Pearson International School Leaders Conference
Tuesday 22 November: Leading in times of challenge
08:00 to 08:15 (GMT)
Welcome and introduction: leading in challenging times
Opening plenary to welcome leaders to this year's conference by Emma Whale, Senior Vice President for International, Pearson School Qualifications.
08:15 to 09:05 (GMT)
Keynote: Managing change - be brave, be bold, be you
Speaker: Victoria Humphries
A polar adventurer, three times Guinness World Record holder, mountain climber, marathon runner, author and businesswoman – Victoria Humphries claims to be just an average person who happens to believe that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. She believes that by using our lived experiences we can all become more resilient and adept at coping with change and overcoming adversity.
A member of the first all-female expedition to the North Pole, Victoria has a story to show that anyone can overcome their fears and thrive in a challenging situation; it’s all about taking one step at a time and asking yourself ‘why not?’.
09:05 to 09:55 (GMT)
Inclusive recruitment and retention
Speaker: Kam Chohan, Executive Director ECIS
In this session we explore how to ensure that the recruitment systems that are put in place are consistent, inclusive, and aligned with the values of your organisation. We look at how to attract, recruit and retain talent whose values are consistent with that of your school and continue to promote a positive school culture for everyone and the importance of optimising and maximising existing talent through CPD opportunities.
09:55 to 10:05 (GMT)
10-minute break
10:05 to 10:55 (GMT)
The international schools market in 2022-23: outlook, challenges and opportunities
Panellists: Dr Fiona Rogers, COBIS Deputy CEO, Sarah Kupke, Head of Professional Learning at ECIS, Sam Fraser, Development Director at ISC Research and Chris Eversden, Assistant Director of Education at Cognita Spain.
In this panel discussion with leaders from some of the key international school associations, we look at the global outlook for the international schools market in 2022/23 and the challenges and opportunities you face as leaders and discuss how, in the face of such change, you can plan and prepare for continued growth.
10:55 to 11:00 (GMT)
Day 1 round-up and close
Speaker: Suzie Williams, Pearson Interntional Schools Team
In this short closing session, we rounded up Day 1 and previewed our Day 2 agenda.
* Agenda subject to updates and/or changes.
Dr Harsha Alles
Dr Harsha Alles is Chairman of Gateway Group Sri Lanka. He is a Medical Doctor by profession and holds an M.B., B.S., and a Ph.D. He was a Lecturer in the Medical Faculty of the University of Colombo before he shifted his career to be in charge of Gateway. He is credited with placing the Gateway brand on the map as a provider of technology-based, high-quality education through a large network of institutions that include five international schools, two national curriculum schools, a graduate school, and over 12 training centres spread across the country. Some of Gateway’s educational programmes have been used in twelve countries in three continents. Gateway also has a group of kindergartens in the UK.
Dr Alles is also a Director of the Universal College Lanka that offers the Monash University programmes in Sri Lanka.
He has won two “Young Scientists Scholarship” Awards and a Presidential Award for Research. In 2000, he was recognised as “The Outstanding Young Person of the Year” for the contribution he made towards IT education of children. In 2003, he was adjudged the Gold Winner of the CIMA Pinnacle Awards to be the “Outstanding Businessman of the Year”. In April 2018, the Chartered Management Institute named him the “Best CEO of the Year” in the services category of large organisations.
Dr Alles was also the architect in setting up The International Schools of Sri Lanka (TISSL) as its Founder Chairman. TISSL is the umbrella organisation consisting of the leading international schools in Sri Lanka.
He represents Sri Lanka in the Advisory Committee of IC3 – The International Career and College Counseling Conference and was appointed as a member of the National Education Commission by His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka. He currently serves as a member of the “Task Force for Education” that has been established under the Ministry of Education for the implementation of new education reforms in the country.
Kristina Altoft
Kristina Altoft is Head of Assessment Services at Pearson School Qualifications.
Nick Cairns
Nick Cairns is Assistant Head of Secondary at King's College School La Moraleja, Madrid. His role involves exams, data management, timetabling and whole school operations. He recently led his school - the only one selected to take part in Europe - through the onscreen assessment pilot for Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language, and is working closely with Pearson to continue the use of onscreen assessment in his school.
Kam Chohan
Kam Chohan joined ECIS in February 2018 as Chief Operating Officer and became Executive Director in August 2020. With an impressive background in education and leadership, Kam is a learning leader and brings insight, wisdom, and compassion to the role. She has demonstrated the ability to build meaningful, lasting relationships that contribute to personal and organisational development and improvement.
Kam is a passionate educator and enjoyed lecturing in mathematics and business. She holds qualifications and experience in Leadership and Professional Development. As an example of her commitment to student learning, Kam worked with the UK Government’s Behaviour Insights Team to apply the Nudge Theory to improve student outcomes on a national level. As Chief Operating Officer for ECIS, Kam demonstrated, high aptitude for financial reporting, forecasting, analytical ability, scenario analysis, and financial implications of business and educational models. Kam is committed to social justice and equity through diversity, inclusion, and intercultural understanding in international education.
Nicola Eatherington
Nicola Eatherington is Assessment Improvement Manager at Pearson School Qualifications. Nicola has worked in education for over 30 years and has wide ranging experience across Assessment and Qualifications at Pearson. She has taught all ages and stages in Primary and Secondary education and is passionate about the power of education to transform lives.
Lisa Evans
Lisa Evans leads the team of marketers at Pearson who connect international school customers with the right products and support to help them meet their education goals. She is also Sales Director for Europe and the Americas. Three things Lisa loves that have nothing to do with her day job are her family and friends, walking in the countryside with her dogs, and martial arts, a new hobby she developed in lockdown and has stuck to since!
