Outstanding against the odds Conference:
Courageous heads, tough schools, holistic education
Get school improvement ideas from inspiring schools
When?
Tuesday 18th November 2025
Where?
Delivered online using zoom (save money and time and learn together as a team)
What?
Meet a selection of headteachers who will share their incredible stories, inspiring insights and practical advice with you.
If you aspire to continuous improvement, this is the conference for you.
Join our online conference to hear how headteachers beat the odds to deliver excellence for their children
Sponsored by:
Outdoor play and learning
Amazing play, every day, for every child
OPAL is an award-winning, mentor supported school improvement programme that addresses all the areas that schools must plan for if they want to strategically and sustainably improve the quality of their play opportunities. OPAL is the only programme of its kind that has been independently proven to sustainably improve the quality of play in British primary schools.
Meet heads who are getting above average results, in below average circumstances
Be inspired by five headteachers, who have been carefully selected because their school became outstanding despite many challenges and are not ‘hero’ heads
Practical tips from great schools
We looked at over 100 schools, to bring you 5 that have achieved excellence in tough circumstances. We've met the heads, visited their schools and there is a lot to learn from them.
Learn with your SLT
Spend the day discussing great leadership ideas with your SLT so you’re all on the same page and buzzing with great ideas for your school.
Our annual conference is in it's 14th year.
Attendees consistently rate it a 9/10 event 🙂
Included in your ticket
Access for your entire SLT
The biggest, easiest impact comes when you learn as a team, so we’ve built reflection time for you into the agenda
Slides from each talk
Accessed through our online portal
Recordings of the talks
So you can use them in school with your wider team
1. Book onto ‘Outstanding against the odds: 5 heads, tough schools, holistic education'
2. Get inspiration and practical ideas
3. Take the best ideas back into your school
Last year’s speakers
(2025 Speakers coming soon)
Andrea Parker, Executive Headteacher, Bonneville Primary School, achieved outstanding May 2024
Outstanding should not be a best kept secret, all leaders can create excellence in education
Andrea Parker is the Executive Headteacher of a federation of 3 London primary schools across Lambeth: Jessop Primary School, Bonneville Primary School and Stockwell Primary School. Both Bonneville and Jessop have been graded outstanding in January and May 2024 (respectively). Stockwell, graded as Good in September 2022, is also on its way to excellence.
All three primary schools have a higher than average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and proportion of pupils with English as a second language and their results are above the national average.
It’s clear that Andrea is on a mission to give her children, across these 3 schools all in challenging contexts, the very best education.
So how has Andrea led nearly 3 schools to outstanding?
Andrea’s team are “home-grown” and very high performing. When Andrea went from deputy head to headteacher at Bonneville she strived to build a team for the future, including designing her own middle leadership course. She invigorated her team to be the best they can be, as she says “I have trained my staff to be masters of our intent.” Andrea’s team in all her schools are led by a passion to bring excellence in education for their children, their vision is their driving force every day. She feels strongly that being outstanding should not be a best kept secret, all leaders should strive to create excellence in education.
Andrea will be sharing:
- Her journey to strive for excellence in her federation.
- How outstanding is not a dirty word.
- How she’s set about creating a group of outstanding schools.
David Sammels, Mayflower Academy, achieved their third outstanding in December 2023
Becoming more than a school
Mayflower Academy is a large school, serving a mainly white British population with a high level of pupil premium, SEND pupils and mobility through Key Stages 1 and 2.
We’ve all heard reports of outstanding schools losing their outstanding judgement but not Mayflower Academy: they achieved outstanding in September 2016 and were judged outstanding again in December 2019 and again in December 2023, three times in less than 10 years.
The school has well above average progress in reading, writing and maths, and the number of pupils reaching expected (81%) and higher standards (9%) of attainment is higher than the average.
How does a school keep delivering excellence, over time, despite national challenges, and local challenging circumstances?
