Featured Sessions

Explore the ideas shaping girls’ education right now, with sessions designed to give you practical strategies you can apply in your school immediately.

When Rigid Thinking Holds Leadership Back

Dr De Sanctis explores how girls and young women who exhibit rigid thinking styles can be overlooked in leadership contexts that prize adaptability and innovation. The same patterns, she argues, can also limit the effectiveness of creative school leadership.

What if the very traits schools have intentionally cultivated — clarity and consistency — are, in some cases, constraining the leaders of tomorrow? While rigid thinking has its place, the future demands adaptability, flexibility and lateral problem-solving. This session challenges schools to rethink leadership development in ways that unlock broader potential and future-ready leadership.

Presented by Dr Marcele De Sanctis, Managing Partner | Future Leadership Advisory

Building Capability-Rich Curriculum in Girls’ Classrooms

Getting curriculum content right is one thing, but how do we ensure our girls are equipped with the skills they need to thrive in life beyond school? Using cutting- edge research on the ‘future of work’, this session will unpack the critical skills and capabilities young women need to navigate life after school and provide a practical framework to embed and measure these capabilities within any classroom. Explore how shifts in industry have created a need for shifts in education. Identify the key 21st century skills and capabilities that research shows are most critical for young people today Dig into a practical five-step, research-backed framework to help you build and measure these capabilities within any curriculum.

Presented by Nicole Dyson | Future Anything

Insights into Literacy: Are we asking teachers to know too much?

From reading science to digital technologies, inclusion to curriculum design, the expectations on teachers have never been broader — or more complex. But in the push to “cover it all”, are we losing sight of what matters most?

This timely panel brings together three leading voices at the intersection of language, literacy and learning. Together, they will explore what knowledge is truly essential for effective teaching, where current approaches to teacher preparation may be falling short, and how schools can better support educators to deliver impact where it counts.

Distinguished Professor Pamela Snow draws on deep expertise in language and literacy development and the science of reading. Professor Charlotte Forwood brings a rare dual lens of teacher and speech pathologist, with a sharp focus on vocabulary, curriculum and learning design. Professor Therese Keane adds a future-focused perspective on digital and AI-enabled learning, and what this means for the evolving role of teachers.

Facilitated by Louise Peyton, Head of Junior School, Methodist Ladies’ College, this session will challenge assumptions, sharpen thinking, and offer practical clarity for leaders and educators from both primary and secondary schools.

Panel with Dr Pamela Snow, Professor  Charlotte Forwood, and Professor Theresa Keane; facilitated by Louise Peyton