Downe House welcomed nearly 200 school leaders and teachers from across the UK to an Academic Conference about Maximising Pupil Potential, hosted at our beautiful campus. The event was a highlight in the UK’s educational calendar and provided outstanding examples of thought leadership.

Our principal Keynote Speaker was Amanda Spielman, who was the UK’s longest serving Chief Inspector of Schools, at Ofsted, from 2017-23. Amanda touched on topical debates such as the use of AI in education and the changing world. She pointed out that there are many positive impacts to the use of AI in education and argued that young people will all need a good foundation in maths up to 18 years to ensure they thrive in a future driven by technology. Ahead of the Conference, Amanda Spielman said: “I am delighted to be speaking at Downe House’s Conference. I look forward to talking about how we make sure children leave school ready to make the most of their lives.” 

Our second Keynote Speaker was the Principal of Gordonstoun, Lisa Kerr. Lisa shared her own personal journey of entering the world of education. A musician, Lisa’s career spanned commercial media, transport, health, technology and the arts before being appointed Principal of Gordonstoun in 2016. The school has thrived under her leadership and in September this year she will take up the post of Principal at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh. Lisa highlighted the importance of transferable skills in education and how her school has staff with skills across a variety of sectors. She argued that schools need to look beyond the traditional sphere of teaching when recruiting if they are to provide the right support in the future. She said: “Downe House’s Conference is an excellent opportunity to reflect on how society is evolving and how educators can and should adapt to help our students succeed.” 

Our final Keynote Speaker was the leading businesswoman Jane Boardman OBE who talked candidly about young people, careers and job interviews from a corporate perspective. She said that nurturing character development in children is vital as attitudes and approaches to working life are different today and that kindness and curiosity are important traits to have. A large group of Downe House’s Lower Sixth students benefited from a special Q&A session with Jane, who gave them excellent advice about how to prepare for and excel in the modern workplace.

The Conference attracted a great deal of attention including the national press. Several journalists attended, including the education editor of The Times and The Telegraph. Coverage also appeared in The Daily Mail and The Sunday Express. 

The school provided a delicious lunch and afternoon tea for delegates in a summer marquee set within the historic ‘Cloisters’ area in the heart of the campus. 

After lunch, delegates were then treated to a fascinating range of other breakout discussions. We were delighted that such a distinguished set of speakers agreed to contribute to the Conference: 

Daisy Christodoulou, Director of Education at No More Marking
Will Technology Transform Education? 

Professor Cassie Wilson, Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) at the University of Bath
Ensuring Students Thrive at University and Beyond

Chloe Combi, Author, Speaker, Futurist & Researcher
Understanding the Mindset of the Next Generation 

Will Goldsmith, Head of Bedales
Reforming the Secondary Curriculum in the UK 

Downe House always aims to be outward looking and at the forefront of educational debate and discussion. This Conference was another example of fascinating thought leadership. We received some wonderful notes of thanks from our delegates, including the following: 

“The quality of the speakers was fantastic. The best I have seen in many years of similar conferences.” 

“In all honesty the Conference delivered on so many fronts. Not only for networking opportunities, seeing former colleagues and friends along with learning from industry leaders, educational experts and to discuss some weighty and worthy issues facing the independent sector and beyond.” 

“The sessions were insightful, particularly the discussions on educational reform and the impact of technology on education. They were thought-provoking and relevant.” 

“Well done for organising such a brilliant day for all. Very inspiring and thought provoking.”