PiXL SECONDARY NATIONAL CONFERENCE HUB
AUTUMN TERM 2026/27

Stronger beginnings need clear leadership

Here is a sample of our eleven sessions, ready to watch with your leadership team. Start with the keynote, pick the session that matches your priority, then act on it straight away. 

Leading from day one, the move to KS3, closing the disadvantage gap, young carers, behaviour and attendance, belonging, enrichment, curriculum and Ofsted. Short enough to fit in a leadership meeting. Practical enough to change what happens in your school. 

Rachel Johnson - 24 mins
Stronger schools start with stronger leadership.

Jenny Gaylor - 11 mins
This year’s curriculum, Ofsted and DfE priorities in one place. 

Hannah Costanzo - 7 mins
Belonging works best when it’s planned as precisely as any other strategy.

Jules Llewellyn - 8 mins
The disadvantage gap has held for four years. KS3 is where it closes or widens.

Rachel Johnson
24 mins

Rachel is an author, podcaster, leadership thinker and coach. She understands what really gets in the way of effective leadership, from how we think and make decisions to the barriers that affect performance, relationships and progress. Her podcasts have built a global audience and rank among the UK’s top three for educational leaders. 

Stronger leaders. Stronger schools. 

Stronger schools start with stronger leadership 

Rachel made the case for putting leadership at the heart of building stronger schools. She looked at why it matters so much and where to start when developing leadership, both in ourselves and in others. 

  • Chief Executive Officer of PiXL 
  • Three-time published author, Hachette Learning 
  • PiXL Pearls and Leadership Bookclub podcasts 

    Start developing leadership in yourself and your team: 

Jenny Gaylor
11 mins

Jenny is vice principal of a successful secondary school and a well-known speaker on curriculum and assessment reform. As a recently qualified Ofsted inspector, she gives schools an up-to-date view of how inspection is changing. 

Curriculum and Ofsted updates

This year’s curriculum, Ofsted and DfE priorities in one place 

Jenny brought together the latest updates, from the return of progress measures to the new national curriculum and Ofsted report cards. She set out what’s changed, what’s still to come and what it means for leaders now. Delegates left with clear priorities and next steps for the year. 

  • Secondary co-principal 
  • Recently qualified Ofsted inspector 
  • Speaker on curriculum and assessment reform 

Get ahead of the new national curriculum: 

Hannah Costanzo
7 mins

Hannah is PiXL’s Head of Policy. Her work helps school leaders learn from each other, and she’s a firm believer in sharing across regions, curriculum areas and key stages. 

Applying a DTTR approach to belonging

Belonging works best when it’s planned as precisely as any other strategy 

Hannah shared what she’s learnt from how schools approach belonging. She explained why belonging needs deliberate, precise strategic planning. 

  • Head of Policy, PiXL 
  • Author, How do you do belonging? 

    Get Hannah’s practical guide to planning for belonging: