More than 300 teachers and educationalists from state and independent schools across the south and west of England attended the latest edition of Bryanston School’s annual education summit.
As well as school staff and educators, parents were put in the mix for the first time with a 21st century parenting event held the day before, in order to provide new insight and practical advice to parents.
Over 100 parents attended the inaugural event where they had access to experts with a wealth of knowledge on topics ranging from self-harm and eating disorders to gambling, drugs and bullying.
In his opening address to the summit, headteacher Richard Jones stressed the “paradigm shift in the employment landscape” that would come as a result of AI, the metaverse and other advances in technology, and introduced a line-up of speakers including acclaimed poet Daljit Nagra and award-winning educator, designer and author Peps Mccrea.
The theme of this year’s education summit was “Learn to love your mind” and focused on new ideas to develop imagination, curiosity and creativity in children.
Other speakers included education specialists and advisers, child psychologists, inclusion experts and senior executives from the creative industries
CreativeHut, an official partner of Lego Education, also provided a range of interactive workshops and immersive activities to spark creative thinking and showcase new methods for cultivating curiosity and motivating children.
“Cultural and linguistic diversity provides fuel for the creative thought process,” said Nagra.
“By raising awareness of the bigger picture and improving our understanding of sensitivities and differences within our communities, such diversity enables us to create new perspectives on the way we view the world and to develop the skills and imagination for persuasive and well-informed storytelling.”
Peps Mccrea, used his presentation to emphasise how a decline in the motivation levels of pupils as they progress through their school years should be a “call to arms for the teaching profession.”
He highlighted the importance of techniques to help boost motivation levels of children such as behavioural and structural routines, nudging the unwritten rules and social norms of communities as well as ways to gain buy-in and a sense of belonging.
“Events like the Bryanston Education Summit are vital for the educational community,” said Stephen Davies, director of the event.
“Our summit provides a platform for sharing insights, exchanging ideas, and igniting inspired thinking. In an ever-evolving world, it is essential to come together, learn from one another, and collectively shape the future of education. These gatherings celebrate innovation, nurture creativity, and empower educators to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
Other speakers on the day included David Price OBE, the author of the Amazon best-seller “How we’ll work live and learn in the future” and Rob Coe, visiting professor of education at the Centre for Mathematical Cognition at Loughborough University. Education reformer Bill Lucas emphasised the need for a supportive environment and culture to allow creativity to flourish.