Keynote Speakers

Kimberley Wilson is a chartered psychologist with a master’s degree in nutrition. She is author of How to Build a Healthy Brain and Unprocessed: How the Food We Eat Is Fuelling Our Mental Health Crisis. Kimberley believes the way we think about mental health – as separate from physical health is flawed. Her philosophy of Whole Body Mental Health is a comprehensive approach to mental health care; integrating evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle factors with psychological therapy.  A former governor of the Tavistock and Portman Mental Health Trust, Kimberley led the therapy service at Europe’s largest women’s prison. Kimberley hosted Radio 4’s Made of Stronger Stuff and regularly appears on BBC’s The Morning Show and Channel 4’s Know Your S**t. 

Dr Eowyn Crisfield is a specialist in languages across the curriculum, including EAL/ELL, home languages, bilingual and immersion education, super-diverse schools and translanguaging. She has been an ESL/EAL teacher, department head, curriculum developer, and has worked in several universities in teacher development programmes. She recently founded the Oxford Collaborative for Multilingualism in Education (https://ocme.uk) which aims to support schools, organisations, and governments to improve language teaching and learning in schools. Eowyn’s research is focused on equal access to learning and language development for all students, and on appropriate and effective professional development for teachers working with language learners. She is author of ‘Bilingual Families: A practical language planning guide (2021) and co-author of “Linguistic and Cultural Innovation in Schools: The Languages Challenge” (2018 with Jane Spiro), as well as a wide variety of chapters/articles in both practitioner and academic publications. She is also an honorary Norham fellow at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, where she is supporting the development of a new (distance) PGDip in EAL, alongside other teacher development and research initiatives. 

James Nottingham is an influential figure in the field of education, known for his work as a speaker, author and consultant. 

With 30+ years teaching experience, as well as close collaborations with leading researchers Carol Dweck (Growth Mindset) and John Hattie (Visible Learning), James is perhaps best known as the creator of the Learning Pit, a model used by tens of thousands of teachers to foster supportive learning environments, cultivate a growth mindset and normalise struggle as an essential part of the learning journey.

After a career teaching and leading in primary and secondary schools, James went on to become the director of an award-winning social regeneration project that significantly boosted the learning outcomes and aspirations of students in 110 schools in north east England. He and his wife Jill then formed a not-for-profit organisation to share the best lessons from this project further afield, particularly in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. By 2013, they employed 30 staff in seven countries, supporting kindergartens, schools and colleges with the improvement of pedagogy. They closed this company in 2020 to return to full-time teaching and consulting.

James now welcomes invitations to work with schools in a variety of ways from online coaching and webinars to in-person consultancy, keynotes and long-term projects. He also offers model lessons: give him any class of English-speaking students, any age - and invite as many observers as you like - then watch him demonstrate some of the best techniques for engagement, feedback, challenge and high expectations. 

To find out more about James's work, you can view his video library at PD-OD.com or on the app; and download graphics and how-to-guides, as well as find out about his 12 best-selling books, at LearningPit.org. 

Kate Jones is a highly experienced teacher, leader, bestselling author, and award-winning international speaker with a global reputation for championing evidence-informed, practical approaches to teaching and learning. She is currently Senior Associate for Teaching and Learning at Evidence Based Education, where she works closely with educators and schools to translate research into classroom practice that improves outcomes without adding to workload. Kate is the author of over ten published books, including the bestselling Retrieval Practice series, which has become a go-to resource for teachers seeking to embed cognitive science into everyday teaching. Her most recent publication focuses on feedback strategies that are both impactful and sustainable, supporting teacher wellbeing and student progress. In addition to her writing, Kate is the editor of ‘The researchEd Guide to Cognitive Science’ (2023) and she is a regular contributor to respected education publications such as TES and Teach Middle East Magazine. Kate has worked with schools across the UK and internationally, delivering keynote presentations, workshops, and consultancy support in a wide range of settings. Her work is known for its clarity, practicality, and focus on what truly makes a difference in the classroom. Based in the United Kingdom, Kate continues to share resources and reflections on social media via @KateJones_Teach.