More than 300 educators from across the UK gathered at Bryanston School in June for the eighth annual Education Summit. This year’s theme was The Times They Are A-Changing: Future Proof Your Teaching – inspired by Bob Dylan’s iconic song, the day focused on embracing the ongoing changes in the education system.
The summit featured a series of inspiring talks by expert speakers and leading educators, addressing the evolution of education in a rapidly advancing digital world alongside traditional teaching methods.
A standout moment was Mary Myatt, an education adviser, writer, and former teacher, delivering a compelling talk on the intellectual power of narrative. Mary presented evidence showing that simply reading well-chosen books to children in the classroom significantly enhances their reading abilities. She emphasised that curiosity is a significant motivator for learning.
Amjad Ali, an experienced SENCo, gave a lively and engaging talk on inclusive teaching, stressing the importance of the language teachers use with children and the need to avoid labels.
Dan Fitzpatrick, ‘The AI Educator,’ had the room talking as he demonstrated various AI tools that could reduce teacher workload and help engage and inspire pupils.
Stephen Davies, Education Summit Director, said, ‘We must run harder just to stand still in schools, let alone make progress and be at the forefront. Bryanston, with its ‘et nova et vetera’ motto, has always tried to look both forwards and backwards. The aim of the day was to look forward at how teaching – and being a teacher – could evolve in the coming years. AI is no doubt a big part of that debate.’
Reflecting on the overall event, Bryanston’s Head, Richard Jones, praised the unity of teaching colleagues from primary and secondary schools, both state and independent, especially in the context of the forthcoming General Election. ‘It is crucial for us all to come together to improve outcomes in our education settings. I sincerely hope that politicians recognise the strength of this collaboration, harness this collective strength, and allow us to continue building on the many successful cross-sector partnerships that already exist. The priority is, and must always be, to help drive standards up across all education for children in the UK.’
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