Dave will be sharing insights into how to:
- Hire ‘galacticos’ to build the team of your dreams
- Create a manifesto for being agile
- Collaborate courageously
- Empower others (making mess makes more meaning)
- Go beyond the framework
Dawn Titus, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, achieved second outstanding in January 2024
From the battlefield to a garden: Creating an outstanding school, despite the barriers
St Joseph’s Roman Catholic School is a two-form entry primary school with a majority of pupils from ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is higher than average, as is the proportion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The school is also situated in an area affected by county lines operations.
In September 2004, Dawn joined St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School as Deputy Headteacher and took on the position of Headteacher in 2008. She has played an instrumental role in moving the school from a ‘Good’ rating in 2008 to ‘Outstanding’ in 2013, and again under the new Ofsted framework in 2024. Dawn’s pupils excel in their learning and are exceptionally well-prepared for the next stage of their education.
From the moment Dawn walked through the doors of the school in 2004, she felt a “fire in her belly.” Since then, Dawn has been unwavering in her mission to define a culture that provides the best academic and personal development for both pupils and staff. St Joseph’s is in the top 2% of schools nationally and ranks 21st in The Times and Sunday Times’ best state primary schools list for 2024.
Dawn will be sharing:
- The schools approach which leads to high achievement for all their children including those with who speak English as an additional language, special educational needs and disadvantaged.
- How the school navigates and supports a community inhabited by gangs and county lines.
- How the team manages parent relationships within a challenging community.
- How behaviour is achieved, despite the contextual challenges.
Lucy Mastrocola, Coombe Hill Junior School, achieved outstanding, Oct 2023
Creating exceptional personal development and enabling children to lead the school
Coombe Hill Junior School is a 3-form entry Junior School, where over half the pupils speak English as an additional language. They have a higher than average number of pupils requiring SEN support and who have an SEN Education, Health and Care Plan.
Lucy has taken her experience of 4 very different schools, in which she lived and breathed what outstanding schools do, and applied it to her headship at Coombe Hill.
This meant, when she joined Coombe Hill in September 2022, she could see what the school needed for it to remain outstanding.
The school had been judged as outstanding in 2010, and many of the staff hadn’t ever experienced an inspection. Lucy set about a period of rapid improvement, building on the good practice she found to make it outstanding so that when Ofsted came in October 2023 they found the school to be outstanding.
The school’s personal development is exemplary, in fact the children think they are in charge of the school. From Class Councils and Parliament to Mental Health Ambassadors and Digital Leaders and from the Shakespeare project to a wide range of opportunities which allow children to develop their talents and interests. It’s clear that children grow and excel in all aspects of their learning.
Lucy will be sharing:
- The school’s journey to outstanding
- How they enable children to take the lead in school life
- They’re exemplary personal development and wider curriculum
Willow Brook Primary School , led by Executive Head, Justin Creasey, & Head of School, Lucie Dawn, achieved outstanding in 2017 and again in 2023
Unlocking school magic: Strategies for success with limited resources
Willow Brook Primary School, led by Executive Head, Justin Creasey & Head of School, Lucie Dawn in Leyton, East London stands as a beacon of excellence in education despite facing common challenges such as resource constraints.
Situated in Leyton, London, Willow Brook Primary School caters to a diverse student body, including a significant number of pupils with ECHPs, eligibility for free school meals, and English as an additional language.
Remarkably, the school has achieved an outstanding rating twice, first in 2017 and most recently in September 2023. Their exceptional results, with 90% reaching or exceeding expected standards in reading writing and maths and displaying above-average progress, underscore their commitment to a rich and comprehensive curriculum. This means that for achievement in reading, writing and maths Willow Brook Primary School is in the top 2 per cent of primary schools in the country.
So, what’s their secret?
Central to their success is the deeply ingrained culture fostered within the school and throughout the Griffin Schools Trust. Culture, often dismissed as a mere buzzword, takes on tangible significance at Willow Brook, permeating every aspect of their operations and contributing fundamentally to their students’ achievements.
