Will Ord
Presenter Profile
Will Ord is an internationally recognised education consultant, keynote speaker and trainer with more than 30 years’ experience helping schools develop confident thinkers, effective communicators and highly engaged learners.
A leading specialist in oracy, thinking and communication skills, Will works with primary and secondary schools to strengthen the dialogue, reasoning and communication that underpin successful learning, positive relationships and long-term achievement. His approach is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: teaching young people how to think is just as important as teaching them what to think.
Will holds two degrees in Philosophy and a PGCE and has worked across education as a Head of Religious Education, university lecturer, school governor, author, TES writer and former Chair of SAPERE, the UK’s national Philosophy for Children charity. He has trained teachers and school leaders in more than 25 countries, delivering keynote presentations, workshops and professional development that consistently receive outstanding feedback.
His sessions combine research-informed practice with practical strategies that can be implemented immediately, and are built around three core principles:
- Head – understanding the research and key learning concepts.
- Hand – providing practical tools and techniques for immediate classroom use.
- Heart – inspiring the confidence and commitment needed to create lasting change.
Will delivers keynotes, workshops, training days and half-day sessions for schools, trusts, networks and conferences, and is equally at home working in primary or secondary contexts. He can also provide parent workshops as part of a wider school improvement package, supporting schools to strengthen the partnership between home and school through topics such as confidence, resilience, family dialogue, praise, motivation and positive attitudes to learning.
Known for his engaging presentation style, intellectual rigour and highly interactive training, Will leaves audiences not only inspired, but equipped with practical approaches that lead to meaningful and sustainable improvements in teaching, learning and school culture.
Jonny Uttley
Presenter Profile
Jonny Uttley has spent nearly 30 years working in education, including 20 years in senior leadership roles. He has been a Headteacher, Director of Sixth Form and, most recently, spent eight successful years as CEO of a multi-academy trust in Yorkshire.
Throughout his career, Jonny has been driven by a clear and consistent purpose: to make the lives of young people, staff and communities better. As CEO, he built a thriving trust around a simple but powerful philosophy – a great teacher in every classroom, and adults who are supported to be brilliant at their jobs without having to sacrifice their family lives.
Jonny is a prominent national voice on inclusive education and leadership culture. He is regularly sought out by policymakers, charities and think tanks, and previously sat on the DfE’s National CEO Advisory Group. He is a trustee of SHINE, the educational charity committed to reducing disadvantage in northern schools, and a Visiting Fellow at The Centre for Young Lives, founded by former Children’s Commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield, where he leads work on how schools and trusts can sit at the heart of truly inclusive communities.
In 2020, Jonny co-authored Putting Staff First: A Blueprint for Revitalising Our Schools with John Tomsett, and he continues to write and comment widely for TES and Schools Week.
Jonny recently founded Jonny Uttley Education, a consultancy with a difference. He does not do mocksteds or context-free “best practice”. Instead, Jonny offers a thought‑partnership and narrative‑based approach, working alongside schools, trusts and organisations to strengthen leadership, culture and inclusion. His work is deliberately humane and capacity‑building, aiming to leave organisations more coherent, confident and self‑sustaining – places where both adults and young people truly thrive.
Mark Finnis
Presenter Profile
Mark Finnis is one of the UK’s foremost practitioners in restorative and relational approaches within education. With over two decades of experience working across schools, Multi Academy Trusts, Local Authorities, and educational organisations, Mark has become a trusted voice in helping educators build cultures rooted in connection, empathy, and belonging.
As the Founder of L30 Relational Systems, Mark supports schools in embedding restorative practice not just as a behaviour management tool, but as a whole-school ethos. His work empowers staff to move beyond reactive strategies and instead design environments where relationships are prioritised, values are lived, and every pupil feels seen, heard, and valued.
Mark’s approach is grounded in the belief that “children don’t follow rules - they follow relationships.” He works closely with leadership teams, classroom practitioners, and pastoral staff to create relational cultures by design, not by default. His training and consultancy have helped schools reduce exclusions, improve attendance, and foster more inclusive, emotionally intelligent learning communities.
