Hackney Headteachers’ Conference 2024

Programme

8:30 – Arrival and breakfast

9:00 – Welcome and scene setting 

9:20 – Dynamic leadership in a shifting landscape – Karen Blackett OBE

Read a Q&A with Karen about her session

10:05 – Table discussion

10:20 – Adapting and thriving in a digital age – Sarah Horrocks

Read a Q&A with Sarah about her session

10:50 – Break

11:05 – Table discussion

11:35 – Structured networking – navigating the change of the educational landscape in Hackney. Also an opportunity to meet Heads across the borough.

12:35 – Lunch 

13:35 – Thriving through education: adapting for social equity – Professor Lee Elliot Major

Read a Q&A with Lee about his session

14:35 – Break

14:50 – Panel – how can all children thrive in education? 

• Sudenaz Top (Penultimate Year LLB Law student at City, University of London | The Hoxton Trust Board Member | Hackney Young Futures Legacy Representative | Aspiring Barrister)
• Maggie Kalnins (Head of Governance Services at Hackney Education)
• Professor Lee Elliot Major (First Professor of Social Equity)

15:35 – Q&A

15:50 – Close

Speakers

Karen Blackett OBE 

Karen Blackett is a proven business leader with a track record in creating vibrant cultures, energising teams, and consistently delivering business growth and success. She is currently UK President for WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group, and responsible for driving growth in WPP’s second largest market of 13,000 people. Former GroupM UK CEO, Karen was selected to turnaround the business over 2.5 years at a critical time, during the COVID global pandemic and the subsequent impact of the killing of George Floyd. In June 2014, Karen Blackett received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours and topped the Power List, being the first businesswoman to come in at number 1. In November 2022, Karen received Power List’s Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of her continued exceptional achievements. In June 2023, Karen was appointed a NED for Diageo (a FTSE Top 10 company), and was a former NED of The Cabinet Office. In October 2023, Karen was honoured by INvolve – The Inclusion People’s List and came in at #1 for the Top 100 Women Executives.

Sarah Horrocks

Sarah has significant experience of leading powerful professional development for teachers, supporting schools in using digital technologies and working with school and other education leaders to develop their digital strategies.

She has a proven track record of delivering successful and impactful large-scale education projects, including the Learning Bridges remote learning technology solution for UNICEF in Jordan, TechPathways London for the London Mayor’s Digital Talent programme, BlendEd, a blended learning pedagogy professional development programme commissioned by IBM, and leading the Connected Learning Centre as its director for 16 years. She has worked with municipalities across Northern Europe devising and delivering a range of digital learning-themed EU award winning Erasmus projects including AI and personalised learning, computational thinking and blended learning pedagogy. She has led the delivery of multi-award-winning curriculum and technical services for schools. She is an experienced public speaker on digital learning and presents regularly at the BETT show.

Sarah has authored several research papers including educational blogs and their effects on pupils’ writing and technology-supported professional development for teachers: lessons from developing countries. Sarah is also a guest lecturer at UCL, Institute of Education.

Professor Lee Elliot Major

Lee Elliot Major is Britain’s first Professor of Social Mobility, based at the University of Exeter. He was previously Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust, the UK’s leading social mobility foundation.

His work is dedicated to improving the lives of children and young people from under-resourced backgrounds. He works closely with school leaders, universities, global employers and Governments to develop practical ways of improving educational and life prospects.

His latest book Equity in Education argues for a new approach and language for disadvantage and challenges deficit discourses in education. On its release the book was immediately ranked among Amazon’s ‘Hot New Releases in Education’.

His Penguin book Social Mobility and Its Enemies has attracted attention across the world. Lee is one of the most prominent public voices in national education debates and is invited to speak about the topic across the world. 

He was awarded an OBE in the 2019 Queen’s Honours. He is the first in his family to go to university. He currently sits on the Department for Education’s Schools Strategy & Delivery Advisory Group.

How to book

Book your place online

View Hackney Education’s Terms and Conditions for Delegates at Conferences.