Chris Eversden
Chris Eversden has been a schoolteacher since the age of twenty-two, a headteacher for 14 years and now supports and challenges ten schools across Spain and Italy as a Regional Education Lead for the Cognita Schools Group in Europe. He has taught at, led and supported schools in London, the USA, Mexico City, Cumbria, Spain and Italy, and has lived in southern Spain for the last ten years. Chris has been involved in schools which focus on the British, IB, US, Mexican, Spanish and Italian curriculums and is acknowledged to have had significant success in supporting schools on wide-ranging change and improvement journeys.
In his current role, he acts a line manager for school leaders and Chair of Governors on each school’s improvement and accountability journey.
Sam Fraser
Sam Fraser is Development Director at ISC Research. Before joining ISC, he was based in the Middle East and worked for a well-known network of international schools. In his role, he works closely with school leaders and has an extensive knowledge of the international schools market, as well as the needs of the different operators within it.
Duncan Hamshere
Duncan Hamshere is International Progression and Recognition Manager at Pearson and has over 20 years' experience in the international education sector. Prior to joining Pearson, Duncan worked as a senior credential evaluator for the UK NARIC and as an International Trade Advisor specialising in the education sector for the Department for International Trade. Duncan has also held managerial roles at the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics and Gloucestershire College of Further Education.
Kevin Hiatt
Kevin Hiatt is Senior Strategy Manager for International Product at Pearson. He leads the development of the teaching resources and courseware for the Pearson Edexcel iPrimary and iLowerSecondary curricula. Kevin was previously a teacher and senior leader in UK primary schools and has kept up a passion for helping students and teachers learn and develop.
Victoria Humphries
Victoria Humphries is a polar adventurer, three times Guinness World Record holder, mountain climber, marathon runner, author, Bath based businesswoman and a ‘normal’ person. She prides herself on being just your average woman who happens to believe that Anything is Possible if you put your mind to it. Life is full of challenges and we always have a choice – step forward or run away, be overcome by the enormity of it or be brave and step into it. What’s the worst that can happen? Just give it a go!
Victoria was a member of first all-women's expedition to the North Pole and since then has embarked on various adventures and challenges. The latest of which, 50@50, involves her taking on 50 different challenges to celebrate being 50. When not accepting challenges and generally being a little bit bonkers she is a businesswoman and until recently led a successful EdTech business. She continues to work as a business consultant in education and also works with companies and schools running resilience workshops; encouraging staff and students to use their lived experiences to build their ‘resilience toolbox’.
Sarah Kupke
Until recently, Sarah Kupke was the Head of the Sindelfingen Campus at the International School of Stuttgart. Before moving to Germany in 1990, she taught in primary, secondary and special education as well as teaching undergraduate education at the Froebel College in London, UK. Sarah has worked with Debra Rader, to lead Intercultural Understanding institutes since 2019. Passionate about the learning process, Sarah believes that intercultural understanding is vital to our appreciation of one another. Mutual respect, a genuine interest in each other, the ability to empathise and show compassion are attitudes and values that we continue to learn throughout our lives and need to be intentionally taught in schools as well as in the home.
Phil Myers
Phil Myers is Head of International Product and Training at Pearson, working in the higher education and international team on BTEC qualifications, resources and training. He has more than 20 years experience developing qualifications and curricula for UK A Level and GCSE, International A level and GCSE, UK and International BTECs, and international curriculum projects in Georgia, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and India.
Meredith Reeve
Meredith Reeve is Head of Next Generation Assessment for General Qualifications at Pearson. She has held leadership positions across a range of teams within Pearson since beginning her career in education over 15 years ago, as a senior secondary teacher and chief examiner in her native country of Australia. As a strategic lead for the future of Assessment in the Schools Product team, Meredith has a key focus on the role of onscreen technologies in assessment.
Wayne Ridgeway
Wayne Ridgeway is Head of Senior School at British School of Bahrain. He will be joining our 'Shaping a better and bolder future for qualifications, assessment and young people' session to talk about his school and students' experiences as part of the onscreen assessment pilot for Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language in 2022.
Stacey Roberts-Brighton
Stacey Roberts-Brighton is Professional Development Manager for International Curriculum at Pearson. In her role, she creates and designs courses to support the iProgress suite and to ensure that teachers following the iPrimary and iLowerSecondary Curricula have the skills to implement the curriculum efficiently and effectively in their classrooms. Stacey's support also extends to Professional Development for international schools teaching Pearson Edexcel International GCSE and International A Level Qualifications.
Her global experience in the international educational publishing industry means her professional development training is on-trend, relevant and supportive to the differing needs of teachers.
Dr Fiona Rogers
Dr Fiona Rogers is Deputy CEO and Director of Professional Development and Research at COBIS, the membership association representing nearly 300 high quality British international schools in 80 countries. COBIS exists to serve, support and represent its member schools and corporate members, and provides quality assurance, training, consultancy and other services for British schools worldwide.
Emma Whale
Emma Whale is Vice President of International Sales and Marketing at Pearson, based in Dubai. She has worked in educational publishing, assessment design and schools services for 18 years.
Hayley White
Hayley White is Director of Assessment for Pearson School Qualifications. She and her team are responsible for the assessment of all Pearson Edexcel GCE, GCSE and International GCSE and International A level general qualifications and our future onscreen assessment strategy.
Suzie Williams
Suzie Williams is Senior Marketing Manager in the Pearson International Schools Team and director of the annual Leaders Conference. She is also host and director of the popular Big Think series of thought leadership webinars for international school leaders.