He is the author of the best-selling book Independent Thinking on Restorative Practice, which offers practical guidance for educators seeking to build stronger relationships and more positive school climates. Mark is also a regular keynote speaker at national education conferences and has contributed to policy development around behaviour and wellbeing.
Mark’s work fills a vital gap in educational development - supporting schools to move from compliance-driven models to cultures of care, connection, and belonging. His sessions are known for being engaging, thought-provoking, and immediately applicable in real-world school settings and we are so delighted to welcome him to the The Learning Line family!
Baasit Siddiqui
Presenter Profile
Exclusive keynotes, available via The Learning Line!
Baasit Siddiqui is an experienced educator, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and television personality.
For many years, Baasit has collaborated with Schools and Businesses to inspire and educate young people in to recognising their potential and how it will support them in the world of work. Baasit has delivered workshops, talks and competitions to thousands of children across hundreds of schools.
His mission is simple, through combining his educational insights, entrepreneurial experiences, and a decade of television influence, Baasit strives to make a significant impact on young people’s understanding of education and its positive impact on career opportunities.
Baasit has combined his unique television experiences on the BAFTA winning television show Gogglebox with his knowledge, experiences, and passion for education to deliver motivational workshops, competitions, and assemblies across schools, colleges, and universities. Whether workshops focus on television, media or digital literacy, Baasit ensures that students within the workshops develop their understanding of career opportunities as well as the skills and attitude required within these careers.
As well as this, Baasit has worked with multiple businesses in and out of the education environment. He has empowered staff that work with children through CPD, chaired panel discussions, hosted awards and delivered conference keynotes. Baasit recognises the importance of education and how it is everyone’s responsibility to inspire the next generation.
He is in the privileged position to be able to champion and celebrate the hard work of all staff that support young people in reaching their true potential.
Nick Barwick
Presenter Profile
Growing up in the foster care system, my story begins in a world many only see in headlines. Raised in an environment marred by domestic violence, child abuse, drugs, crime, prostitution, and mental illness, my life was chaos. My mother struggled with Munchausen syndrome, and at 13 years old, I entered care with a heart full of anger, feeling like the world was against me. I became violent, abusive, manipulative - constantly searching for my next chaotic 'fix.'
But through this darkness came light, in the form of adults who refused to give up on me. School wasn’t a sanctuary in the beginning—it was just another place where I felt I didn’t belong. However, it became a space where I could forge meaningful connections, and it’s those relationships that helped me turn my life around. I’m living proof that every child is just one caring, trusted adult away from being a success. This belief drives every aspect of my work.
Today, as a professional inspirational speaker, I harness my lived experiences to deliver powerful, real-world messages to audiences across the UK and beyond. Through storytelling, humour, and deep emotional connection, I invite audiences into the lives of children growing up in care and in difficult circumstances. My signature keynote, Through the Kids’ Eyes, offers a raw, emotive, and thought-provoking exploration of the care system, focusing on trauma-informed strategies and the importance of language in social care and education.
In my sessions, I share how my personal journey of trauma, recovery, and resilience can inspire meaningful action in the day-to-day practices of social care professionals, educators, and foster carers.
I encourage my audience to reflect on their own lives and ask: How can you take the stories I share and use them to improve the way you work with children? How can you become that one trusted adult who changes a child’s life?
I aim to inspire, motivate, and empower individuals to act. Whether it’s fostering emotional connections, understanding trauma, or breaking down the barriers children face, my presentations blend impactful storytelling with actionable insights. From heartfelt moments that will bring a tear to your eye to humour that will leave you smiling, I create an unforgettable experience that motivates people to implement real changes.
Keynote Topics and Themes Include:
- Through the Kids’ Eyes: A powerful exploration of the care system and the lives of children within it, with practical strategies for trauma-informed understanding and therapeutic approaches.
- Language That Cares: Understanding how the language we use in social care and education can either uplift or harm vulnerable children.
- Building Resilience and Relationships: The role of trusted adults in fostering emotional well-being and success for children in care.
- The Power of Connection: Why every child deserves an adult who believes in them and how those connections shape futures.
My goal is simple: to inspire action. I don’t just speak for the sake of telling my story; I speak to make a difference. To inspire every audience member to think differently about the children they work with, to act with intention, and to become that one person who changes a child’s life forever.
