Outstanding Schools Europe 2023 Agenda

The Chair will welcome delegates to the first day of the conference, which will focus on two interrelated themes: Leadership and Workforce and Wellbeing and Inclusion. 

In his keynote address, Dr Graus will explore a number of key issues of the day within education including:

• Brave leadership
• To the question “Who is the teacher?”
• Technology
• Equity and equality
• Education versus schooling to “More than a school”
• If every child is everyone’s responsibility

The aim: to find some answers. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely!

At the heart of inclusive school cultures are the students we serve. Educators and schools state that children are at the centre and heart of decision-making. How school communities see children and place children at the centre varies across cultures, perspectives, values and contexts.

This keynote will explore how:

• • One’s professional identity continuously evolves as we learn about how cultural norms shape behaviours, worldviews, and the educational contract we uphold in schools
  • Strong school cultures are built on how we value diversity, how we bridge differences and how we consider the historically marginalised when designing for inclusivity
  • Mindsets and behaviours and systems and structures can be conduits of change to create a learning culture that is totally inclusive for all
  • Equity-driven decision-making and design of schools is central to addressing the challenge of becoming totally inclusive
  • Educators of European international schools can commit to leveraging their power and positionality to be advocates for total inclusivity.

• How can international school leaders and senior leadership teams adapt to respond to and meet the needs of a rapidly evolving market? 
• Instituting change and inspiring innovation within your school. 

Delegates are invited to attend one of the below interactive roundtable discussions in the Leadership and Workforce stream. Please note that these roundtable sessions will take place concurrently and at the same time as the roundtable sessions in the Wellbeing and Inclusion stream.  

• How can senior leadership teams feel better equipped to help staff team manage workloads and create a wellbeing ethos in the school setting?
• What should effective Wellbeing Policies consist of?
• How best to structure staff teams to help manage wellbeing and stress.
• How to use appraisals and performance management to promote staff wellbeing.
• How to best manage pinch points of the school year to safeguard employees.

• Current recruitment trends in European international schools: what are the motivations underpinning educators’ career choices?  
• How can European international schools attract the best talent in an increasingly competitive market? 
• How will the ongoing impact of Brexit impact European schools’ hiring practices in 2023 and beyond? 
• The importance of ongoing CPD opportunities to retain leading talent. 
• What should schools do to ensure that they employ equitable hiring practices that provide equal opportunities for all? 

• What barriers to leadership in international schools most commonly impact individuals who identify as women? 
• What additional, intersectional challenges preclude some women from advancing to senior leadership positions in European international schools? What can be done to disrupt and dismantle the systems and structures that support this? 
• How can those already in leadership positions empower and successfully advocate for women seeking leadership positions? 
• The importance of establishing both formal and informal networks to ensure an equitable future for individuals who identify as women in the European international schools sector. 

• How can schools develop a culture of coaching and mentoring to create a more effective teaching workforce? 
• The importance of coaching and mentoring for the development of both pedagogical and soft skills. 
• The interrelation between coaching, mentoring and succession planning. 
• Shifting from a managerial hierarchy to a collaborative culture. 

• How can schools develop an approach to wellbeing that encompasses the needs of educators and school leaders? 
• What provisions ought to be put in place to safeguard the mental health of senior leadership teams? 
• Establishing an organisational culture of trust and delegation to safeguard the wellbeing of senior leadership teams. 
• Strategies to help reduce stress and staff burnout. 

This session will consist of two 10-minute presentations followed by a 10-minute summary panel discussion, and moderated live delegate Q&A. 

Hear insights from two international school leaders with direct experience of working in the context of complex, irresolute conflicts about the role that international schools can play in responding to geopolitical crises in and beyond Europe. 

• What does happiness look like in a school and how do we ensure our pupils are happy?
• What is positive psychology?

The Chair will welcome delegates to the first day of the conference, which will focus on two interrelated themes: Leadership and Workforce and Wellbeing and Inclusion. 

In his keynote address, Dr Graus will explore a number of key issues of the day within education including:

• Brave leadership
• To the question “Who is the teacher?”
• Technology
• Equity and equality
• Education versus schooling to “More than a school”
• If every child is everyone’s responsibility

The aim: to find some answers. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely!

At the heart of inclusive school cultures are the students we serve. Educators and schools state that children are at the centre and heart of decision-making. How school communities see children and place children at the centre varies across cultures, perspectives, values and contexts.

