FlourishED Programme
Welcome
In 2024, we published âFlourishing Together: A collective vision for the education systemâ in partnership with our friends at the Catholic Education Service and the Confederation of School Trusts. This publication has further deepened our commitment to the idea that âFlourishingâ is the most coherent and compelling vision around which to base an education system. Throughout 2025, nearly 100 MATs, Dioceses and schools have committed to pilot our new Flourishing Leaders and Teachers programmes, seeking to re-imagine education as a career in which an adult can expect to flourish.
Further to this, these programmes have attracted global attention, with teaching groups commencing this year already in Australia, South Africa, USA and India, with many more to following through our new Global Consortium for Flourishing in Education, whose first meeting takes place in the UK in March 2026. At this yearâs conference, we place young people at the centre (just like our document outlines!) â through the launch of the Flourishing Young Leaders Award, and the inaugural NSE Festival of Flourishing, featuring young leaders from across the country, centring our thinking on the vibrant role that the creative arts have to play in enabling all children to flourish.
This is also a moment of transition for the National Society, as I step down this month â with Andy Wolfe taking up the baton as the interim CEO going forwards. It has been a profound privilege to serve the Churchâs ministry in education alongside such a capable and dedicated team. I have been continually inspired by the passion and dedication of educators, leaders, and diocesan teams who work tirelessly to shape lives and communities. I look forward to continuing to serve education in a new capacity, supporting fairness and integrity across the school system.
But for now, welcome to this FlourishED National event â and we hope you are inspired to place children and young people instinctively at the centre of your mission and activity.
Revd Canon Nigel Genders CBE
Chief Executive, National Society for Education
10:00
10:15
10:30
11:00
11:30
11:35
12:00
12:15
12:45
1:30
3:30
5:00
Opening Live Music: Soul Children UK
Welcome, Opening Worship and Prayer
Keynote 1: Tom Rees
Keynote 2: Rachel Gardner
Class of 2040 film and Introduction to Sponsors
Young Leadersâ Panel Discussion: Sonia Thompson, Andy Emerton and Dawn Haywood
Launch of the NSE Flourishing Young Leaders Award
Keynote 3: Amjad Ali
Networking and Lunch
Inaugural NSE Festival of Flourishing in the Creative Arts
Networking Receptions
Conference Dinner with Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education
7:00 Event Close and Departure
Keynote overviews
Tom Rees
No-one flourishes unless everyone flourishes: A Vision for SEND Reform and Practice
In this keynote, Tom will outline the governmentâs vision for the flourishing of pupils with SEND, the development of teaching and learning to support their progress and the long-term structural reforms that we expect to underpin the Schools White Paper published later this term. Tom has been leading this key development work alongside Ministers and provides an inspirational and wise perspective on how every child could flourish.
Biography
Tom is Chief Executive of Ormiston Academies Trust, one of Englandâs most established school trusts which serves over 35,000 children in 44 schools across the country, including special, alternative provision, primary and secondary. He has 25 years of experience working in education as a teacher, headteacher and in executive roles, most recently at Ambition Institute where he was responsible for the delivery of professional development to over 50,000 teachers and school leaders.
In 2006, Tom was one of the co-founders of Ups ânâ Downs â a charity supporting families affected by Downâs syndrome. He is currently the chair of the DfEâs expert advisory group for inclusion.
Rachel Gardner
Placing Children and Young People at the heart of the Church of Englandâs vision and mission
The Church of England has an ambitious goal to double the number of children and young people who are active disciples by 2030 â a goal towards which it is moving by thinking creatively about models of mission and engagement with young people, with a generation that is increasingly interested exploring faith. Rachel will be exploring the immense opportunity of placing children and young people instinctively at the heart of our mission, and challenging us as leaders to take the courageous steps to make this a reality in all of our contexts.
Biography
Rachel Gardner brings over two decades of experience in youth ministry, with a deep commitment to the spiritual and personal development of young people. She is the author of âThe Girl De-Construction Projectâ and âThe Sex Thingâ, and co-hosts the Talking Youth Ministry podcast. In her current roles as Ambassador for Home for Good and Director of Partnerships at Youthscape, Rachel plays a pivotal role in shaping national conversations around youth and faith. She also serves as Youth Innovation Lead at St Lukeâs, a church with a strong youth focus located in an under-resourced area of Blackburn, where she works to support and empower a diverse community of young people.
Keynote overviews
Young Leadersâ Panel Discussion
Sonia Thompson, Andy Emerton and Dawn Haywood
Now itâs time to turn it over to our young leaders â the amazing pupils from Harleston Sancroft Academy in the Diocese of Norwich. They will be interviewing our panel of experts about what it truly means to place children and young people at the heart of the mission and practice of our organisations, and what we can learn from schools, dioceses, churches and MATs about the challenges and opportunities of doing this.
Andy Wolfe
Biography
Andy Wolfe is Executive Director of Education for the Church of England and oversees the programmes, networks and research of the Foundation for Educational Leadership â working with thousands of school leaders across the UK, particularly through the Church of Englandâs role as a large lead provider of NPQ programmes.
