AoC Quality, Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference and Exhibition 2025
Venue: De Vere Connaught Rooms, London WC2B 5DA
Date: 9 December 2025
Time: 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Fee: Starting from £360 + VAT- per delegate
Tuesday 9th December 2025 - 09:30 – 16:30
Teaching, Learning and Assessment approaches are constantly evolving and colleges are at the forefront of change.
What is the latest thinking on effective pedagogy and how can we ensure that all our staff are making the best use of the tools and resources available to them?
How do we ensure that all our students benefit from teaching and evaluation which engages and motivates them and supports effective learning?
The AoC Quality Teaching Learning and Assessment conference is a great opportunity to catch up with the latest thinking and to hear from education experts and leading college practitioners.
Join the conversation and stay up-to-date with the latest news: AoC_Info
Delegate Fees:
AoC Member fee - per delegate - £360 + VAT
Affiliate Member - per delegate - £385 + VAT
Non member institutions - per delegate - £410 + VAT
Non member commercial - per delegate - £825 + VAT
Stand support – per delegate - £110 + VAT
10% off on 2 or more AoC Member tickets purchased
I am an Advanced Practitioner and Chartered Teacher with over 13 years of experience in education, specialising in Early Years, Child Development, and Health and Social Care. I hold an MA in Education (Early Childhood) and a BA (Hons) in Post-Compulsory Education, alongside Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and Advanced Teacher Status.
At Walsall College, I have led teaching and learning across multiple levels, coordinated Early Years programmes, and successfully developed innovative initiatives such as the Forest School project, which received national recognition and commendation from the Society for Education and Training and the Wildlife Trust. I have extensive experience mentoring and coaching staff, raising teaching standards, and embedding inclusive, student-centred approaches that improve engagement and retention, particularly for learners with additional needs.
I am the Interim Director of Digital Education and AI, with extensive experience in instructional design, online pedagogy, and digital accessibility across Activate Learning and the FE sector. My expertise spans online course development, IT service management, project coordination, and team leadership. I am passionate about advancing education through digital tools, immersive technologies, and AI to create equitable learning experiences. Guided by the Learning Philosophy, I focus on fostering growth mindsets and emotional awareness, ensuring technology enhances teaching, learning, and learner well-being while driving innovation and improving outcomes for both educators and students.
Sarah Cattell is the Workforce Development and Innovation Manager at Walsall College, with over two decades of experience in Further Education. Her journey began in hairdressing and beauty therapy, evolving into a dynamic career focused on staff development, coaching, and Initial Teacher Education. Sarah leads teacher development across the organisation, championing innovative approaches to pedagogy and professional learning. She also supports industry upskilling, ensuring staff remain responsive to sector changes. Passionate about driving excellence in teaching and learning, Sarah brings a strategic and creative lens to workforce development, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Nicola Cooke has dedicated 20 years to further education, driven by a passion for helping students realise their full potential. Committed to ensuring that further education is a transformational part of every learner’s skills and career journey, Nicola has spent her career at Newcastle College, where she developed a deep interest in quality improvement and the power of data to evidence impact. In her current role as Director of Quality and Learning Enhancement, Nicola leads initiatives that enhance teaching, learning, and assessment through investigative practice and a relentless focus on high standards, ultimately improving outcomes for all students.
Jane Davison has over 30 years’ experience in Further Education, starting in hairdressing before moving into teacher training. She’s held senior roles including Head of Department and Assistant Principal, and is now Director of Quality and Personal Development. A national competition winner herself, Jane champions skills competitions for their impact on learners—highlighted by a Level 1 student becoming a national champion. She collaborates with WorldSkills, sharing best practices and supporting international initiatives. In September, she presented at a global conference during the WorldSkills Finals in Lyon, showcasing her dedication to excellence in vocational education.
