Annual Conference

Our 2024 annual conference and AGM returns again this year with a variety of keynotes and workshops along with an exhibition filled with a variety of resources for schools. 

There are various booking options: you can book the full conference package (both days, the conference dinner and overnight stay) in either a sole occupancy or twin room, or attend one or both days only. If booking one day you can add on the conference dinner on Thursday evening as well.

Delegate Rates:

Full conference (Thursday and Friday conference days, conference dinner and B&B on Thursday evening) – £235+VAT

Full conference room share (as above sharing a twin room) – £195+VAT

Thursday and Friday conference days – £130+VAT

Thursday only – £75+VAT

Friday only - £75+VAT

Conference Dinner - £40+VAT

All the conference information is below, with the booking form at the foot of the page.

We will be starting no earlier than 9am and finishing by 4pm on both days.

Keynotes

Thursday morning - Nadia Hewstone “The (Un)happy Headteacher: Navigating headship and finding joy in the role”
Nadia is a former headteacher and executive school leadership coach. She founded Destino Coaching four years ago to support headteachers to remain strategic and prioritise their well-being while reaching their personal and professional goals. She has worked with 100s of headteachers through 1:1 coaching and her courses and programmes. Nadia taught and led in schools in London and Norfolk and now works all over the UK through her work as a coach and facilitator.

Nadia is the bestselling author of 'The Unhappy Headteacher', which explores strategies for navigating headship and maintaining joy for the role. She has also been featured in several publications talking about leadership, well-being, parenting and neurodiversity.

Thursday afternoon: Dr Pauline Stephen, GTC Scotland – Trusted Teaching
Trusted Teaching is the central vision of GTC Scotland with trust the key component of what it means to belong to a profession. Teachers work in relationships of authority and trust, teaching relies on highly specialist knowledge and skills and is complex relational and intellectual work. Pauline will summarise our strong professional foundations for trusted teaching – agreed entry standards, shared professional standards, a code of conduct and professionalism, a commitment to ongoing learning and a regulatory process. This will be set in the context of the work of GTC Scotland as the independent regulator of teachers.

Pauline will then go on to consider some potential ‘professional distortions’ that can impact teachers’ feelings of belonging to a trusted profession and in particular how our current context of reform presents challenges to what it means to be a teacher. Pauline will conclude by considering what this all means for trusted leadership across the education system and emphasising the need for us to work collectively to ensure trusted teaching is understood and valued.

Dr Pauline Stephen was appointed Chief Executive and Registrar of GTC Scotland in 2021. Pauline is responsible for the delivery of the strategic plan in line with the organisation’s values. She is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation and is appointed by, and accountable to, GTC Scotland’s Council. The Chief Executive and Registrar engages with partners nationally and internationally to ensure that the teaching profession in Scotland is trusted and valued.

Pauline is a registered teacher and began her career in education as a primary teacher. She became Principal Psychologist in Aberdeenshire Council and Director of Schools and Learning in Angus Council before joining GTC Scotland as Director of Education, Registration and Professional Learning in October 2019.

Friday morning - TBC

Friday afternoon - Graeme Armstrong “Street Belonging: Violence, Connection and Healing”
Graeme offers a social history of Scottish gang culture but with a current focus - examples of youth violence on social media and a more advanced look at up-to-date crime statistics and violence in schools. The lived experience element explores the allure of gangs, street violence, weapon carrying, permanent exclusion, substance abuse and the transformative power of leadership, compassion and the fundamental role educators played in his life. This session examines the work of inspirational figures Karyn McCluskey and John Carnochan, formerly Strathclyde Police and trauma consultant, Alasdair Ireland, while considering the importance of early-years nurture, understanding Scottish masculinity and the devastating consequences of knife violence.

We end looking at the case study of Homeboy Industries, started by Father Greg Boyle in LA, the largest gang intervention in the world. Their organisation was part inspiration for Scotland’s ground-breaking ‘Violence Reduction Unit’. The topics of substance abuse and serious violence are covered in point blank detail and are illustrated by real-life images, collated from his own story. For many with no lived or community experience of youth violence, gangs or substance abuse and addiction, this is a powerful, eye-opening session.

