FED North Conference
Friday 10 July 2026
Dr Joanne Ladds, Noble + Eaton
Driving to Manchester Metropolitan University this morning, the sun was shining brightly. I stopped to charge the car and picked up a matcha and some fruit while pondering the day ahead and the possibilities it might bring. The Foundation for Education Development (FED) has long advocated for a sustainable, long-term vision for education: one that can be embedded, nurtured and given the time needed to thrive. Having attended previous FED conferences, I have always appreciated hearing from leaders across England who speak passionately about their communities, sharing the initiatives that have made a difference and the impact they have achieved through technology, reading programmes, community projects and innovative approaches to learning. That same passion was present today. Yet alongside it, I sensed something different: strain, frustration and, perhaps most significantly, a feeling of disconnect. There was a clear appetite for change, but also a level of nervousness about the scale of transformation required. This was not resistance to change. Quite the opposite. The conversations reflected a deep understanding of the challenges facing education and a collective desire to find better ways of working together. Beneath that strain seemed to lie a search for guidance – but guidance that preserves autonomy. That balance feels critical. The challenge is not simply to reform education, but to realign it in a way that prepares young people for the future while maintaining trust in those delivering it.
Capturing the Mood in the Room
If I were to summarise the hearts and minds of those attending in a single word cloud, it might include:
Dysregulation. Progressive Marginalisation. Inclusion. Exclusion. Enduring. Moral Discomfort. Communication. Time. Toolkits. Frameworks. Belonging. Capability. Connection. Community. Emotion. Disjointed. Fast Pace. Policy. Deficit Model. Co-production. Pupil Voice. Human Capability. Place-Based. Devolution. Revolution. Skills. Provision.
These themes reappeared throughout the afternoon and framed many of the conversations that followed.
Starting with Possibility
One of my first conversations was with James, who leads an Alternative Provision group of schools in the North of England. He shared some inspiring work involving Forest School and Lego Therapy, alongside plans to measure and demonstrate their impact on learning engagement. It was a reminder that despite the challenges being discussed, there are schools actively creating meaningful change and seeking evidence to show what works. It was the perfect way to begin what I knew would be a thought-provoking afternoon. The conference itself consisted of a panel discussion, followed by a choice of breakout sessions focused on relationships, SEND and the curriculum, before concluding with a feedback and reflection session. The closing roundup was particularly valuable, bringing together themes from across the different breakouts and providing a broader perspective on the conversations taking place.
From Dysregulation to Moral Discomfort
The opening discussions picked up on themes that had already been occupying my thoughts following the Fortis Education Conference. In particular, the language we use. Rather than focusing solely on terms such as dysregulation, speakers introduced the phrase moral discomfort. It is a subtle but significant shift. Within minutes, the conversation moved away from describing behaviour as problematic, abnormal or “bad” and towards recognising it as behaviour that emerges when a person’s values and circumstances feel misaligned. Rather than viewing behaviour through the lens of deficit, it reframes it as discomfort – a signal that something is not sitting comfortably within an individual’s context. This distinction changes the conversation entirely.
Enduring a System Under Pressure
Discussion quickly expanded into wider systemic issues: variability in social care provision, recruitment challenges and the loss of initiatives such as Sure Start. The picture that emerged was of a system under pressure – one that many participants felt was increasingly being endured rather than actively shaped. However, while there was frustration about progressive marginalisation and exclusion, there was also recognition that experiences vary significantly depending on context. The challenges faced by one school or community often differ substantially from another. This points towards a wider problem of alignment: policies maybe designed with good intentions, yet their impact and implementation vary across demographics, regions and school types. These are the gaps where young people can become lost. The pupils who move schools. The pupils who cannot. Those who want a fresh start. Those who fear change. Those who fit neatly within the system. And those who fall into the grey areas between established pathways. Viewed through the lens of belonging, it becomes clear why engagement remains such a challenge. If learners do not feel they belong, their willingness to engage with education inevitably suffers.
Are we Filling Gaps or Creating Complexity?