He is committed to combining rich theological reflection with evidence-informed approaches to improving teaching, learning and leadership in schools, and oversees the national Flourishing Leaders and Flourishing Teachers Programmes. He has authored many of the Church of Englandâs educational leadership resources, including pioneering the âCalled, Connected, Committedâ leadership framework (2020) and âFlourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators and Schoolsâ (2022) and âFlourishing Together: A Collective Vision for the Education Systemâ with CST and CES (2024). Andy also oversees the Church of Englandâs âGrowing Faithâ national work in relation to faith development in schools, churches and households, the Archbishopsâ Young Leaders Award, working closely with dioceses, MATs, universities and FE colleges across the country.
Amjad Ali
âWhat difference do flourishing adults make to the children with whom they work?â
Amjad is one of the most dynamic and persuasive voices in the British education system and a key part of our work on the Flourishing programmes. In this inspirational keynote, he will be exploring how crucial the flourishing of adults is to the flourishing of children, and how we set the culture in our organisations for all to flourish through attending to Purpose, Wellbeing and Relationships. He will also shape our thinking and practice to ask what difference we can make by placing children and young people at the heart of our decision making as leaders.
Biography
Amjad Ali is regarded as one of the most engaging and empowering voices in the fields of inclusive leadership and professional development. With his trademark humour, warmth, and clarity, Amjad brings a rare ability to translate the complexities of educational leadership into practical strategies that challenge, inspire, and stick.
Having spent over 19 years working in diverse and highneed schools â including seven years as a founding leadership team member of a new secondary school â Amjad now serves as a Trust Training and Inclusion Lead, supporting leaders, teachers, and school communities to grow cultures of equity, ambition, and sustained professional learning.
A sought-after leadership speaker and CPD specialist, Amjad supports schools to try and refine their leadership approach to training and inclusion, ensuring professional development becomes embedded, evidence-informed and impactful. His mantra is simple: âWhat will you now try, refine and ditch.â
Festival of Flourishing
The inaugural NSE Festival of Flourishing in the Creative Arts
We are delighted to be welcoming student performers from across the country to this yearâs inaugural Festival of Flourishing. These performers will be spending the morning doing a performance workshop with two incredible organisations â the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Kingdom Choir â with their leaders Jacqui OâHanlon and Karen Gibson. Pupils will then be joining us for the afternoon festival, with incredible performances coming up from:
⢠Transform Trust (Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham)
⢠Shoreside Primary School (Rainbow MAT â Diocese of Liverpool)
⢠Roxwell C of E Primary School (LIFE Education Trust â Diocese of Chelmsford)
⢠Soul Children UK (featuring performers from Elworth Church of England Primary School â Diocese of Chester)
⢠Whiteshill Primary School (DGAT â Diocese of Gloucester)
⢠Ely St Maryâs Junior School (DEMAT â Diocese of Ely)
⢠St Markâs & The Parish Schools â Aquinas Trust (Diocese of Rochester)
⢠iSingPOP (mixed group from iSingPOP schools in Dioceses of Worcester, Coventry & St Albans)
⢠St Regis Academy (Diocese of Lichfield)
⢠Trinity Church of England School (Diocese of Southwark)
⢠Twyford CofE High School (Diocese of London)
In addition, we also have inspirational input from a range of speakers on the importance of the creative arts for providing opportunities for every pupil to flourish including â Jacqui O Hanlon, Chip Kendall and Karen Gibson, all hosted by our very own Andy Wolfe, whose teaching career of course began in the music classrooms, recital halls and recording studios of Nottingham many years ago!
Young Leaders Spotlight
Harleston Sancroft Academy
Harleston Sancroft Academy stands as a testament to the enduring commitment of the Church of England to educational excellence. This all-through school in Norfolk serves children aged 3-16, embodying the vision of âLife in all Its Fullnessâ drawn from John 10:10.
The academyâs heritage extends back to 1688, when Archbishop William Sancroft demonstrated remarkable foresight by establishing educational provision for the young people of Harleston. His generous grant to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, ensured that a clergyman would teach in the community, laying foundations that continue to flourish today.
In September 2022, the merger of Archbishop Sancroft High School and Harleston Primary Academy created a unified educational journey for over 800 pupils. As part of the Diocese of Norwich St Benetâs Multi Academy Trust, the school places relationships at its heart, faithfully reflecting the Church of England Vision for Education. Under the leadership of Headteacher Rob Connelly, Harleston Sancroft Academy continues to nurture wisdom, hope, and aspiration in each child entrusted to its care.
