London Borough of Havering Annual 2018 Headteachers’ Conference

Baroness Estelle Morris, Former Secretary of State for Education

Estelle Morris started her career in education as a teacher in an inner city multi-racial comprehensive school where she taught for 18 years. In 1992, she entered Parliament and in 2001 became the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. She followed this with 2 years as a Minister at the Department of Culture Media and Sport and left Parliament in 2005. Since then she has combined a career that includes senior posts both in education and the arts as well as being a member of the House of Lords. She is Chair of the Council at Goldsmiths and a trustee of the Poetry Archive. Estelle’s roles in education have allowed her to see the education landscape from classroom teacher to senior policy maker and it is this breadth of experience that is now reflected in her comments and analysis of education. Amongst other posts she now works at the Institute of Effective Education which aims to transform the relationship between education research and practice so that policy making and teaching can become more evidence based. She is also chair of the Birmingham Education Partnership.

Mike Sheridan – HMI - Ofsted Regional Director, London

Mike Sheridan took up his post as Regional Director, London on 1 September 2015. Previously, Mike was a senior HMI and operational lead for the South East of England. Mike first joined Ofsted as a seconded head teacher in 2007 and then went on to be appointed as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors in 2009. He is a qualified teacher and, prior to being employed by Ofsted, held several leadership roles. Most recently he was the head teacher of a federation of schools. Alongside headship, Mike has worked as a consultant and a trainer for heads and teachers. He has particular expertise in teaching and the impact leadership structures have on raising standards.

Nick Saunders – Professional Speaker and Author

Nick is a speaker who specialises in the areas of collaboration, conflict resolution and teamwork. Nick has 25 years’ experience speaking at conferences all over the world and he is heavily involved in education - working with many primary and secondary schools, academies, colleges and universities. As a professional speaker, training consultant and mentor, Nick has helped individuals enjoy and thrive in their careers by giving them practical tools to make their working lives happier and more successful. Nick is also the author of the Amazon No.1 bestselling book “You can choose your friends…”

Simon Atkinson – Chief Knowledge Officer, Ipsos Group

Simon Atkinson is Chief Knowledge Officer for the Ipsos Group, where he works with teams around the world to bring analysis of the latest consumer trends and business themes to Ipsos’ clients. He is a former Assistant Chief Executive at Ipsos MORI where his previous roles have included spells as head of social research and director of its political polling practice. In the field of social research he has worked widely with our local government clients over the years, including conducting a number of studies for Havering. Twitter: @SimonMAtkinson

Simon Finch – Online Safety Specialist

Simon is a presenter and guide on digital citizenship, online safety, and themes relating to technology and learning. He has over 25 years’ experience in leading workshops and training sessions for adults and young people in the UK and other countries. Simon is a well-known keynote, conference and exhibition speaker for Regional Broadband Consortia, universities, LSCBs, local authorities, schools, public and commercial services, and charities. Simon won the 2013 NAACE Impact Award for leadership, 'For his commitment to ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for the education sector.’