AoC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Conference 2026

Angela has been Chief Executive and Principal of The Sheffield College since May 2018. Angela is an experienced further and higher education practitioner with an excellent understanding of the regulatory requirements of both Ofsted and the Office for Students. Angela’s wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise in further education includes significant knowledge across a broad range of curriculum and student support services gained in over 30 years in the sector and at colleges in London, the South East, the North West, and South Yorkshire. Angela is a Member of the South Yorkshire Combined Authority Business Advisory Board, Chair of the Sheffield Skills and Employability Board, and Co-Chair of the South Yorkshire Skills Advisory Board, among other civic roles.

Polly Harrow is a highly skilled and experienced educational practitioner who has delivered training and presentations to audiences across the UK and Europe, with outstanding feedback. She has worked in education for over 25 years and has a significant proven track record and an excellent reputation across the sector. She is Assistant Principal and Senior Designated Safeguarding lead at Kirklees College, a qualified Trauma and Mental Health National Practitioner (Distinction, TISUK), a Prevent national practitioner (radicalisation) and a Senior Mental Health Lead.

Polly’s areas of expertise sit primarily in all aspects of safeguarding, equality, diversity & inclusion, restorative and trauma informed practice, positive behaviour, exploitation & radicalisation, coaching & mentoring and sexual harms and violence, gangs and knife crime. Polly sits on a number of local and national boards and steering groups focussed on safeguarding, mental health and youth violence. She has been an Associate with ETF and previously was Chair of Namss for 10 years. In December 2023, Polly was announced by Minister Robert Halfon as the first FE Student Support Champion in the post 16 sector.

Jasbir Sondhi is Group Principal of Capital City College, one of England’s largest Further Education providers, serving over 37,000 students across London. As a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, she leads the Group’s strategic work for young people and SEND, driving excellence, inclusion, and meaningful community impact.

A passionate advocate for Further Education, Jasbir is committed to ensuring that every learner—regardless of background or circumstance—has access to high-quality, life-changing education. She has championed initiatives that raise aspiration and widen access, including NEET re-engagement programmes, mentoring schemes, and inclusive curriculum strategies that have transformed outcomes for disadvantaged and vulnerable learners.

Having begun her own journey as a Further Education student, Jasbir brings lived experience and a deep belief in the sector’s power to unlock opportunity and social mobility. Her commitment to inclusion and purposeful leadership was recognised in 2024 when she was named to the Purpose Power List by The Purpose Coalition, celebrating leaders who drive positive social change.

Janet Curtis-Broni is the Group Chief People Officer at Elevare Civic Education Group (formerly London & South East Education Group), one of the UK’s leading education and skills organisations spanning further education, schools, and community learning.

The Group comprises London South East Colleges, London South East Academies Trust and the Elevare Education Foundation.

Joining the Group in 2020 as Director of HR & Organisational Development, she was soon promoted to her current role, where she leads the People Strategy to strengthen organisational culture, talent development, and leadership capability across its diverse institutions.

A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and a qualified mediator and coach, Janet has over 23 years of experience in further education, including 17 in senior leadership. She is also Chair of the HR Directors’ Network for the Association of Colleges (AoC) London region, helping to shape collaborative approaches to people strategy and policy across the FE sector.

Leah Stone has been the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at London South East Colleges for almost six years, working with and for both staff and students. In addition, she is also one of their LGBTQ+ Champions, and has had multiple articles published relating to neurodiversity in the workplace. In her previous role, she was the LGBTQ+ Coordinator for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation – the first role of its kind in any of the top 5 leagues of English football. Her passion for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion has developed through both their personal experiences (as a Lesbian with Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD), and seeing, hearing and understanding the experience of others. She wants to help create a better, fairer, more accessible world for all.

Dr Louise Karwowski is Founder and Lead Neuro-Inclusion Consultant at Bright Brains, specialising in neuroinclusion across education and the workplace. She combines a PhD‑level STEM background with over 20 years’ experience supporting neurodifferent learners, staff and senior

leadership teams, translating research into clear, practical strategies. Louise brings together research, policy and lived professional experience to challenge performative inclusion and support institutions to embed meaningful, intersectional practice. She is known for her thoughtful, practical and human approach to inclusion that places belonging, wellbeing and opportunity at the centre of education.

Anita Lall is an experienced senior leader in Further Education and is Principal & CEO at Craven College. She started her career as a research scientist specialising in childhood cancers and moved into teaching in FE to inspire girls and young women to study science. The past 20 years of her career have been spent in the FE sector at a leadership level leading diverse, multi-disciplinary teams. Anita has a student-centred, quality focussed approach and is passionate about creating an excellent learning environment for every student attending Craven College. Anita She also has a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and understanding of inequalities in education.

Since 1995, Claire has devoted her career to working in further and higher education. She is passionate about improving life chances through the transformational power of education, skills and training. After joining Boston College as Principal and CEO in 2020, Claire prioritised building strong, purposeful partnerships with communities and businesses to secure exciting collaborative opportunities, extending the college’s reach and forging powerful bonds to facilitate social cohesion. Inspiring a positive, innovative and supportive college culture was her key driver, constantly seeking improvement expecting brilliant today and better tomorrow. Claire continues to serve as chair and member of several regional boards.

Paula Luz-Ferreira is an educator in further education, leading a team delivering a broad ESOL curriculum for learners aged 16+. With over 20 years’ experience in EFL and ESOL, she works with linguistically, culturally, and educationally diverse cohorts. Her academic and professional interests centre on integration, progression, inclusion, and the development of cultural capital to support learners’ academic success. Through her leadership, she has embedded the ethical and critical use of AI within the ESOL curriculum, equipping learners with skills for study, work, and participation in society. She has also established inclusive internal progression pathways to enable ESOL learners to transition successfully into vocational courses, ensuring equitable access to opportunity across the provision. This work has contributed to her ESOL department being shortlisted as one of three finalists for the Beacon Award 2025/26.

