KEYNOTE SPEAKER
& BREAKOUT SESSIONS
keynote speakers
sir Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo is the former Children’s Laureate and best-selling author of over 150 books, including Private Peaceful, Kensuke’s Kingdom, The Butterfly Lion, and War Horse which was published over 40 years ago and adapted into the hugely successful stage play by the National Theatre.
In 1976, Michael and his wife, Clare, started the charity Farms for City Children which has offered over 100,000 children and teachers from urban primary schools the chance to live and work in the countryside for a week, and gain hands-on experience.
Michael received a Knighthood in 2018 for services to literature and charity.
Professor Dominic Wyse
The Double Helix of Reading and Writing: From a new theory to new teaching practices and new policies.
How reading and writing in the English language can best be taught and learned in the context of multilingual classrooms worldwide is a topic of enduring interest. In recent years there has been a global trend to narrow approaches to teaching and learning, nowhere more so than in England. Counter to narrow approaches, this keynote talk presents..
Breakout Session 1
The Art of Creating an Effective Reading Strategy - Morning Session
Speakers: Professor Jessie Ricketts & Vicky Kennard
Jessie and Vicky will guide you through developing a cohesive and effective whole school reading strategy. Participants will be guided through how to assess current reading practices and identify areas for improvement, before going on to explore the methods for setting clear, achievable reading goals.
Reading & Vocabulary: Insights from Research - Afternoon Session
Speaker: Professor Jessie Ricketts
In this session, Jessie will discuss how vocabulary knowledge contributes to reading and conversely how reading can be harnessed to promote vocabulary. Jessie will draw on theory and research that focuses on reading and vocabulary development and draw out implications for supporting all students with reading and vocabulary at school.
Breakout Session 2
The EEF Literacy Guidance Reports: Everything You Need To Know - Repeated Morning and Afternoon
Speaker: Tom Colquhoun
Tom will be exploring the recommendations in the EEF’s four Improving Literacy Guidance Reports.
The EEF’s Guidance Reports offer practical, evidence-based recommendations that are relevant to all pupils, and particularly to those struggling with their literacy. To develop the recommendations, the EEF reviewed the best available international research and consulted experts to arrive at key principles for effective literacy teaching.
Breakout Session 3
The Power of Oral Storytelling - Morning Session
Speaker: Ed Finch
Ed Finch demonstrates how oral storytelling can be used in the classroom to enable really high quality talk. Ed will take us through the process by which he helps children to learn a new story and explores some activities that can be used to deepen children’s experience and link into other learning. You can harness the power of the storyteller to put extended, meaningful, speech for a purpose into your pupils mouths and ears.
Breakout Session 2
Magical Moments: Classroom Storytime - Afternoon Session
Speaker: Ed Finch
Sharing a picture book or a class novel builds prosody, vocabulary, a sense of ‘the voice of the reader’, empathy and relationships in the classroom. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have. So let’s do it really well. Work with Ed to look at a picture book and an excerpt from a popular class novel to explore what makes a really good reading. Yes, we will do the voices.
Breakout Session 2
Fostering Early Language and Conversations - Repeated Morning and Afternoon Session
Speakers: Nina Rothery & Chloe-Rose Godwin
In this session, Nina Rothery and Chloe-Rose Godwin will explore strategies to enhance early language development and foster meaningful conversations in educational settings. Their experience in early childhood education provides practical insights and innovative approaches to engage young learners in verbal interactions.
Breakout Session 4
Mastering the Balance: Navigating the EYFS - Repeated Morning and Afternoon Session
Speaker: Hannah James
Hannah James will guide attendees through the complexities of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. This session will offer practical advice on balancing educational objectives with child-centered approaches, ensuring that all young learners thrive in their early educational experiences.
Breakout Session 5
Transforming the Reading Landscape with AI - Repeated Morning and Afternoon Session
Speakers: Anthony Lees & Michael Kimber
Join Anthony Lees and Michael Kimber as they delve into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in reading education. This forward-thinking session will present cutting-edge AI tools and methodologies that are revolutionizing how educators approach reading instruction and student engagement.