Defying statistics is what I'm all about. I'm a x3 university graduate, x3 business owner, x3 dad to three beautiful girls, x1 husband to the most supportive wife, and a firm believer in we have the ability to change our present day and futures. So what we going to do with that?
If you’re looking for a speaker who can move your audience to tears, laughter, and most importantly—action—then book me for your next event. Let’s make a difference, one story, one connection, and one life at a time.
Dr. Pippa Busch
Presenter Profile
Dr. Pippa Busch is an Educational Psychologist with extensive experience working with young people, families and educators. She began her private practice, The Child Psych, after years of working in the Local Authority, out of a desire to help young minds in their growth journey. Her approach is empathetic and engaging, supporting young people to open up while designing and steering them through a personalised pathway.
Dr Pippa regularly speaks at schools, and both UK and international conferences, on a range of topics including SEND, attachment, neuro-affirming practice and Autism . She is an accredited ELSA Lead Trainer, and recently worked with ELSA founder Sheila Burton, to create videos to be used in ELSA training across the UK. Dr Pippa is the lead on several modules for the Teacher CPD Academy, author of chapters in The Wellbeing Toolkit, and a contributor to the Cognitive Science Network by InnerDrive. As founder and lead of The Child Psych, she oversees a team who offer bespoke training and support to schools.
Dr Pippa received her doctorate from the University of East London.
Bespoke Training
The Child Psych offers bespoke training to individuals and groups that is specifically moulded to fit your school. Some examples of topics and delivery routes offered include: Full INSET day training at your school; SEND training online; and Emotional Literacy Twilight (after school training).
ELSA Training
Dr. Pippa offers ELSA training and supervision, courses are delivered across six days either in school or a different location. Annual digital ELSA supervision with practitioners is also on offer.
Projects and Policies
The Child Psych provides informed and impartial assistance with policies and projects to educators across private and public settings, such as Inclusion Policies, SEND Performance, and Personal, Social, and Emotional Curriculum.
Leadership Counsel
Gain a new perspective and bounce ideas off a respected, industry-adjacent peer. Offering regular opportunities for School Leadership to speak with an Educational Psychologist was successfully trialed and implemented by Buckinghamshire Council.
Recent feedback
“We immersed our staff in the ELSA training course, and it gave us a wonderful amount of new information and knowledge we'd never before consider... I'm excited to implement the work". - Educational Staff
Publications
Teacher CPD Academy, lead author on the following modules:
• SEND & Cognitive Science
• Attachment The Wellbeing Toolkits
• Emotional Literature Skills
• Future Aspirations
• Emotion Coaching
• Growth Mindset
• Reflective Practice
Narinder Gill
Presenter Profile
Education and System Leadership Expert | Keynote Speaker | Executive Coach | Author
Leadership, communities and change – turning evidence and policy into practice that works.
Narinder Gill is an education and system leader with more than 30 years’ experience of leading change across schools, trusts and wider public services.
Her career has taken her from classroom teaching and headship to trust-wide school improvement, national policy and system leadership. She is currently a Department for Education RISE Adviser, working alongside schools, trusts and system leaders to strengthen leadership and support sustainable improvement. She also leads on early years across Yorkshire and the Humber working closely with policy teams.
Narinder is Co-Founder of the Institute of AI Education, where she works with education leaders to think beyond the technology itself and consider the bigger questions AI presents for learning, leadership, ethics and the future of education.
At the heart of her work is a simple belief: context is king. Sustainable change starts with understanding the children, people and communities we serve. Narinder brings this thinking into her keynotes, combining evidence and policy with the reality of leading organisations through complexity and change.
As a certified executive coach, she also works with CEOs and senior leaders, creating space for honest conversations about leadership, purpose, culture and the decisions that matter.
Her speaking is thoughtful, practical and grounded in experience. She challenges audiences to look beyond the next initiative and ask what will genuinely make a difference – and what needs to be in place for that difference to last.
Speaking themes
System leadership and sustainable improvement
Building leadership capacity, shared responsibility and strong improvement systems across schools and trusts.
Context is king: communities, belonging and leadership
Understanding place, people and lived experience, and why knowing the community you serve matters to educational improvement.
