Keele University

Friday 4th July 2014

Following a welcome address by Professor Nick Foskett, Vice-Chancellor, Keele University, and a video introduction by Sir Tim Brighouse, the following speakers will address various issues relating to “the impact of urban education initiatives on pupil learning” both locally and nationally, and at primary and secondary school level:

Tristram Hunt “Rolling out the London Challenge: Lessons for England’s Regional Cities”

Tristram Hunt is Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Labour Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central.

Jon Coles    “Urban education, London and the Challenge of the cities”

Jon Coles is Group Chief Executive of United Learning and former Director General for Education Standards, Department for Education. Previously, as Director of 14-19 Reform, he led work to raise participation post-16 and attainment at 19 and reduce NEET numbers. As Director of London Challenge, Jon was responsible developing and implementing the strategy to improve secondary education in London, which also led to similar approaches in other parts of the country. In his career, Jon has been responsible for various Green and White Papers and for taking the 2002 Education Act through Parliament.

Professor Mel West

Mel West is Head of School of Environment, Education and Development, Manchester University.

His work has principally been in the fields of school management and school improvement. In the mid-nineteen eighties, he was one of the architects of the influential Improving the Quality of Education for All (IQEA) programme. He is also co-directing the Leadership Development Unit, set up by the DfES and the National College for School Leadership, to support schools and LEAs facing challenging circumstances.

Professor Kathryn Riley     “‘If children don’t belong in school, they don’t belong anywhere’. How to make schools places that children and adults feel they belong: The challenges for urban schools and their leaders”

London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Institute of Education, University of London.

Professor Farzana Shain, Dr Ruth Dann, Dr Laura Watt and Professor Stephen Cropper

“Strategies for raising attainment in Key Stage One”

Farzana Shain is Professor of Sociology of Education at Keele University. Steve Cropper is Professor of Management in the School of Public policy and Professional Practice at Keele. Dr Ruth Dann is Senior Lecturer and PGCE Primary Course Director at Manchester Metropolitan University. Dr Laura Watt is Research Fellow in the Research Institute of Social Sciences at Keele. The project team will present a summary of the findings from the first phase of their 30 month project which has been commissioned by Stoke-on-Trent City Council to explore strategies for raising attainment at Key Stage 1. The first phase of the project has been focused on identifying the key factors that have enabled a sample of local schools to improve their educational outcomes across a range of performance indicators.

The conference will be of particular interest to education organisers and advisors, academics in further and higher education, school leadership teams and classroom practitioners.

The advance delegate rate is £60. Discounts are available for bookings of 2 or more.

Overnight accommodation is also available on request.

For further details, or to book a place, please email office@edsrs.org.uk; go to the event website; or phone 01782 660929