AoC Quality, Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference and Exhibition 2026

Geoff Barton was most recently General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders. He held this post for seven years. Prior to this, for fifteen years he was headteacher at King Edward VI School in Suffolk, an 11-18 comprehensive school of 1600 students. 

Geoff is patron of the English & Media Centre, a Founding Fellow of the English Association, a trustee of the Education Policy Institute, and a Board member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Recently he has chaired an independent commission on oracy in education and led the IPPR taskforce on inclusion. He was awarded the CBE in the 2025 New Year’s honours list for services to education.

Dr Jo Bowser-Angermann is Deputy Dean for Education (Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences) and Associate Professor of Applied Teaching and Learning at Anglia Ruskin University. Author of ‘Blending Andragogy and Pedagogy for Adult Learners’, Jo has taught across all age phases, giving her deep insight into complete educational journeys. Passionate about social justice and lifelong learning, her research focuses on GCSE policy impacts within Further Education alongside student and teacher motivation. Jo works extensively across FE and HE sectors to bridge disciplinary skill translation, supporting learners as they articulate their capabilities with confidence in an evolving educational landscape.

Professor Jennifer Richards is the English (2001) Chair at the University of Cambridge. Previously, she was the Co-Director of Newcastle University Humanities Research Institute. She remains a visiting professor at Newcastle University. She is a Fellow of The British Academy, The English Association, and The Royal Historical Society. She is the current chair of The English Association, the UK’s leading cross-sector body for English Studies; she leads on our cross-sector skills work.

Dan Walsh is a Digital Innovation Specialist at Luminate Education Group, driven by an authentic passion for quality teaching and digital innovation. Having progressed through FE as both a student and teacher, Dan is dedicated to giving back to the sector by coaching, delivering practical support, and upskilling educators to enhance learning experiences through digital innovation. Committed to ensuring no one is left behind, Dan thrives on bringing everyone along on Luminate’s digital journey while actively protecting teacher workload. At the conference, Dan will bring to life Luminate’s 3-Step Digital Innovation Pathway for Educators, and will demonstrate how differentiated coaching replaces one-size-fits-all CPD with lasting capability.

Dr Amy Woodrow is the Director of Student Experience, Quality and Safeguarding at City of Bristol College, where she leads on teaching, learning and quality improvement. She is also an experienced safeguarding leader, charity trustee and mentor, with a particular interest in developing evidence-informed leadership and professional practice within further education. 

Amy’s PhD research explored the relationship between occupational culture and vocational pedagogy in further education. Her work examines how vocational teachers develop pedagogical expertise, how workplace practices and occupational cultures are transmitted through teaching, and the role of subject-specific language in preparing learners for skilled employment.

As Deputy Head of Digital & Innovation at Luminate Education Group, Martin leads the big-picture strategy for bringing fresh, transformative digital learning to life across the organisation. Driven by a passion for building college-wide digital confidence, he focuses on creating clear frameworks that give staff the freedom to innovate, without adding to their workload.

Working side-by-side with Digital Innovation Specialist Dan Walsh, Martin spearheaded the rollout of Luminate’s 3-Step Digital Innovation Pathway. At the conference, he breaks down the strategy behind the model, showing how high-level digital plans easily translate into real, practical impact for frontline teaching.