The human side of leadership
Trust, culture, relationships, judgement and the conversations leaders need to have when the answers are not straightforward.
Leading change in complex organisations
Helping leaders create clarity, build organisational capacity and sustain improvement through growth and change.
AI, education and leadership
Moving beyond tools to consider AI literacy, curriculum, ethics, governance and what responsible leadership looks like in a rapidly changing landscape.
Early years and the foundations for learning
Why early education matters, what strong foundations look like and the leadership needed to give every child the best possible start.
Publications
Narinder is co-author of Creating Change in Urban Settings, drawing on her experience of headship and leading change in a complex inner-city community.
Her published work also includes writing on building capacity through a community of schools, leadership and professional development, alongside earlier publications on curriculum, literacy and teaching.
Her work, whether speaking, coaching or working alongside education leaders, comes back to the same questions:
Do we really understand our context? Are we developing the people around us? And are we building something that will still work when we are no longer there?
Dr Suzanne Zeedyk
Presenter Profile
Dr Suzanne Zeedyk is a research scientist fascinated by babies’ innate capacity to connect. Since 1993, she has been based at the University of Dundee, Scotland, within the School of Psychology (where she now holds the post of Honorary Fellow). Her academic career began in the USA, where she completed her PhD at Yale University.
In 2011, Suzanne stepped away from a full-time academic post in order to establish an independent training enterprise. Its aim is to help the public understand all that science has discovered about the importance of emotional connection for human health and happiness. More than 150,000 people will now have now attended her speaking events, and many more engage with her via social media, podcasts or media contributions. The two words that come up repeatedly in feedback, from those attending one of Suzanne’s training sessions, are “inspirational” and “thought-provoking”.
In 2014, Suzanne broadened her public reach even further by founding the organization connected baby. She and her team work to help parents and professionals make practical use of the science of connection. You can find out more by visiting the connected baby website. Relationships matter – as much for human brains as for human hearts.
Suzanne works throughout the UK and beyond with organisations keen to think more deeply about fostering connection, compassion and resilience. Her core aspiration continues to be strengthening awareness of the decisions we take about caring for our children — because those choices are integrally connected to our vision for the kind of society we wish to build.
Laura Knight
Presenter Profile
Laura Knight is a strategist, author, and educator with a simple but radical belief: that technology in education should be used well — purposefully, wisely, and in service of human flourishing.
Founder of Sapio, a consultancy working with schools, universities, publishers, and global education organisations, she is a TechWomen100 Award Winner (2025), EduFuturist of the Year Finalist (2026). Her book, The Little Guide for Teachers on Generative AI (Sage), is used by educators internationally. Laura is an accomplished keynote speaker, panellist, chair, and host with international reach including for Bett, BRILLIANT, the PTI, The Schools and Academies Show, The Confederation of School Trusts, OEB Berlin, and The Education People Show.
She advises governments, edtech companies, publishers, and schools on digital strategy and AI, and serves on the advisory boards of the Institute of AI in Education, the Independent Schools Council Digital Advisory Group, the Good Future Foundation, and Teachmate.
She is a passionate advocate for building a human-centred, ethical and inclusive digital education landscape which serves the young people at its heart. She also works to support families as well as schools: Laura has a podcast called 'The Switched-on Parent' sharing digital wisdom for families. 'Her new book 'Raising Humans to Flourish in an AI World', will be published by Hachette in 2027.
Tom Bigglestone
Presenter Profile
Tom is an expert in oracy, metacognition and Philosophy for Children. An experienced teacher and leader in several schools, Tom has been Head of Humanities, Religious Studies and Philosophy, as well as sat on Senior Academic Management Teams. He has worked as Online Learning Manager at The Economist Educational Foundation. He has been CEO, at The Philosophy Man for seven years, and Co-Founder and Director of Hidden Leaders. He still works in classrooms week-in, week-out.
A Durham philosophy graduate, Tom is co-author of four books for teachers - and his most recent, Thinking Moves A-Z: Metacognition Made Simple, has been translated into four languages and is about to be launched as a bilingual text in China. He regularly writes materials received by over 17,000 educators in 91 countries. He has written for several Headteachers' publications and his article was chosen by the UK government as its principal guide on how to help children discuss the war in Ukraine.