Our huge thanks go to the student leaders and staff from the Harleston Sancroft Academy in the Diocese of Norwich for all their exceptional work preparing for todayâs event, and for leading and hosting us so brilliantly. The school has been a key part of our National Secondary Leadership Network for many years, and its vision for educating for âLife in all Its Fullnessâ is of course completely resonant with that of the NSE â so a huge National Society for Education thank you to you all!
soulchildrenuk.com
office@soulchildrenuk.com
Download enquiry form
Soul Children
Soul Children U.K. is a joyful, high-impact childrenâs choir programme designed to help young people discover a lifelong friendship with Jesus through music they can relate to. Built specifically for children aged 9â16, it gives Church of England schools a fresh and accessible way to support spiritual development, wellbeing, and community connection through singing, movement, and meaningful lyrics. Soul Children songs are memorable, age-appropriate, and rooted in Christian values â helping children to grow in confidence, belonging, and hope. Whether your school already has a strong worship culture or youâre exploring new ways to deepen Christian distinctiveness, Soul Children U.K. offers a simple, scalable way to bring faith-filled music into school life.
Getting involved is easy â and right now, itâs more affordable than ever. Through FLOURISH funding, we can subsidise membership costs for up to two years for eight new choirs, helping schools launch with confidence and support. Membership includes access to song resources, training, and guidance to help you establish a thriving choir that can serve school worship, events, and community gatherings. If youâre a headteacher, teacher, or academy leader interested in starting a Soul Children U.K. choir (or exploring how the songs could support your school), weâd love to connect.
LYFTA
Lyfta means âto liftâ in Nordic languages â and together we are lifting more than 300,000 children and their teachers out of their everyday realities. Lyfta is a powerful, beautiful and effective way to teach children about our complex world, and to inspire them to make it better. The teaching and learning is delivered through Lyftaâs unique storyworlds: immersive, interactive and powerful documentary stories that focus on human lives. Our stories are carefully selected and crafted by our Oscarâwinning content team, and made pedagogically relevant by our phenomenal education team, led by Dr Harriet Marshall.
Schools use Lyfta to bring learning to life, supporting numerous curriculum subjects, as well as personal development and values education. Lyftaâs documentary storyworlds broaden childrenâs horizons by inviting them into human stories from around the globe. They boost childrenâs cultural and intercultural capital and awareness. Lyfta humanises skills, values and knowledge in a way no other educational resource can, making teaching and learning more accessible and joyful. Academic and teacherled research shows impact on literacy as well as empathy and understanding â vital in these deeply polarising times. And with our focus on critical digital and media literacy, we are helping schools to nurture curious, compassionate, critical thinkers in this age of misinformation.
Our vision is that by the time a child leaves school, they will have had a meaningful learning experience in every country in the world. They will have visited many different places, met many different people, encountered many cultures and languages, and seen a wide range of professions, identities and perspectives. When children have this wealth of experience, theyâre better able to see how interconnected and interdependent we are â and they are inspired to find their own purpose and place in our changing, complex world.
Visit lyfta.com for more info.
Step into Teaching
The challenge facing education is no longer simply recruitment, but the creation of a workforce that can sustain itself and thrive over time. Step Into Teaching exists to address this systemic issue by rethinking how future teachers are identified, prepared and supported before they enter Initial Teacher Training.
Each year, around 1,000 graduates are placed into schools in meaningful support roles, contributing immediately while gaining an authentic understanding of classroom practice, school culture and the realities of working in education. Since 2019, more than 4,500 participants have completed the programme, building a growing national evidence base for what supports long-term commitment to the profession.
The model is intentionally lowârisk for both schools and graduates. Participants replace speculation with lived experience, while schools gain additional capacity without adding pressure to existing staff. In 2024/25, over 25% progressed into Initial Teacher Training, around four times the sector average, while 88% remained working in education, indicating stronger early-stage retention than traditional routes.
Beyond filling gaps, the programme supports the development of core behaviours that underpin effective teaching and leadership, including resilience, adaptability and problem-solving, alongside a realistic understanding of workload and wellbeing.
Step Into Teaching contributes to a more sustainable workforce by helping schools develop teachers and leaders who are prepared not just to enter the profession, but to remain, grow and flourish within it.
Visit stepintoteaching.co.uk for more info.
About NSE
Archbishopsâ Young Leaders Award
The Archbishopsâ Young Leaders Award (AYLA) is a fully resourced leadership and character education programme designed to be delivered by teaching staff within the classroom. Available at KS1 through to Post 16. The AYLA has strong links to SMSC, British Values, PSHE, Character Education, Citizenship, RE and SIAMS.
Growing Faith Foundation
The Growing Faith Foundation seeks to benefit children and young people, helping them create the world they want to live in, specifically through the lens of the Christian faith. Every diocese has appointed one or more Growing Faith Champions to take forward the Growing Faith mission locally. The Growing Faith Foundation is developing work in four main areas: Networks, Learning Hubs, Programmes and Research.
Foundation for Educational Leadership
The National Society Foundation for Educational Leadership (previously known as âCEFELâ) was founded in 2017, providing Programmes, Networks, Research and Events to: âDevelop inspirational leaders who are Called, Connected and Committed to deliver the Church of England Vision for Education.â Since its inception it has delivered leadership development to thousands of leaders across the country through strategic partnerships with dioceses, school trusts, schools, FE colleges and universities.