Pic: Nic Hamilton
The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) celebrated a milestone event with over 2,000 colleagues from over 30 academies attending the CLF Summer Conference at Winterstoke Hundred Academy.
This annual event offered a unique opportunity for colleagues to network and engage with the latest in educational thinking.
The CLF Summer Conference is designed to be a dynamic blend of professional development, educational enrichment, celebration and fun activities.
This year, the event featured an impressive lineup of keynote speakers, including Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, Covid medical officer, Ben Smith, Ultra runner, Professor Sir Steve West, VC UWE Bristol, Nic Hamilton, who was the first disabled athlete to compete in the British Touring Car Championship and brother of Lewis Hamilton, and Lauren Chiren, CEO of ‘Women of a Certain Stage’, among many others, concluding with a performance from Lemn Sissay.
Throughout the day colleagues participated in various educational workshops and discussions that included, adapting teaching for learners with various SEND, child exploitation, knife crime, School Foodbank campaigns, classroom Science experiments, barriers experienced by Black and Black Mixed-raced students, to more physical activities that included Laughter Yoga, Pilates, Cross Fit, archery and climbing.
Pic: Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam
A highlight of the day was the celebration for our School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) trainees attending their graduation ceremony before embarking on their careers this September. CLF colleagues also collected peer-nominated ‘HEART’ awards in recognition of their exceptional work and contribution to the trust’s core values. A record number of over 1,000 HEART Award nominations were received this year.
The arts were well represented with live performances from CLF Voices, a scratch choir, a staff dance ensemble, and a scratch music ensemble, who all performed on the day.
Various exhibitors set up stalls to share information about their organizations, providing colleagues with valuable resources and networking opportunities.
Alison Fletcher, Director of the CLF Institute and chief organiser said: “This summer conference had our largest attendance and biggest programme to date for our trust and was the first time we have held this in Weston-super-Mare, where we have six schools.
“We kept a close eye on the weather as marquees were pitched on the field at our new Winterstoke Hundred Academy site at Locking Parklands! The calibre of our keynote speakers and breadth of specialist input generated excitement amongst deliverers and delegates alike. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to and participated in this conference.”
