Celebrating learning at the Festival of Education

Tomorrow, 200 speakers and scores of education professionals gather for an inspirational celebration of schools and colleges, the Sunday Times Festival of Education. We’ll hear from a range of commentators, from Secretary of State Nicky Morgan to rapper Tinie Tempah.

What we’re looking forward to

Suze Kundu’s ‘Journey to the centre of STEM’ tells of her path to becoming a scientist. Inspiring more girls to get involved in subjects such as science and engineering is key for schools, so we can’t wait for this one. 

‘Shakespeare: His life and times in the ‘hood’’ is presented by Bonnie Greer and promises to be an inspiring look at how the Bard’s work can engage marginalised communities. 

Sonia Blandford will offer a framework for headteachers to lead improvement in ‘Working well? A methodology for school improvement that really works’. Following the recent news that ‘inadequate’ schools will be turned into academies, this session will provide tips to help schools to breed their own success. 

‘Education in a globalising world’ is presented by Bruno della Chiesa, to help schools develop skills to participate in the global community. 

Piers Morgan talks about school days in revealing interview

Journalist Piers will be in conversation with Anthony Seldon on Friday 19 June. In an interview ahead of the festival, he also called for improvements in state education: “I’m a huge believer that all roads begin with education. As a parent of a child at Wellington [College, the Festival venue], I’m well aware of the exceptional high standards at the school. But as a former editor of several national newspapers, I’m also well aware that most people in Britain do not enjoy the same privilege, and it’s imperative that standards of state education in this country are constantly improved.”

Asked what changes Piers would like to see in the educational system, he said: “Better, more motivated teachers. Smaller class sizes. And mandatory 90 minutes of sport every day for all state school kids. I had that at prep school until I was 13 and it made such a difference to my health, mindset, determination and competitive spirit.”

Read the full interview

Get regular updates during the festival by following the #EducationFest hashtag on Twitter.

www.festivalofeducation.com