AoC Curriculum Conference 2026

Jane leads the Department for Education’s post-16 qualification team who oversee developing and delivering the Government’s key commitments to create a world-class technical education system. She has been a Civil Servant for over 20 years in various Whitehall Departments. She worked on Apprenticeships from 2018 until May 2024. She is in a job-share with Kiera Harper

Jess is Associate Director for Stakeholder Engagement at Ofqual. She has fifteen years’ experience working in stakeholder and communications roles in the education sector. Jess leads the team responsible for engaging with schools, colleges, students, employers and organisations across the sector, to gather intelligence on qualifications and clearly articulate Ofqual’s policy. Jess is passionate about ensuring students have access to high quality education and training, and has undertaken a number of voluntary roles to support her professional development, at operational and board level.

Lucy is CEO of East Kent Colleges Group prior and had worked in Further Education for 27 years, starting in 1998 as an EFL Lecturer. Over the years she has done a wide range of roles across FE, working her way up the curriculum route as a Programme Director and Head of Curriculum. She has also led on international work, apprenticeships, subcontracting and adult community learning. She has been Principal of two of the EKC colleges and been the strategic lead for SEND, widening participation and safeguarding. Lucy is passionate about the student voice and the inclusivity East Kent Colleges Group prides itself on.

Tony Medhurst is the Principal & Chief Executive of Hertford Regional College, a post he has held since August 2015, having previously held the same position at a London based college for 7+ years. Before this he held leadership roles in both the public and private sectors, including two Vice Principal, Curriculum & Quality, roles in colleges in London and Essex. He chairs the AoC’s Curriculum Strategy Group and is a member of the AoC 2030 Strategy Group.

Eddie is a Senior Policy Manager in the AoC Policy Team, working mainly on 16-18 curriculum and qualifications, student support, student experience and student engagement. 

He was previously a college principle for 16 years in East London and Leicester having qualified as a secondary science teacher and worked as a teacher and senior manager in schools and colleges in East London.

Melanie Pountney has dedicated over 27 years to further education, with extensive experience in teaching, assessing, mentoring, coaching, leadership, and management. As Curriculum Manager, she played a key role in introducing the Health T Level at Shrewsbury College for the first learner cohort in 2023. To support implementation, she visited colleges already delivering the qualification to explore best practice and establish links with healthcare professionals. Melanie contributed to the development of a steering group involving teaching staff and NHS colleagues, and worked collaboratively to secure industry placements, helping learners meet the 215-hour industry placement requirement. Her commitment to partnership working and curriculum innovation continues to support high-quality learner outcomes.

Charlynne is a What Works Innovation Fellow at the Education Endowment Foundation researching progression from Level 2 to Level 3 amongst 16–19-year-olds. She is an experienced researcher in post-16 education and a Principal Research Fellow at Sheffield Hallam University. Recent projects include the Post-16 CPD Practice Review for EEF, and work on apprenticeships for the Nuffield Foundation, Gatsby Foundation and Low Pay Commission.

Charlynne was the Head of Research at the Education and Training Foundation until 2020, covering FE workforce data and evaluations of FE CPD programmes. She was a Governor at Milton Keynes College Group until 2023.

Jacky Turner is a Health and Science lecturer with over 20 years of teaching experience and a background in Biology. For the past three years I have taught and assessed T Level Health programmes, specialising in curriculum delivery, assessment, and preparing students for careers in the health and care sector.