Coach. Empower. Retain: Cultivating Teacher Agency Through Instructional Coaching

Join us for an inspiring and collaborative day with like-minded educators as we explore strategies and tools that help leaders build teacher agency and adaptive expertise through instructional coaching, not only improving teaching quality but also having a positive effect on the school’s culture and retention.

Listen to thought-provoking talks by:

• Sam Gibbs, Trust Lead for Curriculum & Development, Greater Manchester Education Trust:
  “It’s Not What We Do, It’s The Way That We Do It: Values-Led Coaching and School Culture”
• Dr. Haili Hughes, Director of Education, IRIS Connect:
  “Cultivating Teacher Agency and Adaptive Expertise Through Coaching”
• Andy Newell, Founder & MD, IRIS Connect:
  “Overcoming Resource Limitations with AI-assisted Instructional Coaching”
• Jeremy Gribben, Director of Teaching & Learning, The Grange School:
  “Transforming Teaching Together: Building a Whole School Reflective Coaching Culture with IRIS Connect”

Our speakers:

• Sam Gibbs is the Trust Lead for Curriculum & Development at the Greater Manchester Education Trust. She is an experienced teacher, school leader, teacher educator and coach who has worked with schools across the country on teaching and learning, curriculum design, and instructional coaching. Sam is the co-author of ‘The Trouble With English’ and currently writing on new publications around teacher retention, culture & coaching.
• Dr. Haili Hughes is the Director of Education at IRIS Connect and serves as a Principal Lecturer at the University of Sunderland. With a rich background that spans over 16 years as a teacher and leader in secondary schools, Haili has contributed significantly to UK education. Her work extends to advising on Initial Teacher Training policy for the DfE, facilitating programs like the Early Career Framework and National Professional Qualifications. She has authored several educational books and is a recognised speaker at educational conferences worldwide, where she shares her expertise on mentoring and teacher retention. Her work in education is driven by a passion to develop effective teaching strategies and support the professional growth of educators, impacting students and teachers alike across the educational landscape.
• Jeremy Gribben is the Director of Teaching & Learning at The Grange School. With over 25 years of experience in education, Jeremy has taught and led in diverse schools across the North East, North Wales, and North West, in both state and independent sectors. Since 1998, he has held roles such as Head of Year, Head of Department, Director of an Arts College, and Senior Leader, with responsibilities including behaviour management and academic strategy. Now Director of Teaching and Learning at a leading independent school, he champions professional development, pedagogical reflection, and collaboration across departments. Passionate about empowering teachers, he advocates for using tools like IRIS Connect to build dynamic teaching cultures through reflection, coaching, and collaboration. 
• Andy Newell is the founder of IRIS Connect and passionate about bridging the gap between what the research shows about effective professional development and the practical delivery of impactful learning interactions. His journey began at the University of Sussex with groundbreaking work on the use of video in initial teacher training and culminated in the development of a web based platform to enhance teachers’ reflection and collaboration. Since founding the company, Andy has worked around the world supporting effective teacher development, and has been involved in many inspiring educational projects and research.

You’re guaranteed to leave inspired, with tangible take-aways and valuable new connections to like-minded educators.

Doors will open at 9.30am and close by 3pm. The first presentation will begin at 10am sharp.

Lunch and refreshments throughout the day will be provided.

Suitable for:

• MAT Leaders
• School Leaders
• PD & Coaching Leads