Recruitment and retention, perennial concerns for educational institutions, emerge as a particular strength for Willow Brook. Justin and Lucie, in their upcoming presentation, will delve into:
- Defining the essence of culture within their institution and how it fuels sustained high performance, even amid leadership transitions.
- Illustrating how their cultural framework facilitates the identification and nurturing of exceptional leaders, regardless of their background or initial role within the school. Lucie’s own journey from an LSA underscores this principle.
- Sharing valuable insights gained from hosting visitors eager to learn from Willow Brook’s success, while also highlighting the challenges of ensuring genuine learning amidst admiration.
Through their experience and innovative approaches, Justin and Lucie offer valuable lessons for educators striving to make magic happen within their schools, regardless of resource limitations.
Sonia Gill, Founder & Director of Heads Up
Do you need your school to be outstanding?
For many headteachers, becoming outstanding isn’t a choice, or a luxury.
It’s a necessity.
Why?
In the words of one head, ‘it’s because our children are fighting every disadvantage life can throw at them; if our school doesn’t do everything possible to help them, who else will?’
But on the journey from good to great, most schools get stuck.
Not for lack of effort, but because they focus on policies and not people.
Heads Up was created to help change that. And it does.
Sonia has been studying outstanding schools in tough contexts for over a decade.
She’s unpicked what they do differently.
Distilled it.
And used it to help schools shift from good to outstanding.
Schools Sonia’s team support are 300% more likely to gain or maintain outstanding judgement (and they don’t even look at the Ofsted framework).
Sonia is a qualified teacher and has taught from reception up to year 11, and was selected for the John Lewis leadership program where she led many multi-million-pound business areas.
In 2011 she returned to Education, to combine her knowledge in creating high performing teams with her passion for education. Sonia has visited 100s of Outstanding schools over the past twelve years to learn and understand what they do differently when compared to Good schools, and I’ve learned their secret; and it’s not because they have a great curriculum or a great demographic.
Sonia will be sharing:
- Why outstanding is worth it
- How any school can be outstanding, regardless of national and local challenges
- How to be outstanding whilst being true to your values
- What outstanding schools actually do differently (and what they don’t)
- Practical tips to help your school move from good to outstanding
2024 Conference Schedule
(Subject to change)
| 09:30 – 09:40 | Welcome |
| 09:40 – 10:25 | From the Battlefield to a Garden: Creating an Outstanding School, despite the barriers – Dawn Titus |
| 10:25 – 10:40 | Reflection & Break |
| 10:40 – 11:25 | Becoming more than a school – David Sammels |
| 11:25 – 11:40 | Reflection & Break |
| 11:40 – 12:25 | Unlocking School Magic: Strategies for Success with Limited Resources – Justin Creasey & Lucie Dawn |
| 12:25 – 13:05 | Reflection & Lunch Break |
| 13:05 – 13:45 | Do you need your school to be outstanding? – Sonia Gill |
| 13:45 – 14:00 | How Heads Up supports schools |
| 14:00 – 14:15 | Reflection & Break |
| 14:15 – 15:00 | Creating exceptional personal development and enabling children to lead the school – Lucy Mastrocola |
| 15:00 – 15:15 | Reflection & Break |
| 15:15 – 16:00 | Outstanding should not be a best kept secret, all leaders can create excellence in education – Andrea Parker |
| 16:00 – 16:15 | Reflection and Close |
FAQs
Yes, and you’ll be given access via our online portal.
Yes, they’ll be available for you in our online portal.
One ticket gives access to you and all of your SLT.
I understand, a lot of online training sucks! But not ours. How do we know? We’re consistently rated 9/10 by headteachers and school leaders like you. We also ask what people prefer and th e majority opt for online, as this way you don’t have to pay for trains and you can attend with your SLT. You save time and money.
The conference will be take place online using zoom. We’ll email the joining instructions to you a couple of weeks before the event and send reminders.
If you have any questions please contact [email protected]
Whilst anyone is welcome, the conference is primarily focussed on primary schools, so we don’t recommend the conference to secondary schools.
What’s my investment?
£360+VAT
