professional development

Earlier this month Wellspring held its fourth Festival of Learning, bringing together experts and colleagues from across the trust to share their knowledge and expertise, and be inspired by a range of speakers. 

This year’s festival, which was held online for the third time, kicked off with a thought-provoking keynote speech by Ian Gilbert, founder of Independent Thinking, and a leading voice in the field of education. Ian’s speech focused on the need for educators to embrace creativity and innovation in their teaching practices, and to encourage their students to think critically with curiosity.

Discussing the increasing use of AI and the changing nature of the skills required in today’s workplaces, Ian explained how ‘thinking logically isn’t enough,’ and encouraged teachers to provoke debate and emphasise creative thinking in their students. In a world where Google can teach basic facts, Ian argued that educators have a very different role to play and focus should be on giving students the space and confidence to explore new ideas and perspectives.

Ian’s speech was followed by a series of workshops and discussions, covering a wide range of topics, from teaching strategies for students with special educational needs, to the latest developments in subject-specific areas. 49 different sessions were held throughout the day, and there were 3138 session bookings, with many sessions being viewed by multiple colleagues at their own school settings. 

“Our Festival of Learning just seems to be getting better and better each year, and we’re delighted with how the day went,” said Natalie Hardman, Chief Administration Officer at Wellspring Academy Trust. “It’s been fantastic to see so many amazing education experts coming together to explore new ideas and to share their knowledge and experiences. We’re committed to providing the best possible education for our students alongside continuous staff development, and events like this are an important part of that. “