This keynote will explore how:

• One’s professional identity continuously evolves as we learn about how cultural norms shape behaviours, worldviews, and the educational contract we uphold in schools
• Strong school cultures are built on how we value diversity, how we bridge differences and how we consider the historically marginalised when designing for inclusivity
• Mindsets and behaviours and systems and structures can be conduits of change to create a learning culture that is totally inclusive for all
• Equity-driven decision-making and design of schools is central to addressing the challenge of becoming totally inclusive
• Educators of European international schools can commit to leveraging their power and positionality to be advocates for total inclusivity

• How can international school leaders and senior leadership teams adapt to respond to and meet the needs of a rapidly evolving market? 
• Instituting change and inspiring innovation within your school.

Delegates are invited to attend one of the below interactive roundtable discussions in the Wellbeing and Inclusion stream. Please note that these roundtable sessions will take place concurrently and at the same time as the roundtable sessions in the Leadership and Workforce Stream stream.  

• Thinking beyond its pedagogical potential, how can educators harness technology to enhance wellness and tackle mental ill health within their school? 
• Challenging misconceptions and fears regarding technology and students’ mindfulness and wellbeing. 
• How can schools support SEND and neurodiverse students through technology? 

• Are there lessons to be learned since COVID and what are the current safeguarding challenges facing schools? 
• Establishing a whole school approach to safeguarding so that everyone, including students, staff and caregivers are fully informed and engaged.
• Developing effective strategies that support an open and transparent safeguarding culture across the school community.

• Transitioning from awareness to actions: how can international schools create concrete actions that support their long-term DEIJ vision?  
• The interconnectedness of DEIJ initiatives and how to create an inclusive strategy that safeguards the wellbeing of the entire school community.  
• Establishing buy-in from leaders and governors to ensure the long-term success of inclusion and wellbeing initiatives.   
• Beyond short-term ROI and KPIs: strategies for successful and sustainable approaches to DEIJ and developing key performance indicators to determine the success of DEIJ initiatives. 

• Establishing visible, institution-wide affirmations and commitments to equity, rights and protections for individuals who identify as LGBTQ+. 
• How to create safe spaces to educate both teachers and contingent staff so that they can better support LGBTQ+ members of the school community. 
• How can international schools best support their transgender and non-binary students? 
• How can leaders be empowered and supported to ensure that they do work responsibly? 

• Building resilience and instilling emotional, social, and psychological wellness within students. 
• Engaging with children’s behavioural challenges through empathetic and compassionate practices. 

This session will consist of two 10-minute presentations followed by a 10-minute summary panel discussion, and moderated live delegate Q&A. 

Hear insights from two international school leaders with direct experience of working in the context of complex, irresolute conflicts about the role that international schools can play in responding to geopolitical crises in and beyond Europe. 

• What does happiness look like in a school and how do we ensure our pupils are happy?
• What is positive psychology?

The Chair will welcome delegates to the second day of the conference, which will focus on two interrelated themes: EdTech and Management and Teaching and Learning. 

• What alternative pedagogies are available and how can European international schools employ them?
• Re-evaluating and disrupting educational norms to better equip students with twenty-first century competencies.

In this keynote presentation, Dame Alison Peacock will talk about the work of the Chartered College of Teaching to enhance the professional status of teachers. She will illustrate her talk with reference to her own research about inclusive practice that builds a culture of achievement for all.

• Many international schools use multiple platforms as part of their overarching teaching and learning strategy, which often leads to disorganised data and educators working out of sync with one another.
• In addition, teachers are often inundated with responsibilities that exceed the six to eight hours in their schedule typically allocated to teaching, thereby making effective time management difficult. This challenge is compounded when educators have to use multiple platforms to perform different tasks.
• In this keynote presentation, discover how streamlining technologies can help schools empower their teachers and supercharge their teaching and learning provision.

Delegates are invited to attend one of the below interactive roundtable discussions in the EdTech and Management stream. Please note that these roundtable sessions will take place concurrently and at the same time as the roundtable sessions in the Teaching and Learning stream.

• Discuss the strategic development of holistic school inclusion development.
• Listen to a real case study of the successful development of a fully integrated programme of support for all children, of all levels of need from Gifted and Talented, English Language Learners and Special Educational Needs.
• Win candy in an interactive discussion about what works well and challenges you are facing
• Share with like minded professionals your successes, challenges, frustrations and joys.

• Best practice guidance for educating children and caregivers about digital etiquette to develop well-rounded digital citizens. 
• Challenging, addressing, and reducing bullying behaviour online in your school community. 
• Equipping children with twenty-first century competencies and strategies to ensure that they thrive in an increasingly technology-oriented world.   
• What opportunities do the Metaverse, Extended Reality and AI offer for educators? 

• How can traditional pedagogy be enhanced by digital technologies, and how can these be merged? 
• Embedding educational technology into unit planning. 
• How can schools structure spaces within classrooms to integrate EdTech in a more optimal way that facilitates learning? 
• How can AI and other evolving digital technologies allow for more individualised student assessment?  

