East London & Essex Education and Governance Conference and Exhibition 2025

Action Jackson Ogunyemi

The self-proclaimed ‘UK Ambassador for Happiness’, ACTION JACKSON is an award-winning motivational speaker, best-selling author, TV host and lover of life. If you factor in TEDx speaker, influencer, multiple marathon runner, London to Brighton bike rider, entrepreneur, husband, son and father (note, the list is not in priority order!), you’ll understand why he’s better known as ‘ACTION Jackson’. AJ loves simplicity. He believes that life is to be lived fully. He works with EDUCATORS and leaders of the next generation and his message is always the same: Rise up people. Our young people need us! Jackson is passionate about transforming individuals, teams and entire youth cultures. For him, it’s about raising the bar to ‘world class'. Action Jackson is the most motivated motivational speaker you will ever hear. AJ will leave your audience feeling empowered, rejuvenated, and ready to take on whatever challenges come their way.

Emma Weaver

Emma is a member of the Early Years Teacher Training Tutor Team at e-Qualitas. She specialises in Developmental Psychology and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and brings experience in supporting Early Years settings and schools, focusing on the neuroscience of learning and development to foster a deeper understanding of children’s cognitive and emotional growth. Emma is dedicated to promoting a strengths-based approach to SEND, working collaboratively with educators to implement an inclusive, whole-school approach to SEND that celebrates each child’s unique qualities.

Fatima Whitbread MBE

Fatima Whitbread, MBE is a world javelin champion, world record holder and twice Olympic medallist. She was honoured with the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023. The Helen Rollason Award recognises outstanding achievement in the face of adversity. Fatima’s best-selling autobiography Fatima: The Autobiography of Fatima Whitbread was published in 1989. Fatima’s second book, Survivor was published in July 2012 and is a truly inspirational story. Her third book ‘My Bright Shining Star’ will be published in October 2024. My Bright Shining Star follows the story of a girl who finds herself living in a shared home away from her mother, yet through the love and support provided by confidant Aunty Rae she unlocks respect, self-worth and confidence. Fatima is an engaging speaker who talks about her rise to success as an Olympic medallist and the trials and tribulations as she reached her goal. In addition, she talks animatedly about her TV career from I’m a Celebrity to her more recent documentaries. Fatima has recently launched a campaign called 'Fatima's UK Campaign', aimed at helping children in care and care leavers. The hope is for children to fulfil their positive potential in an environment which fosters self-worth and confidence by means of providing the necessary support & resources to give each youngster the skills and to become productive members of society. As the founder of the Charity, Fatima wants to rejuvenate the children’s care system and pursue excellence across the four nations in working with the care system to create a nationalistic framework with the summit taking place in April 2025. The inaugural Summit is being organised to bring together cross-party politicians, decision makers, and representatives from all agencies and charities involved in the care system.

Jackie Sweeting

Jackie’s first involvement in school governance began in 2006, when she became a parent governor at her daughter’s school. Since then, she has accumulated many years of experience as both a governance professional and governor in various school settings. She joined the NGA as the Regional Lead for London and the South East in September 2022. For nine years prior to this she worked as a School Business Manager and Clerk to the Governing Board in a foundation primary school. She is currently a governor on a local board within a multi academy trust, plus she continues to work as a Governance Professional for three schools in Northwest Essex.

Malcolm Reeve

Malcolm is a National SEND Leader with nasen/Whole School SEND and was designated a National Leader of Education in 2012. He has been Director of SEND across large and small MATs and advises schools and local authorities across the country. He is Patron of the Centre Algarve holiday centre for people with special needs.

Sinéad Mc Brearty

Sinéad is CEO at Education Support, the mental health and wellbeing charity for the education workforce across the UK. The charity’s mission is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and education staff. Education Support believe that better mental health leads to better education. It supports individuals and help schools, colleges and universities to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their staff. Sinéad advocates for a systemic approach to wellbeing for the education workforce, attending to the individual, the workplace and the wider policy environment. Sinéad began her career at KPMG before moving to leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector. She has worked as an organisational development consultant and a lecturer and has been a trustee at a number of charities including Kaleidoscope Trust and Groundswell. She is a currently a governor of a south London primary school.