Workshops

Thursday first workshop session

TM1 - Power Planning - Nadia Hewstone
In this workshop Nadia will show you how to use her planning tool, which is designed to support even the busiest headteachers to take control of their time and deliver on their goals. Learn how to manage your day, your week and your month with a razor sharp focus on your key priorities. Nadia will cover the following:

1. Priorities
2. Plan your month
3. Plan your week
4. The daily checklist
5. Accountability
6. Dealing with hijacks

TM2 - Difficult Conversations: The importance of Evidence – Linda Crone, AHDS Area Officer
Following local authority and national guidance and procedures to the letter and collating evidence in testing situations can be a daunting prospect.

From supporting and mentoring a NQT probationer or teacher who is under-performing, to moving forward and improving performance with stronger members of your team, thoroughly collated evidence is essential.

This workshop will look at practicalities and ensure that you have a solid base to support your passage through these situations which can often call for difficult conversations.

TM3 - Nourishing Leadership: Cultivating Well-being for Head Teachers - Tree of Knowledge
In our signature entertaining, enlightening and educating style this interactive session is designed to support the well-being of head teachers by exploring essential concepts from positive psychology, self-care practices, and strategies to combat imposter syndrome. Drawing inspiration from Csikszentmihalyi’s theory of flow, participants will uncover practical techniques to enhance personal well-being, foster resilience, and maintain authenticity in leadership.

TM4 - Behaviour and Relationships action plan  - Gemma Crompton, Scottish Government

Relationships and Behaviour in Schools Action Plan: approaches to consequences

This workshop will provide an overview of the outcomes and priorities of the relationships and behaviour in school action plan 2024-27, published in August 2024 in response to concerns about increasingly challenging behaviour in our classrooms. One of the key priorities of the plan for year 1 is to clarify the range of approaches and consequences that are available to empower staff to promote positive relationships and behaviour, and respond to behaviour that impacts on learning and teaching or the health and safety of others. Delegates will have the opportunity to inform the development of this work by sharing their experiences of what works well, and what doesn’t work well, in managing challenging behaviour in the classroom, and share their suggestions of what support is needed.

Thursday second workshop session

TA1 - HMIe Update and engagement - Janie McManus, HMIe
An opportunity to hear the latest about inspection and the move to an independent inspectorate, directly from the Acting Chief Inspector, Janie McManus.

TA2 - Young STEM leader - Dr Sharon McNab, SSERC
In this session we will discover more about the Young STEM Leader Programme:

The What….
The Young STEM Leader Programme (YSLP) is a Scottish Government funded award that was borne out of the STEM Strategy for Scotland. It has been developed to support learners from CfE Level 2- SCQF Level 7 to inspire, lead and mentor their peers, their families and their communities through the creation and delivery of STEM activities, events and interactions.
The Why….
The key thread of YSLP is that it is ‘for young people, by young people’ and supporting learners to complete a Young STEM Leader Award is an excellent way to deliver STEM learning and build STEM Capital. This learner centred approach dispels stereotypes and builds young people’s confidence, communication and teamworking skills, all within a STEM context.
It is free for any school, youth centre or community organisation to participate and the Scottish Government's expectation is that YSLP will be available to every young person across the country.
The How….
Professional Learning engages teachers to become qualified delivery ‘Tutor Assessors’. The programme is supported by a host of lesson plans, logbooks, activity suggestions and support notes. Schools and Centre’s deliver the award in a variety of ways including buddy systems, STEM Fairs, transitions programmes, podcasts etc and more examples will be explored.  https://www.youngstemleader.sc...

TA3 - Is your Working Time Agreement working for you? – Jill Nicholls, AHDS Area Officer
This session will offer the opportunity to explore the practicalities of creating your school Working Time Agreement.

It will offer a reminder of the core principles of the WTA and the importance of this as a means of managing workload and protecting the health & wellbeing of all teachers.

The session will provide an opportunity to review your own WTA procedures, to identify the positive elements and consider those that may be obstacles to successful outcomes. It will explore common issues that arise around WTAs and provide opportunities to share possible solutions to overcome these.

