Main Stage

In person and live streamed

Welcome to ArborFest

10:10am - 10:30am

Welcoming school and trust leaders to an exciting day of talks and workshops, exploring the theme “the future of work in schools.”

  • James Weatherill, CEO of Arbor Education

  • Sonia Leighton, Chief of Customer Success at Arbor Education

Connectedness: How to make everyone in your school a leader

10:40am - 11:20am

An inspiring talk from Diana Osagie on leadership and collaboration.

  • Diana Osagie, ex-Headteacher and leadership coach

Our 2025 Product Vision: What’s next for Arbor?

11:40am - 12:20pm

Hear from the Arbor Team about the big things you can expect from Arbor in 2025 and beyond.

  • Bex Campbell, Chief Product Officer at Arbor

  • James Weatherill, CEO at Arbor

  • James Hacking, SAMpeople

Getting Ofsted-ready with Arbor

1:05pm - 1:45pm

Get practical tips to prepare for an Ofsted inspection, and hear insights on the new framework.

  • Carly Holness, Assistant Principal at Borough Academy

  • Lewis Dinsdale, Headteacher at English Martyrs Catholic Primary

  • Tim Mockford, Science Teacher, CIC Designated Teacher, Data lead at ACE schools

  • Alex Jones, Director of Insights and Research at Ofsted

Solving the teacher supply crisis - Mary Bousted

2:05pm - 2:45pm

ArborFest keynote on the future of education recruitment, workplace culture and workload reduction.

  • Baroness Mary Bousted, Chair of the Teaching Commission

Innovation Stage

In person only

AI essentials: A guide to getting started at your school or trust

10:40am - 11:20am

Exploring the art of the possible with AI in your school or trust, Arbor features and beyond.

  • Stephen Higgins, Head of AI at Arbor

  • Will Teece, Headteacher at Brookvale Groby Learning Campus

  • Helen Storey and Tim Clarke, Cornerstone Primary School

  • Tom Walch, Head of Data at Harbour Learning Trust

Getting curious: How to ask the right questions of your data

11:40am - 12:20pm

An exciting panel, featuring a speaker from AWS, our lead sponsor.

  • Dewan Chowdhury, Head of Data at Coop Academies

  • Andrew Proctor, Executive Lead for Education, AWS

  • Jonathan Lloyd, Data Manager at Moorside High School and Trust Data Manager for Potteries Educational Trust

  • Damian Brooks, CTO at Arbor

A data geek’s guide to improving attendance

1:05pm - 1:45pm

Leaders share how they’ve unearthed hidden reasons for absenteeism in their schools and trusts using data.

  • Andy Lowe, Director of Information Management and Attendance at Marches Academy Trust

  • Jenny Bates, Deputy Head at Cleobury Mortimer Primary School

  • Nick Morley, Headteacher The Harbour School

  • Damian Brooks, CTO at Arbor

MAT Stage

In person only

When two become one: How to operationalise a merger

10:40am - 11:20am

We take a look at what it’s like to bring together the operations, processes, people and digital strategies of two trusts.

  • Luke Mulhall, Digital Strategy at Kings Group Academies

  • Dr. Paula Holbrook, Consultant CFOO and lecturer

  • Gary Chown, CEO at Harbour Schools Partnership

  • Phillippa De’Ath, Chief Revenue Officer at Arbor

What should a MAT of the future look like?

11:40am - 12:20pm

Trust leaders discuss balancing flexible working and wellbeing with driving operational efficiency and growth

  • Laura McPhee, Director of Education at University School Trust

  • Summer Turner, Deputy CEO at Broad Horizons Education Trust

  • Nav Sanghara, CEO at Woodland Academy Trust

  • Phillippa De’Ath, Chief Revenue Officer at Arbor

How, why and when to join up your MIS and HR at your trust

1:05pm - 1:45pm

Hear from trust leaders on their experience of joining up HR and MIS

  • Louise Barber, Director of Operations at Discovery Schools Trust

  • Danny Garton, Consortium Academy Trust

  • Kathy Birch, CEO, SAMpeople

Show and Tell Stage

In person only

Everything we learned from our first 12 months using Arbor

10:40am - 11:20am

Primary, secondary, special school and MAT leaders share their learnings from the first 12 months using Arbor.

  • Yesim Aylward, Office Manager at High Beech Primary School

  • Jon Turner, Assistant Headteacher at John Hampden Grammar School

  • Becky Nightingale, Trust Data Manager at St Teresa’s of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust

  • Zoe Marshall, Head of Customer Success at Arbor

SAMpeople showcase

11:40am - 12:20pm

Watch a demo of the UK’s fastest-growing HRIS for education and hear from the team behind the product.

  • Kathy Birch, CEO at SAMpeople

  • Kevin Sarsfield, SAMpeople

Pitch Perfect: Choose, vote and decide what we build next in Arbor

1:05pm - 1:45pm

Choose, pitch and vote for what we build next.

  • Bex Campbell, Chief Product Officer at Arbor

Interactive Sessions

In person only

Arbor Labs, Live!

Test out our new and exciting features in Arbor Labs, brought to life.

Customer Roundtables

Network with peers and share Arbor best practice.

Ask an Arbor Expert

Got a burning question about Arbor? Meet with our Customer Education and Customer Support Team

Meet the Arbor Team

Join us in the Arbor Lounge to have a strategic discussion about the way you’re using Arbor.