In 2014 he was awarded The Walter Hines Page Scholarship by the English-Speaking Union to research the role of assessment in philosophy. He co-presented the TedX Talk "Hmmm Questions" in 2017 and is one half of "Spot and Stripe", the popular children's miniseries used in schools worldwide. Tom continues to work with schools to help them embed philosophical discussions into their curriculum. His ideas are rooted in his vast experience working with all age groups and are known for their immediate impact on learning.
Laura McInerney
Presenter Profile
In brief…
I’m an education journalist, co-founder of the daily survey app, Teacher Tapp, and renowned keynote speaker.
For six years I taught in challenging east London schools before being taken to court by the government for asking a question. I eventually became the Guardian’s education columnist and editor of the investigative newspaper Schools Week.
After that I started Teacher Tapp, a daily survey of 10,000 teachers, to help find out the truth of what was happening in schools and use it to challenge government and the media.
Want more?
Since 2013, I have been a columnist for The Guardian and have written for other publications including The Observer, the New Statesman, The TES, and Prospect.
I regularly use my schools expertise to appear on broadcasts including Radio 4’s Today, Radio 5 Live, BBC London, LBC, Talk Radio, and Sky News. (If you want to get in touch for broadcast purposes, contact me).
I have authored four books, The Leadership Factor, Leading Academy Trusts, The Leadership Juggling Act, and The Six Predictable Failures of Free Schools (And How To Avoid Them).
Over the past 10 years I have keynoted and hosted at most major education events including, The Wellington Festival of Education, the Headteachers Roundtable, and the BETT show.
My main specialism is looking carefully at government policies, clearing away all the faff and pomp, and explaining exactly what will happen to teachers, pupils, parents and the wider school community.
Onto the nerdy stuff
I’ve a geeky interest in free schools & academies. In 2011 I published the book The Six Predictable Failures of Free Schools…And How To Avoid Them before receiving a Fulbright Scholarship enabling me to spend two years in the US studying their global equivalents.
In 2014 I was taken to court by the Department for Education for asking a question. After initially losing, I later won the answer. I represented myself in court throughout the proceedings.
My specialist topic is the influence of politics on education. I have a database called ‘greatness’ based on my reading of all available biographies of past UK’s Education Secretaries. I once ran a website about the process, documented at www.greatedusecs.com. And I now give talks on what we can learn from past education secretaries and am wheeled out whenever one changes — which is, on average, every 801 days.
I also sell a great card game called Battle of The Education Secretaries if you are a super nerd.
My teacher training was completed through TeachFirst and I received the 2008 Award for Outstanding Teaching.
Danielle Lewis-Egonu
Presenter Profile
Danielle Lewis‑Egonu is the Chief Executive Officer of Cygnus Academies Trust and one of the most compelling and principled leadership voices in education today. With more than two decades of experience spanning early years, school leadership and system leadership, Danielle is known for her unwavering commitment to equity, integrity and social justice, shaped by powerful lived experience.
Danielle’s leadership philosophy has resonated nationally following her widely read TES interview, in which she speaks with striking honesty about her journey through extreme poverty, the care system and disrupted schooling, and how these experiences inform her approach to leadership, accountability and system design. Her writing and public speaking challenge simplistic narratives around disadvantage, calling instead for education systems that preserve agency, dignity and ambition for the communities they serve.
As CEO of Cygnus Academies Trust, Danielle leads a values‑driven organisation rooted in collaboration, citizenship and sustainable improvement. She champions schools as anchors within their communities and is deeply committed to ensuring that every child feels seen, known and capable of success. Her work focuses on building cultures where reading, belonging, relational leadership and moral purpose are non‑negotiables.
A former headteacher and early years practitioner, Danielle brings together strategic vision and practical insight. She is a sought‑after speaker on leadership, inclusion, social mobility, reading, safeguarding, care‑experienced pupils and ethical system leadership, combining intellectual rigour with rare authenticity. Audiences consistently describe her sessions as challenging, hopeful and deeply human.
Danielle joins The Learning Line following significant demand from schools and trusts keen to engage with her thinking, leadership and lived experience, and to explore how education can do better by the children and communities who need it most. Her values align seamlessly with The Learning Line’s ambition to improve children’s lives through thoughtful, courageous and principled education.
