Curriculum Conference 2026

Tammy Day, Headteacher, Bishop Stopford School

With over ten years of experience as a Head Teacher and more than two decades in education, I bring a deep commitment to educational equity, strategic leadership, and collaborative improvement across Enfield and surrounding regions. My work spans school leadership, system-wide reform, and targeted support for vulnerable learners—anchored in a belief that every child deserves opportunity, dignity, and high-quality education. I currently serve on the Schools Forum Committee for Enfield Local Authority, shaping policy and funding decisions that impact the Borough of Enfield’s educational landscape. For four years, I chaired Enfield’s Fair Access and Directed Move process, ensuring that some of the most vulnerable students were placed safely and fairly, with dignity and care. My leadership is values-driven and people-focused. I believe in empowering staff, engaging communities, and creating inclusive environments where every learner can thrive. I am passionate about shaping a future where our communities and industries work together in service for every learner.

Linda Neill, Director, The Literacy Company

Linda has had extensive experience both in school and working for a local authority. She has many years of experience teaching across years 1-6 in a variety of settings including working internationally and has worked as a senior leader and English lead in several schools. Linda has worked as a leading literacy teacher and adviser in the North West of England and as a lead moderator for KS1. These roles have enabled Linda to gain a wealth of experience working with a wide variety of schools including many vulnerable schools. As a passionate reader, Linda is always searching for engaging high-quality texts to share with teachers and pupils and to use as a platform to inspire writing. Linda’s love of words and the English language has also inspired her drive to learn further languages.

Tony Staneff, Co-Founder & Director of Impact and Innovation, Rethink Maths

Tony Staneff is an influential leader and entrepreneur with a proven track record of driving large-scale change in maths education.

As the founding figure at White Rose Education, Tony helped transform the way maths is taught in thousands of schools across the UK and internationally. Now, as co-founder of Rethink Maths, he’s continuing that mission — bringing fresh ideas and energy to support teachers, improve outcomes, and reignite a love of learning in the classroom. With over 20 years’ experience in curriculum design, teacher development, and school improvement, Tony is known for his vision, creativity and relentless belief that every child can succeed in maths.

Katie Sergeant, Secondary & Revision Publisher, HarperCollins Publishers

Katie has over 20 years’ experience in educational publishing and is passionate about collaborating with experts to create and deliver high-quality, accessible and representative educational resources. Katie has published award-winning and innovative products across all stages and ages. As Secondary & Revision Publisher at Collins she is committed to improving life chances for learners and advocating that education equips young people with the skills necessary for success in work and life. Beyond publishing, Katie brings broader leadership experience as a former governor and Chair of Teaching and Learning at a primary school and is currently a Trustee of the English Association. Passionate about continuous learning, and championing the work of teachers, Katie believes that connecting people and organisations and working in partnership is the best way to navigate the ever- changing educational landscape. As Chair of the STEM SIG, Katie amplifies the voices of members at Executive Council.

Jo Hutchinson, Co-Director for Early Years and Wellbeing, Education Policy Institute

Jo joined the Education Policy Institute in March 2016.  She graduated from the London School of Economics with a Masters (MPA) in Public and Economic Policy (with distinction) in 2005; her second year of post-graduate study was completed at Columbia University in New York where she undertook a concentration in education policy at the Teachers’ College.

Jo’s background includes ten years as a statistician at the Department for Education, specializing in analysis and research of school outcomes to support policies including behaviour and attendance, floor standards and accountability, impact of multiple and early GCSE entry, attainment and HE entry gaps, and character education.

Geoff Barton, Chair, Oracy Education Commission

Geoff Barton was an English teacher for 32 years, headteacher of a Suffolk comprehensive school for 15 of them, and then General Secretary of the Association of School & College Leaders for 7 years, representing 25,000 education leaders across the UK. He is patron of the English & Media Centre, a Founding Fellow of the English Association, and a trustee of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Education Policy Institute. Most recently he chaired the Commission on Oracy in Education (2024) and the IPPR Inclusion Taskforce (2025). He was awarded the CBE in the 2025 New Year’s honours list for services to education.

Caroline Wright, Director General, BESA

Caroline had a distinguished career in the UK Civil Service prior to joining BESA in 2012, leading communications teams at the Department for Education, Ofsted, Partnerships for Schools, Cabinet Office, and the Department of Trade and Industry. Caroline is actively involved in various government and sector advisory boards and has received numerous accolades, including Education Investor’s ‘Outstanding Contribution to Education’ award. Caroline is a frequent contributor to charitable educational activities, reflecting her commitment to the education sector.

Peter Doyle, Policy Manager, BESA

Peter represents the interests of BESA members to parliamentarians and officials across Government departments, working on various policy issues across the association. His passion for the education sector developed while working for a BESA member, where he contributed to the development and implementation of EdTech products and curricula for the Primary Sector. In addition to his professional work, Peter volunteers as a Governor at a federation of local primary schools in East London.

Dr Beth Lane, Co-Founder, Institute of AI Education

Dr Beth Lane is a qualified Computer Science teacher and researcher with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence. Her doctoral research applied deep learning and computer vision techniques to support the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, giving her a strong foundation in both the technical and ethical dimensions of AI. Beth is the Founder of AI in Schools and Co-Founder of the Institute of AI Education, a research-led partnership with York St John University focused on developing evidence-informed approaches to AI education. Her work centres on curriculum design, teacher capability and progression in AI literacy from primary through to post-16 education. She works closely with schools and trusts to support the thoughtful integration of AI into the curriculum, with particular emphasis on ethics, bias, environmental impact and future workforce readiness. Beth’s interest lies in ensuring AI education is rigorous, inclusive and pedagogically sound, supporting both teacher confidence and meaningful pupil learning outcomes.