• Educational technology is becoming unmanageable in many schools. Add to that the pressures of new data protection legislations and cyber threat, and school leaders are looking to regain control.  
• Learn how to create a clear, whole school strategy for your school’s Edtech and sell that vision to parents and teachers to ensure change happens successfully.  
• Ensure that your systems are providing value for money and improving outcomes.  

• Schools are awash with data, yet they often struggle to know how best to manage and utilise this data to improve outcomes. 
• How can data be used to enhance teacher instruction and student learning? 
• The potential of diachronic data to provide insights about students’ progress and to personalise learning experiences. 
• How can schools clearly communicate data analysis to key stakeholders in the school community, especially those who are not data literate? 

• As international schools in Europe progressively cater to a growing local population, rather than their traditional expatriate market, how should they adapt to their pedagogy and provision?
• What is the purpose of international schools, and what does it mean to be internationally minded, in an increasingly ‘glocal’ market?
• Understanding your USP: how can schools develop and communicate their identity and values to attract and retain staff and students?
• How can international schools and school groups capitalise on the recent growth of the market in Europe?

• What should the role of European international schools be with regards to the global sustainability agenda? 
• How can schools equip students with the skills to survive and respond to a rapidly worsening climate catastrophe? 
• Campus transformation: rethinking learning spaces to provide truly sustainable experiential learning environments. 
• How can school leaders meaningfully embed sustainability in their school’s values and strategic goals? 

The Chair will welcome delegates to the second day of the conference, which will focus on two interrelated themes: EdTech and Management and Teaching and Learning.

• What alternative pedagogies are available and how can European international schools employ them?
• Re-evaluating and disrupting educational norms to better equip students with twenty-first century competencies.

In this keynote presentation, Dame Alison Peacock will talk about the work of the Chartered College of Teaching to enhance the professional status of teachers. She will illustrate her talk with reference to her own research about inclusive practice that builds a culture of achievement for all.

• Many international schools use multiple platforms as part of their overarching teaching and learning strategy, which often leads to disorganised data and educators working out of sync with one another.
• In addition, teachers are often inundated with responsibilities that exceed the six to eight hours in their schedule typically allocated to teaching, thereby making effective time management difficult. This challenge is compounded when educators have to use multiple platforms to perform different tasks.
• In this keynote presentation, discover how streamlining technologies can help schools empower their teachers and supercharge their teaching and learning provision.

Delegates are invited to attend one of the below interactive roundtable discussions in the Teaching and Learning stream. Please note that these roundtable sessions will take place concurrently and at the same time as the roundtable sessions in the EdTech and Management stream. 

Want to know the key elements to a mastery curriculum for Maths? White Rose Maths will guide you thought three fundamental attributes with a focus on the pitch of any lesson.

• How can we use the concrete, pictorial and abstract methods to challenge and scaffold all learners?
• Why is mathematical talk in the classroom essential?
• How can we enable and extend all learners so that they reach their full potential within a mastery curriculum?

• What teaching and learning strategies should educators adopt and adapt to meet the ever-evolving needs of globally mobile, multilingual learners?
• How can a whole school approach to multilingualism improve learning outcomes for all? 
• The business case for multilingualism: what are the financial implications of establishing multilingual teaching and learning environments? How feasible is it for an international school to become truly multilingual? 

• The importance of self-regulated learning and student agency for developing both academic and soft skills. 
• How can international schools best foster student’s critical thinking, curiosity and creativity through a child-centred approach to learning? 
• How can European international schools furnish all children with the skills required to thrive beyond academics and tertiary education? How can student co-collaboration help to achieve this end? 

• How can international schools develop and implement a methodology for whole-school evidence-based assessment practices? 
• Establishing buy-in from all key stakeholders when instituting new assessment strategies within your school. 
• How can evidence-based assessment improve student outcomes, build greater resilience within students, and manage both parent and students’ expectations regarding individual outcomes and future pathways. 

• The language landscapes of international schools.
• The ethical case for multilingual education in international schools.
• Moving from saying to doing – some simple ideas to shift culture.

• As international schools in Europe progressively cater to a growing local population, rather than their traditional expatriate market, how should they adapt to their pedagogy and provision?
• What is the purpose of international schools, and what does it mean to be internationally minded, in an increasingly ‘glocal’ market?
• Understanding your USP: how can schools develop and communicate their identity and values to attract and retain staff and students?
• How can international schools and school groups capitalise on the recent growth of the market in Europe?

• What should the role of European international schools be with regards to the global sustainability agenda? 
• How can schools equip students with the skills to survive and respond to a rapidly worsening climate catastrophe? 
• Campus transformation: rethinking learning spaces to provide truly sustainable experiential learning environments. 
• How can school leaders meaningfully embed sustainability in their school’s values and strategic goals?