TA4 - Inspiring the future – Showcasing diverse careers in school  - Nick Chambers
Research by the UK social mobility charity Education and Employers shows that children develop life-limiting stereotypes about work roles at an early age. Children form these stereotypes based on race, gender, and social class, with our research showing those from lower socio-economic backgrounds aspire to lower status roles. Education and Employers seek to break this cycle via its free online platform - Inspiring the Future, where schools across the UK can access thousands of diverse, inspiring role models from the world of work - from app designers to zoologists, apprentices to CEOs. Our research has found that exposure to positive work role models broaden children and young people’s horizons, raise their aspirations, and re-engages them with their core subjects. At a time when schools are struggling to re-motivate students in their learning and attendance, come and hear from Education and Employers CEO, Nick Chambers about our international research, the wide range of volunteers we have available, how we support volunteers and how we can help you to ‘inspire the future’ for your pupils!

Friday first workshop session

FM1 - Creating a Climate for Success and Making the Most of Resistance to Change - Jonathan Cordiner
Former Headteacher and now Quality Improvement Officer Jonathan Cordiner considers the opportunities often missed when we meet resistance to change. Part of creating a healthy climate for success hinges on our ability to create a culture where we can challenge one another, agree to disagree, take into account the valuable and at times opposing views of others, all the while holding the child at the centre to find the best road ahead. Change is a messy business, and navigating the stormy seas of change requires a huge amount of compassion and integrity. How can we create the climate and the conditions which will allow us to maximise the potential of changing times, and turn inevitable points of resistance into opportunity?

FM2 - Introduction to refugee children: asylum and resettlement

This information session, delivered by the Scottish Refugee Council, will provide a basic introduction to working with asylum seekers and refugee children by exploring relevant legal definitions, processes and support for those seeking asylum. The session will highlight the rights and entitlements for asylum seekers and refugees. It will also explore some of the common challenges refugee children face and consider a trauma informed approach in the education context.

This session is open to those with or without experience of working with asylum seeking or refugee children and will provide a starting point for understanding the topics outlined below.

• Legal definitions- migrant, asylum seeker, unaccompanied asylum seeking child (UASC), refugee
• Where do people come from and why do they flee?
• What routes are there to the UK for people seeking protection?
• Asylum support for people seeking asylum
• Rights and entitlements for asylum seekers and refugees
• Challenges children and families face
• Impact on children and taking a trauma- informed approach
• Opportunity to ask questions

FM3 - Emerging literacy - James Cook & James McTaggart

A teacher, eager to ‘get it right for every child’ in their classroom sat down with an educational psychologist, occupational therapist, and speech and language therapist and asked the following question:

Why, despite using a tried and tested commercial literacy programme, are some children not making the promised progress?

10 years on, following research in classrooms with thousands of children and practitioners in Scotland, the soon to be published, ‘Emerging Literacy: Unlocking Instruction for Every Child’ not only answers this question, but shares what you can do to simultaneously raise attainment for all and tackle the poverty related attainment gap.

This workshop, delivered by the book’s authors, is the springboard for improving literacy in your school.

FM4 - Competency 1: Managing Teacher Under-performance – where do I start? - Aileen Spence, AHDS Area Officer
This session will offer the opportunity to explore issues arising around teacher competence.

It aims to help clarify a pathway through the management of under-performance using the SNCT, GTCS and Local Authority Policies and Guidance.

It will acknowledge the importance of evidence –gathering in this process and offer practical suggestions and advice on early identification of difficulties/ concerns from that first difficult conversation, and throughout the informal stages of the GTCS Competency Framework - Stages 1 & 2.

The role of Local Authorities and the GTCS Competency Framework Stages 3 & 4 will be explored in more detail in the Session entitled Competency 2.

Friday second workshop session

FA1 - Mentally Healthy Schools - Billy Burke, SAMH
Billy Burke, Head of Service with Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) and former secondary head teacher, will provide some insights into how school communities can work together to nurture positive mental health and wellbeing for all.

