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This week, we were thrilled to host our July Principals' Conference, welcoming school leaders from across the country for an important professional development opportunity.
The two-day conference, held at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham, served as a real inflection point, prompting our attendees to reflect, recalibrate, and recommit to their leadership. The core focus was on the powerful interplay between culture, leadership, and resilience.
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We explored the essential habits, systems, and mindsets that empower leaders to navigate uncertainty with confidence. Our discussions were firmly grounded in relational rigour, guided by our shared values, and strengthened by our collective purpose.
We were especially delighted to hear from guest speaker Lucy Easthope who delivered a passionate presentation on the psychology of leadership under pressure and leading through times of uncertainty, offering valuable insights into what schools can learn from systems in crisis as the education sector experiences a period of systematic and intense change.
Another key session delved into re-framing performance and accountability through care, culture, and clarity, examining the practical implications for our classrooms.
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Day 1
Day 1 of our conference kicked off with a thought-provoking keynote from our CEO, Becks Boomer-Clark. She outlined our top trust goals, detailed our progress, and presented our ambitious 2040 vision for the future.
Becks also focused on the critical topic of leading with rigour in times of external uncertainty, emphasising how we can effectively narrate change with clarity, confidence, and hope.
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Following this, we were privileged to hear from guest speaker Lucy Easthope, author of Come What May: Life-Changing Lessons for Coping with Crisis. Her talk offered valuable insights into resilience and confident leadership during periods of major change and uncertainty.
The conference featured group tasks and panel discussions that expanded on key themes from Lucy's session, applying her guidance and insights directly to school scenarios. These sessions were designed to help leaders capture immediate learnings they could take back to their schools.
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Day 2
On day two of the conference, we launched the Lift Talks campaign with the goal of integrating oracy into every classroom across all 57 of our schools. This new year-long initiative will drive consistency in oracy provision, which currently varies widely among Lift Schools, and is vital for reaching our 490 goals.
Head of Curriculum Debs McCarthy, who is leading the initiative, said: “We're aiming to turn our quieter classrooms into lively, buzzing spaces where every child feels confident talking, sharing, and expressing themselves.
“It's all about giving our teachers the tools to teach kids to talk, and to teach kids through talk.”
Another key presentation focused on the critical link between accountability, care, culture, and their effect on performance and results.
CEO Becks Boomer-Clark said: “Great leadership is the backbone of every successful school, ensuring every child receives an excellent education, every day. Our annual conferences for principals, held every July and September, provide pivotal opportunities for leaders to collaborate, connect, and advance their professional development, and ultimately help us achieve our ambitions.”
Speaking after the conference, Principal at Bexleyheath Academy Rubeka Luftha, said: "The conference is fundamental as a principal because when you’re in the day-to-day operations of your school, you don’t get the time to stop, pause, reflect, and re-strategise. It’s an opportunity for us to breathe, think about the great things we’re doing, and consider where we need to make improvements, but with the support of colleagues around you – like-minded principals who might be facing the same challenges."
Principal at Brockworth Primary Academy Rob Hughes added: "Events like this are so important to me because I get to reset with colleagues, and it really gives us a chance to recharge the batteries and share problems and opportunities together."
Thinking of joining Lift Schools? Search our latest leadership vacancies here.