Natalie Ashworth is the Head of Performance and Improvement and EDI Lead at Lancaster and Morecambe College, where she is responsible for monitoring the impact of teaching and learning, managing quality assurance processes and leading the college’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy. She has been in post for almost four years and brings extensive experience from a career in education and training that began in 2012.

Moving into FE in 2016, Natalie has developed deep expertise in driving continuous improvement, strengthening inclusive practice, and ensuring that all learners experience equitable opportunities and outcomes. Prior to working in FE, she successfully ran her own business for 20 years, bringing a strong strategic and operational skill set that continues to shape her leadership approach.

Natalie is committed to creating a culture where high quality teaching, inclusive practice and learner success are inseparable. She is passionate about reducing barriers, empowering staff, and embedding meaningful, measurable EDI impact across all aspects of college life.

Victoria Carter is the Head of Engagement at Lancaster & Morecambe College, a role she has held for the past six years. With over 25 years’ experience across post16 education, youth work and careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG), she brings a rich breadth of expertise in supporting young people and adults to achieve their potential.

Victoria spent six years working on the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme, an experience she describes as transformative. During this time, she worked closely with some of the most inspiring young people, moments and memories that continue to influence her approach to engagement, inclusion and personal development.

After a decade-long break from further education, Victoria returned to the FE sector with renewed passion and energy. She now leads a highly creative and dedicated team at Lancaster & Morecambe College, where she is committed to shaping impactful engagement strategies, widening participation, and fostering meaningful opportunities for learners across the community.

Simba Ncube is a dedicated student leader and an aspiring engineering professional, currently studying T Level Engineering and Manufacturing. He serves as the President of the North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College Student Union and the Student Governor, representing the student body at board level and contributing to strategic decision-making within the college. His leadership journey reflects a strong commitment to advocacy, accountability and continuous improvement.

Ben Godber-Harding is an experienced Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion professional with a experience of leading complex, cross-functional projects and initiatives aimed at driving cultural change and promoting inclusivity. His main functions have involved overseeing institution-wide EDI strategies, coordinating organisational reviews, and
managing large-scale consultation projects. His passion is for developing and implementing policies, facilitating cross-departmental collaboration, and providing data-driven insights to support decision-making with an aim to ensure equity and accessibility for all.

Jeff Greenidge is the Director for Diversity & Governance for the Association of Colleges (AoC). He is an experienced teacher, coach and leadership mentor who has worked across the education and training sector. His career in education began as a teacher of modern languages and physical education. A three-year spell as Head of Modern Languages at Llanrumney High School in Cardiff followed, before he joined the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales, advising the Government on matters relating to language teaching and learning. After three years as Director of the European Unit of the Welsh Joint Education Committee, he joined learndirect, where he served in a number of roles culminating in more than five years as Network Director between 2010 and 2015.

Ore is currently a student of T level health at Buckinghamshire college group, Aylesbury division. She aspires to be a mental health nurse and specialise in learning disabilities and addictions among young people. She is also one of the student governors at Buckinghamshire College group, loves to read and take care of animals in her spare time.

Aldrich Gonsalves is the Youth Social Action (YSA) Coordinator at Dudley College of Technology, where he leads student-focused initiatives that promote equity, inclusion, and meaningful social change. Alongside this role, Aldrich works on the YSA Apprentices Project with the Association of Colleges (AoC), supporting the development of young leaders across the further education sector. Aldrich previously served as President of Dudley Students’ Union for two years and brings extensive experience as a YSA Apprentice for two years and a YSA Mentor for a further two years. Throughout his journey, he has led and delivered a wide range of impactful EDI projects, including Anti-Racism Day initiatives such as Cake Not Hate, the Reginal Ramadan Football Tournament, and a successful gender-neutral toilet campaign. Aldrich is passionate about empowering young people, amplifying student voice, and creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels represented and valued.

Alero Megbele is a 19-year-old student at Kirklees College where she is studying Creative Media. She is a Young Leader and Youth Ambassador whose passion is to help young people and positively impact the community at large. She is the Vice President of the Kirklees College Student Union, where she oversees its largest centre, and serves as a college Governor alongside other professionals. She is a skills champion for WorldSkills UK and has travelled across England representing the organisation. She is a young leader at Leaders Unlocked and has worked on several projects including the Student Commission for Racial Justice. Through her involvements with these organisations, she has built valuable skills such as communication skills, Interpersonal relations, confidence, teamwork and time management. She has also gained experience from working with several young people within and without her community and is well versed on several matters relating to the society. Being from an African background, she is familiar with the issues they face and is willing to ensure that everyone is treated fairly. She has spoken at several conferences and featured in several podcasts. She is a life long learner, loves meeting people and open to build connections.

Areej is an 18-year old student at Milton Keynes College, undertaking her T Level course. She has always been interested in working in marketing and is a motivated, creative individual. She’s interested in knowing more about how businesses work and how they communicate to their customers. She enjoys learning new things and acquiring good knowledge in the industry. She is a member of the Student Commission on Racial Justice, which helps her with key skills of working in a team and learning good ethics. It helps her enhance her communication, leadership and advocacy skills through cross-cultural collaboration. Further, she is a member of the Milton Keynes Studetn Executive Committee (MKSEC) Events Organiser.