Focussing on early years and primary settings, he will share the current landscape for children and young people’s mental health and describe features of the most effective practice as well as priority areas for change.

Billy will also describe how school staff need to prioritise their own wellbeing and some practical approaches to this.

FA2 - Leading the how of change: Facilitated learning for system leaders - Education Scotland PLL Team
In this session we will explore one of the organisers from Education Scotland’s new leadership programme for headteachers and those who hold the standard for headship. We will focus on ‘Knowing you Wisdom and Learning Needs’ by sharing a hot take which will illicit discussion and sharing of how we work and how we initiate change.

FA3 - Anti-Racism and preventing radicalisation and extremism - Education Scotland
With the recent increases in extremism and violence against marginalised groups in the UK, anti-racist education is more crucial than ever to ensure that schools and settings are inclusive and safe spaces for all learners. This session will explore the existing resources and programmes supporting anti-racist and equalities education. We will look at the national Building Racial Literacy programme, which empowers educators to identify and implement anti-racist behaviours and processes in their everyday practice.

Additionally, the Prevent strategy and Mentors in Violence Prevention programme (MVP) will be shared. MVP is a peer mentoring programme that gives young people the chance to explore and challenge the attitudes, beliefs and cultural norms that underpin all forms of violence and extremism in our society.

We will also provide early insight into a resource being produced by Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) and the Institute of Strategic Dialogue (ISD) to equip educators in Scotland with the knowledge and understanding needed to address online prejudice, extremism and disinformation.

FA4 - Competency 2: Moving Forward with Teacher Under-performance – The role of Local Authorities and GTCS - Susan Stewart, AHDS Area Officer
You may currently be doing or have done all you can to support a teacher to move their practice on and to meet and sustain the GTCS Standard for Full Registration, however there remains an area or areas which are not satisfactory. Where do you go from here?

This session aims to take you through the formal stages - 3 and 4 of the GTCS Competency Framework and to explore the role of the employer and perhaps, ultimately the GTCS, within it.

Not something we ever want to happen, but it is important to know what might have to be done and what each stage within this process entails.

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AGM

By attending the AGM you will have the opportunity to shape the work of the Association. Post-holders for the National Executive and motions from members are heard and discussed. Motions have the capacity to make a big impact on the priorities of the Association and can be of great interest to the media and to key decision-makers.

National Executive Nominations

This year all roles on National Executive are up for election apart from the General Secretary (this is elected on a five-year term and will next be subject to election in 2026). These are:

• President
  
• Vice-President
• Executive Member (2 posts)
• Deputes Representative
• Principal Teacher Representative
• Primary Representative
• Nursery Representative
• ASN Representative
• Diversity & Equalities Representative

Nominations for these roles need to be with the General Secretary by no later than 60 days before the AGM - 22nd September.

The nomination form is available here.

MOTIONS

Some of you might not be familiar with the term ‘motions’ or how to go about submitting one. Here is a quick guide.

What is a motion and how do I submit one?

Put simply, a motion is a statement of a policy which you think should be adopted by the Association. It might be about some change to the Association itself or it may seek to agree a policy position the Association should take on external matters (e.g. curriculum developments, terms and conditions, pensions, etc.) A motion must be proposed and seconded by members who will be present at the AGM. The proposer and seconder get an opportunity to present their motion to the AGM to let other delegates know why it is an important issue and why it ought to be supported. Conference then discusses the motion and any amendments proposed. The conference then votes on whether to adopt any amendments and finally whether to support the motion. If a motion is supported at AGM then it will be pursued as appropriate by National Council and Executive.

To submit a motion…if you have an active local group please contact your local secretary otherwise contact Greg Dempster (greg@ahds.org.uk) as soon as possible. If you want, Greg is more than happy to discuss possible motions and help you agree wording.

DEADLINE – Under our constitution motions which seek to change the constitution must be received by the General Secretary no later than 60 days before the first day of conference. So, by 22nd September this year. Other motions (e.g. commenting on policy) must be submitted at least 15 days before the AGM, so by 6th November.

The motions form can be found here.

21 November 2024 - 22 November 2024 - Glasgow