Her work speaks directly to our belief that schools can and must change life chances when they are rooted in moral purpose, high expectations and deep care for the communities they serve.
We are proud to welcome Danielle as a speaker with The Learning Line, where she is available to book exclusively. Her sessions offer schools, trusts and leaders a powerful opportunity to engage with leadership thinking that is uncompromising, values‑led and grounded in lived experience, with a clear focus on creating education systems that work better for every child.
Ndidi Okezie OBE
Presenter Profile
Ndidi Okezie OBE is a leadership strategist, systems thinker, and former CEO with two decades of experience driving transformation across education, youth, corporate, and cultural sectors. Renowned for her clarity, energy, and ability to connect across diverse audiences, she brings board-level insight, cross-sector credibility, and deep commitment to equity and social impact. A TEDx speaker, national commentator, and former Vice President at Pearson and Executive Director at Teach First, Ndidi is known for helping leaders and teams turn complex challenges into practical action. Whether on stage, in strategy rooms, or hosting high-profile events, she brings rigour, warmth, and momentum to every conversation
Speaking & Facilitation Topics
1. Systems Thinking for Leadership and Social Impact
Clear, compelling frameworks to help leaders navigate complexity, tackle root causes, and drive lasting change. Based on her “Think Big, Focus Deep, Learn Loud” methodology, Ndidi brings systems thinking to life across sectors.
2. Inclusive Leadership and Culture Transformation
Powerful insights on embedding equity, trust, and purpose into organisational strategy and governance. Ideal for leadership teams ready to shift culture and deliver systemic impact.
3. Cross-Sector Collaboration and Strategy Execution
Real-world lessons on delivering complex programmes across government, corporate, and non-profit sectors. Ndidi facilitates high-stakes strategy work with clarity, ambition, and measurable outcomes.
4. Youth Power and the Future of Work
Reframing young people as high-potential change agents. Ndidi speaks with authority on talent, social mobility, and preparing the next generation for work and purpose.
5. Creative Systems: Culture, Storytelling, and Change
How culture and creativity drive systems change. Blending her experience in governance, media, and social impact, Ndidi explores the power of narrative, space, and public imagination.
6. Red Team Thinking and Strategic Resilience
An energising, interactive session to uncover blind spots, test assumptions, and build sharper execution. Designed for leaders launching new strategies or navigating uncertainty.
7. Women, Power and Purposeful Leadership
A bold and honest take on navigating leadership as a woman of colour across sectors. Practical, inspiring, and always grounded in real-world experience.
8. Event Hosting, Moderation and Strategic Facilitation
From summits and panels to firesides and strategy days, Ndidi brings pace, insight, and presence to every room. Equally comfortable on stage or in the boardroom.
Lizzie Waterworth
Presenter Profile
Lizzie Waterworth is a BAFTA‑nominated voice actor, children’s author and international speaker, specialising in oracy, confidence and effective communication for children and the adults who teach them. Best known as the voice of Horrid Henry, Lizzie has spent almost two decades working in television, animation and video games, lending her voice to award‑winning productions including Bob the Builder, Alphablocks and the Emmy‑nominated Mush‑Mush & the Mushables.
Drawing on her professional expertise as a performer and her academic background in English Language and Communication, Lizzie now works closely with schools, trusts and educational organisations to help pupils and practitioners develop confident, clear and purposeful speaking skills. Her sessions blend practical strategies with storytelling, humour and highly engaging demonstrations, making complex ideas about communication immediately accessible for the classroom.
In 2019, Lizzie was nominated for a BAFTA Children’s Award for Best Performer, placing her among a very small group of voice artists recognised at this level. She is also the author of the acclaimed children’s nonfiction book How to Talk So People Will Listen (And Sound Confident Even When You’re Not), published by DK / Penguin Random House in 2023. The book is now widely used by schools to support oracy, confidence and personal development.
Lizzie speaks regularly at educational conferences, schools and professional learning events in the UK, Europe and the United States, including recent work with the Yale University School of Management. Her keynote talks and workshops empower educators to teach speaking skills explicitly, helping young people not just to find their voice, but to use it with confidence, clarity and impact.