I have over 20 years of teaching experience in FE and am an educator committed to advancing high-quality teaching and learning. I hold Advanced Teacher Status and have recently completed Senior Status in Education for Sustainable Development, reflecting a strong dedication to impactful, future-focused practice. My work spans curriculum innovation, professional development, and the integration of educational technology to enhance learner engagement. I am passionate about supporting colleagues and shaping thoughtful learning environments. My research continues to explore how pedagogy, sustainability, and digital tools intersect to create meaningful educational experiences.
Dr Jonathan Hills is the Learning, Teaching, and Assessment (LTA) Manager at Blackpool and The Fylde College. With extensive experience in the teaching of History across Secondary, Further, and Higher Education, he brings a deep understanding of pedagogical practice to his leadership role. Jonathan is responsible for advancing strategic initiatives at the College that enhance teaching quality and foster impactful, improvements in students’ learning. His scholarly interests lie in quality management processes and observation practice, areas in which he has conducted significant research and has published.
Chris is the Senior Quality and Standards manager at WorldSkills UK, an organisation delivering skills excellence across the UK, helping young people thrive and employers grow. He leads a team that designs benchmarking tools to support educators in developing learners to achieve excellence in technical and vocational skills, enabling them to secure high-quality careers and deliver the world class skills employers need.
He is an experienced educationalist, having spent his professional career sharing his broad technical and vocational skills and knowledge with a belief that training with education and industry firmly go hand in hand to benefit others and protect skills in communities.
Jonny Kay is an award-winning former teacher and FE leader who has supported more than 15,000 teachers and leaders through his work as a consultant, speaker, coach and CPD facilitator. A Lead English Expert for England’s largest exam board, Jonny draws on significant experience from across education, focusing on practical strategies that raise standards and empower educators to make lasting impact. He also serves as a school governor and charity trustee, championing high standards and opportunity. Passionate about empowering teachers and leaders to achieve their potential, Jonny continues to drive practical, evidence-informed change in classrooms and colleges nationwide.
As Group Innovation and AI Specialist, I develop FE sector-leading solutions leveraging AI, data analytics, and process automation & efficiencies. I was lead technical designer for Activate Learning’s Online provision (AOC Jisc Beacon Award 2022-3), designed and developed our organisational AI assistant (Best use of AI in Learning – Gold, The Learning Awards 2025) as well as our AI tutors and feedback assistant (AOC Jisc Beacon Award finalist 2025-6).
Kathryn Pogson is Head of Teaching, Learning and Innovation at Kirklees College, with extensive experience in teacher education, curriculum leadership, and professional development. She leads initiatives that embed inclusive practice, anti-racist and trauma informed approaches, and the college’s Teaching Excellence Framework. Kathryn supports leaders and teachers to develop high quality, equitable learning experiences through reflective practice and collaborative approaches. Her work includes designing trust based quality processes and lesson visits that strengthen teaching and learning while fostering staff confidence. Kathryn is passionate about enabling all students to thrive and ensuring that teaching excellence is inclusive, innovative, and impactful.
Working with a small team Catherine oversees AoC Policy work for 16 to 18-year-olds including SEND, careers, digital, student enrichment and qualifications. Catherine is currently working on the implications of qualification reform and Curriculum and Assessment Review for colleges and their students. She has recently been part of a joint AoC UCL team undertaking a Nuffield funded project on 14 to 16 provision in colleges and is working on a UFI project supporting use of digital technologies in colleges. Catherine was awarded an MBE for services to Further Education in 2025.
With 16 years of Further Education experience, I am committed to creating opportunities and changing lives through excellence in teaching and learning. As Director of Teaching, Learning and Digital Innovation at Kirklees College, I have led transformational change across curriculum areas, achieving consistently positive outcomes through strategic quality assurance and collaborative leadership. My expertise encompasses developing sustainable observation frameworks and building positive institutional culture through trust-based approaches. I am passionate about fostering a self-improving sector ethos where lesson observations become collaborative developmental tools that build educator confidence and strengthen practice, enabling our sector to continuously evolve and deliver excellence for learners and communities we serve.
