Speakers

Day one - Conference chair

Graham Badman CBE, Visiting Professor at the University of London’s Institute of Education and Former Managing Director, Children Families and Education, Kent County Council

Graham Badman was formerly Managing Director of the Children, Families and Education Directorate for Kent County Council. He has had over 40 years of experience in education and children’s services as a teacher, headteacher, inspector and chief education officer.

Amongst his many roles and responsibilities, Graham was Specialist Adviser to the Education and Employment Parliamentary Select Committee (1997) and has also been chair of a careers company (1993-1997). He was a member of the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families’ 8-13 Expert Group (2007) and also a member of the Minister of State for Schools and Learners’ Home Access Taskforce.

He is a Governor of Christ Church University and Governor and Trustee of three Kent academies. He was appointed by the Secretary of State to the Board of BECTA (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) in January 2009. He is also visiting Professor at the University of London’s Institute of Education.

In January 2008, he was awarded the CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to education and local government. 

Day one - Speakers

Pam Boyd, Acting Chief Executive, ContinYou

Pam’s background includes local authority education, leisure, youth and community services and, the Training Enterprise Council where she had responsibility for regeneration, equal opportunities, education and out-of-school-hours childcare programmes and developing modern apprenticeships.

Pam has a Masters degree in Education, has been a school governor for over 25 years and has two grown up sons – one of whom made her a grandma last year.

Pam lives just inside the Snowdonia National Park, is renovating an elderly and somewhat uncared for house and never has enough time for enjoying her large (overgrown) garden and the fantastic countryside.

Professor Alan Dyson, Centre for Equity in Education, University of Manchester

Alan Dyson co-directs the Centre for Equity in Education at the University of Manchester. His research interests are in the relationship between social and educational disadvantage. He has a particular interest in extended schools and is currently part of the team evaluating the national extended schools initiative.


Prior to his research career, Alan spent thirteen years as a teacher, mainly in urban comprehensive schools.

Download a copy of Professor Alan Dyson's presentation 'Framing the challenge: how do we work together to tackle the inequality gap?' (PDF file, 245KB).

Tim Levell, Editor, Blue Peter

Tim has worked in children's media for most of his broadcasting life, principally at Newsround, where he was variously a reporter, location director, producer, website creator and ultimately editor. During Tim’s time on Newsround he reported live from Germany, where he stood in waders in record flood waters; managed to take the programme off-air two minutes early because a graphics package he was working on didn't get finished in time; and signed up pop band Hear' Say to do an exclusive web diary which was so popular it nearly crashed the servers. Tim joined Blue Peter in the summer of 2007 with a brief to freshen it up for the 50th birthday and beyond. Tim has also worked at Sky News, for BBC News interactive on an early social networking project, Breakfast News, and started his career in local radio (Radio Sheffield) and regional TV.

Baz Chapman, Programme Director, Sing Up

Baz Chapman is Programme Director for Sing Up, the Music Manifesto National Singing Programme, produced by Youth Music, with AMV-BBDO, Faber Music and The Sage Gateshead, supported by the government. Sing Up aims to ensure that singing is at the heart of every primary school child’s life, and that all primary schools become ‘Singing Schools’ by 2011.

Baz studied music at York University and Arts Administration at City University, and has enjoyed a career never far away from singing, working at City of Birmingham Touring Opera, as General Manager of the Voices in the City choral festival, Chorus and Projects Manager at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Director of MusicLeader West Midlands. 

Sue Berelowitz, Deputy Children’s Commissioner for England and Chief Executive, 11 Million 

Deputy Children’s Commissioner for England, and 11 Million CEO, Sue took up her roles in October 2008, after stepping down as director of business development in adult and children’s services at West Sussex County Council.

The authority won a series of accolades under her guidance, including beacon council status for integrated children’s services, and was named a Children’s Trust National Pathfinder. 

Download a copy of Sue Berelowitz's presentation 'Narrowing the gap for children: promoting children's rights' (PDF file, 182KB). 

Steve Moore, Director, Policy Unplugged

Steve is founder and Director of Policy Unplugged. He is an adviser to Channel 4 and a board member of the Channel Education Advisory Board. Steve is the curator of the 2gether Festival annual celebration of Ideas and Possibilities. Steve has worked as an advisor and consultant for Microsoft, NESTA, PWC, DIUS, and Sport England. Steve formerly worked as Head of Innovation and Media at the Learning and Skills Council and Chair of the trans-national Workforce Futures Board, Research and Deelopment Director at SOLOTEC and a Board Member of the Thames Gateway Partnership. Steve is a Fellow of the RSA and a trustee of www.gemin-i.org.  

Matt Locke, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4 Education

Matt Locke is Commissioning Editor for Education at Channel 4. He works with the Education team to commission online services that will deliver informal learning in innovative and exciting ways to teenage audiences.

