How do they do it?

How do some schools keep a full roll, when birth rates are falling and every school is chasing a smaller pool of children?

How do some schools always find enough money, when budgets everywhere are stretched thin?

How do some schools reach “exceptional” — and what does that really look like, once you’re inside it?

At Excellence in Education this November, headteachers who’ve overcome these exact challenges will share how — and help you do it too.

Money. Ruth Boon, Headteacher of Our Lady Lourdes Catholic Primary in Redbridge — Outstanding, June 2025 — has built a wraparound care and enrichment model that supports families, provides better care for her pupils, and brings in significant additional income for her school.

Roll. Malcolm Mckinlay, Headteacher of Parkgate School in Clapham — Outstanding in all five areas, June 2025 — has watched admissions change beyond recognition. As an independent school, families now pay 20% VAT on fees, making them more selective and financially conscious about where that money goes. Add nationally falling pupil numbers, and keeping a full roll has got a lot harder. Malcolm’s answer wasn’t more marketing spend — he’s moved his school away from print advertising to standing out by being authentic. It’s working, and he’ll be sharing how.

What “exceptional” looks like in practice. Two heads will be sharing their exceptional practice:

• Bernadette Rizzi-Allan’s St Bede’s in Stockton-on-Tees achieved a Strong and Exceptional scorecard in their Ofsted inspection (November 2025), with a national reputation for exceptional attendance and behaviour, in one of the most deprived communities in the country — she’ll share how a warm, demanding culture is closing the gap for disadvantaged pupils.
• Caroline Steward’s Pineham Barns in Northampton was awarded Exceptional for early years provision in their Ofsted inspection (February 2026) — she’ll show you what an ambitious early years start does for outcomes, right through to Key Stage 2.

And the question underneath all of it. Why does one school take a good idea from somewhere else and turn it into something brilliant, while another doesn’t get the same great result? That’s what I’ll be sharing: how to embed ideas from other schools without losing what makes yours work.

Five speakers, five different solutions, one day.

👉 Book your school’s place (£360 + VAT)

One ticket covers your whole SLT. Rated 9+/10 in all 15 years, by school leaders.

Whatever’s pressing on you most right now, there’s a good chance someone in that room has already found their way through it.

Sonia ❤️

P.S. Only 60 school places available, and one ticket covers your whole SLT — worth grabbing sooner rather than later.