and age ranges, so that we can celebrate in the good times and support each other through the tough ones.
Our first keynote address came from Dr Marie Tidball MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, who spoke passionately about the importance of education and in particular the support she received from TAs who helped her with her learning after she had to have time of school due to medical surgery. She also highlighted how important it is for children with SEND to be properly supported.
After lunch we heard from Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, via a pre-recorded message outlining some of the proposed changes to Ofsted, the Curriculum and Assessment review and the School’s White Paper, due to launch in the Autumn.
Our conference motions were discussed and plans made to take them forward in our lively workshops, before the conference was brought to a close with an uplifting address from Adebanji Alade – the addictive sketcher, often seen on BBC’s The One Show.
All in all a great day and opportunity to share!
Pictured above – Education Sector Conference speakers (left to right, top row: Alasdair McDiarmid; Helen Osgood; Tiffany Gillies; Bridget Phillipson MP; left to right, bottom row: Teresa Bottomley; Martin Hodge; Jennifer Dean; Marie Tidball MP)
You can watch the remarks from the Education Secretary below.
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From teachers, tutors and lecturers to the early years, nannies and teaching assistants, we represent and support people working in every role you can imagine in the education and early years sector.
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