A recurring theme throughout the day was the search for what is missing. Policy gaps. Curriculum gaps. Staffing gaps. Time gaps. Yet with such a vast landscape of policies already in place, it raises an uncomfortable question: Are we genuinely addressing the root causes of these challenges, or are we continually layering additional policies on top of existing problems? Education risks becoming a complex web of well-intentioned initiatives that compete for attention rather than a coherent and collaborative system working towards shared goals. This led me to consider several questions:
• What should universal access to education truly look like?
• What barriers prevent that vision from becoming reality?
• How do we remove those barriers?
• How do we enable revolution and devolution to work together rather than against each other?
• How do we build trust through relationships and co-produced policy that genuinely reflects local contexts?
Belonging, Relationships and Expectation
Another significant thread concerned the evolving relationship between schools, families and Multi-Academy Trusts. Many attendees described a shift in expectations regarding provision and accountability. In part, this may reflect changing patterns of student attendance and a greater emphasis on parental engagement. Whatever the reason, the relationship between schools and families was repeatedly identified as crucial. Importantly, these relationships extend beyond parents alone. Grandparents, extended family members and wider community influences all shape young people’s perceptions of school and learning. Transition points—particularly the move from primary to secondary education—were highlighted as moments where these relationships become even more significant. Discussions around relational practice, staff consistency, community connections and teacher training all reinforced the same message: School leaders are deeply committed to creating belonging and inclusion, but they are equally conscious of protecting the wellbeing of staff and preserving the positive culture their teams have worked hard to build.
The Positives are There and Shining Brightly
There were uplifting conversations during the conference with groups including the Eden Project www.edenproject.com. They have designed and help schools to deliver nature-based education projects linked to the National Curriculum across the Southwest:
“Education is at the heart of everything we do. We provide a wealth of learning opportunities for everyone from preschool to degree level and beyond. It’s part of our mission to connect people of all ages with the natural world, better understand their place within it and play their part in shaping the future.”
If you look at what has been achieved by Andrew Speight through his work at Emoco, the statistics speak for themselves:
Improved school climate: Qualitative data suggests the break from school and the hands-on nature of Compass helps students focus and feel less “bogged down” during their Monday to Thursday academic lessons. This demonstrates that Emoco’s input has helped to change the culture in school.
Life satisfaction: Participants report a 6% increase in life satisfaction and a 5.7% increase in job satisfaction.
Improved attendance: Compass students consistently outperform their peers in attendance. In the first cohort, Compass students maintained a 92.7% attendance rate compared to 89.3% for non-Compass pupils.
Behavioural change: The reduction in behaviour events is perhaps the most significant data point. For cohort #1, incidents plummeted from 16,642 to 4,418 – a reduction of nearly 75%. Staff explicitly noted a “significant decrease” in issues, and, in some cases, zero behaviour points recorded on Fridays.
Wage premium: A predicted 5.1% increase in lifelong earnings.
Employment stability: A 2.1% decrease in the likelihood of future unemployment.
98% predicted EET rate: From the first cohort, the vast majority of students are predicted to successfully transition into education, employment, or training. Many of them have already applied to study at the colleges that deliver Compass.
Pathway retention: Over 50% of students have chosen to remain on their specific Compass pathway for post-16 study, demonstrating high levels of career clarity and commitment.
Transferable confidence: Over 40% of students are transitioning to a new post-16 pathway, utilising the confidence and maturity gained through the programme to pursue different professional interests.
Qualitative evaluation also revealed:
Improved wellbeing: Pupils feel that, when they are able to study subjects that they are really, sincerely interested in, they feel happier and more content at school.
Giving hope to all: One pupil testimonial spoke of how, as someone who didn’t want to go to University, they previously didn’t feel seen by the education system. Now, they do.
Fun: Pupils report that Compass is actually fun, in no small part down to engaging teaching methods that gamify learning and make full use of the space that is the College.
You can read more about Compass and its background here: https://www.emoco.uk/our-impact
I arrived in bright sunshine with thoughts of what the atmosphere would be like and what questions would be posed. As always, I left with lots of thinking to do.
My thinking guided me to a shopping centre for some much needed reflection time and food for thought!
When we design with an understanding of the shape of learning from a neuroscience perspective we design for what is possible.
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