Welcome to the

SCHOOL LEADERS’ CONFERENCE

Friday 20 March 2026

Proudly sponsored by

Providing Yorkshire Schools with staff they deserve

Since 2014, Yorkshire Education has been the trusted recruitment agency for schools across York, North Yorkshire and East Riding. Specialising in sourcing and providing exceptional teachers, support and leadership personnel for temporary and permanent roles in schools, colleges and alternative educational settings.

Introduction

Stronger Together: Inclusive communities for collective success

Welcome to the Pathfinder Education Partnership School Leaders’ Conference. We are absolutely delighted to have you join us for what promises to be an inspiring, thought-provoking, and deeply collaborative day at the Malmaison in York.

We are honoured to welcome a truly diverse group of delegates, including Headteachers and Principals, Governors and Trustees, central Trust staff, and Local Authority leaders. While your roles and settings vary, you are united by a common mission: navigating the complexities of modern leadership to ensure every child in our care has the opportunity to flourish.

The premise of today’s conference centres on the theme – Stronger Together: Inclusive communities for collective success. In an era where schools face mounting pressures regarding attendance, digital influence, and educational and social disadvantage, today is a dedicated space to step back from the “busy-ness” of the school day. It is an invitation to listen, reflect, and engage with research-led strategies that can be translated into meaningful action within your own school or trust.

As you move through the day, please look out for opportunities to network with colleagues from across the region. These “fringe” conversations – the ones that happen over coffee or between sessions – are often where the learning from the day can be translated into action.

Finally, as the formal agenda concludes at 3:30pm, we warmly invite you to stay and join us for a drink. This is a chance to unwind, process the day’s learning in a relaxed setting, and celebrate the hard work you do every day. We will also be hosting our conference raffle – there are some fantastic prizes to be won!

Thank you for choosing to spend your day with us. We hope you leave York feeling recharged, empowered, and more connected to your peers. Enjoy the conference!

Andrew Young
Pathfinder Education Partnership Co-Director

Fiona Hopkinson-Kearney
Pathfinder Education Partnership Co-Director

Programme

TIME SESSION
8:30am – 9:00am Arrival, refreshments and networking
9:00am – 9:30am Welcome address
 Andrew Young and Fiona Hopkinson-Kearney (Pathfinder Education Partnership Co-Directors)
9:30am – 10:30am Keynote: Poverty and the Power of Education
Professor Katriona O’Sullivan (Maynooth University)
10:30am – 10:50am Break and refreshments
10:50am – 11:40am Interactive Spotlight Session: Understanding Engagement: National Picture and Local Action
Professor John Jerrim (UCL and ImpactEd) and Jess Easton (The Engagement Platform)
11:40am – 12:40pm Workshop: Why social media is so addictive and how to promote a healthy digital diet
Dr Kaitlyn Regehr (UCL) and Dr Katharine Smales (UCL)
12:40pm – 1:00pm Workshop: Reflection and activation
Andrew Young and Fiona Hopkinson-Kearney (Pathfinder Education Partnership Co-Directors)
1:00pm – 2:00pm Lunch and networking
2:00pm – 3:00pm Interactive Spotlight Session: The Mattering Model: What if Belonging Is Only 50% of the Answer?
Mohamed Abdallah (Reach Foundation)
3:00pm – 3:30pm Final remarks, feedback and raffle
Andrew Young and Fiona Hopkinson-Kearney (Pathfinder Education Partnership Co-Directors)
3:30pm – 5:30pm Drinks and networking

Venue Map

Guest Speakers

Raffle Prizes

Join us at the end of the day for our free prize giveaway and your chance to win one of the following:

2x Vouchers for Clip n Climb at York Leisure Centre

1x Family pass for David Lloyd Gym

1x Family tour pass for York Chocolate Story

2x Afternoon tea vouchers for Chez Mal at Malmaison

8x Tour and tasting passes for the Hooting Owl Distillery

4x Dining tickets at a York RLFC home league game 2026

2x Tickets to York Theatre Royal’s production of The Penelopiad

1x Voucher for Kemps General Store and Bookshop

1x Crate of Beer

Thank you for attending our School Leaders’ Conference, we hope you enjoyed your day. We would be grateful if you could take a moment to share your feedback by completing the short survey linked below.

About us

We are successfully working with over 200 schools across Yorkshire and the Humber.

200+
SCHOOLS

0
Primary Schools and Early Years Settings
0
Secondary Schools and Sixth Forms
0
Alternative Provision and Special Schools

1100+

participants on the full suite of specialist and leadership NPQs

8 YEAR

trend of positive engagement at our annual Heads’ Conference

1300+

Early Career Teachers and Mentors trained

0%
of participants say their NPQ programme has helped them to develop as a school leader
0%
of trainees and Mentors agree the ECT programme helped develop their expertise

The results of the ImpactEd Evaluation survey from Autumn 2023 to Autumn 2024 shows:

On average,
4 out of 5
participants:

  • feel a sense of belonging to Pathfinder’s community of practice

  • say the CPD delivered by Pathfinder has had a positive impact on their work

  • would recommend Pathfinder courses to other teachers

  • agree that Pathfinder provides high-quality CPD