Before Channel 4, Matt was Head of Innovation for BBC New Media and Technology. He was responsible for developing and running research programmes within the BBC and with external partners, including developing academic and industry partnerships, and developing open innovation initiatives like http://backstage.bbc.co.uk and http://open.bbc.co.uk/labs/.

Before joining the BBC, Matt worked as a curator and writer, specialising in the social adoption of technology and the cultural impact of digital technology, and still continues to write regularly about these themes for journals, websites and his own site at www.test.org.uk.  

Tim Riches, Director, Synergy TV

Tim has worked on several high profile education projects, which go beyond the walls of the school to engage parents and the wider community. They include the multi award winning podcasting and social network Radiowaves and Supporter to Reporter. 

Over the past year, Tim has been working closely with schools, local authorities and government to design extended schools programmes using podcasting and social networking to enable young people to develop new skills and make a positive contribution to their communities.

In 2008, he worked with the Ministry of Justice to develop ‘Voice It!’ a national youth campaigning project designed to engage young people in their local communities and with local government.

Tim has recently worked with the Trainer Development Agency to develop a social network and resource centre for music teachers and community musicians across the country.

Synergy.TV works with young people, teachers and youth groups to create positive activities using social networks. We create social networking and podcasting platforms and work with young people and teachers to develop their communities – face-to-face and online. 

Steve Parry, olympic swimmer and broadcaster

As a motivational speaker, Steve Parry tells the inspiring story of his Olympic Bronze medal-winning swim in Athens. Taking on World Record Holder Michael Phelps, Steve was on the verge of going out of the Games after a disastrous first round swim.

Turning his performance around took courage, but the change in mental approach was crucial. Learn how to change your mindset so that you and your team run with a positive aura of self-belief.
 

I have received brilliant feedback with regards to Steve’s presentation and the delegates particularly liked the links Steve made between successful sportsman and the success in the business world. I was also impressed by the way Steve combined humour and the serious messages which made for a very entertaining and informative hour.
 

Day two - Conference chair

Peter Fox, Leader of Monmouthshire County Council and WLGA Education Lead Member

Peter is married with four children and a farmer by trade, but has been heavily involved within local government for the past twelve years. For the majority of that time he has focused on the lifelong learning agenda with the needs of children and young people being a key interest of Peter’s. 

Day Two - Speakers

Alexa Gooder, Head of Public Sector Partnerships, Change4Life, Department of Health

Alexa has worked for BT on integrated campaigns for BT shops, Payphones and BT Chargecard, moving to support blue chip companies to develop branded new media applications to trial on BT’s interactive kiosks and games network. Her final move in BT was as General Manager launching the consumer free email brand, talk21.

In 2000, Alexa moved to thomascook.com as Marketing Director, helping to build their online brand into one of the most frequently visited e-travel companies in the UK. Alexa then spent two years as a consultant for the Cabinet Office’s e-Government Unit leading the pan-government branding project for the e-service Directgov.

As a senior consultant at the Department of Health, Alexa leads all public sector partnerships for the Change4Life movement, encouraging government departments, workforce and the third sector to support Change4Life. 

Dowload a copy of Alexa Gooder's presentation 'Change4Life: changing the behaviours that lead to children becoming obese' (PDF file, 952KB).

Christine Davies CBE, Chief Executive, Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children's Services - C4EO

C4EO’s principal aim is to identify, co-ordinate and disseminate ‘what works’, in order to significantly improve the outcomes of children, young people and their families – realising the full potential of Every Child Matters (ECM).

Christine also leads the national Narrowing the Gap programme which identifies leading practice in improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people – the findings will inform the development of the Centre.

Formerly Corporate Director for Children and Young People, Telford and Wrekin Council (1997–2007).

Download a copy of Christine Davies's presentation 'Tackling inequality: what can we learn from evidence and research?' (PDF file, 342KB).

Julia Unwin, Chief Executive, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust

Julia joined the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in January 2007.

Previously, Julia was the Deputy Chair of the Food Standards Agency and an independent consultant operating within government and the voluntary and corporate sectors. Julia focused on the development of services and in particular the governance and funding of voluntary organisations.

Julia was a member of the Housing Corporation Board for ten years and was a Charity Commissioner from 1998-2003. Julia is a member of the Prime Minister's Council on Social Action, a member of the Ethics Committee at the University of York and a Governor of the Pensions Policy Institute.  

Download a copy of Julia Unwin's presentation 'Tackling inequality: what can we learn from evidence and research?' (PDF file, 214KB).

Joe Hayman, Extended Services Programme Director, ContinYou

Joe Hayman is the Director of Extended Schools and Study Support at ContinYou. He joined ContinYou in January this year after five years working for the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, managing national youth crime prevention programmes and advising Ministers on measures aimed at reducing youth offending. 

Joe is a trustee of the mentoring charity Friends United Network and Special Educational Needs Governor at Gospel Oak Primary School in north London. 

Download a copy of Joe Hayman's speech 'Tackling inequality: what next for extended services?' (PDF file, 62KB).