Case studies by teachers for teachers PLUS presentations by education experts
This is the third exciting London conference to support ambitious English kindly facilitated by The English Association. It’s going to be a very special event for schools already pioneering with the principles and strategies which can open doors to excellence for every pupil. It could be you have asked yourselves questions like:
- How do schools apply ‘Opening Doors’ principles and strategies to support an English curriculum offering excellence for all?
- How can approaches be spread across a school?
- What relevance do the principles and strategies of ‘Opening Doors’ have to the curriculum review?
- How can ‘Opening Doors’ support the development of reading for pleasure and growth in tandem with helping budding young writers find an authentic voice?
Please come to London on 13 October to hear these issues and many others addressed via case studies and presentations from teachers. Of course, the Opening Doors team will be on hand to answer questions and we are building in time for networking and informal exchanges of ideas. Sometimes, that part is valued the most! You will be able to return with a new agenda for the next steps of English development and with a buzz of creative possibilities.
This face to face event and its nominal cost is made possible by the support of The English Association.
Places are limited to about 40 so please register asap. It’s now twelve years since the first book Opening Doors to Famous Poetry and Prose was published so it’s also time to celebrate your terrific work with your pupils. Some of you are new to this thinking. Others have worked with us for a decade. You are all welcome!
Feedback from 2025 conference
‘I found it inspiring to see the different ways Bob Cox’s ‘Opening Doors’ approach was implemented’
‘I think the OD strategies and books have enabled us to apply key concepts and ideas and it’s empowered us to design our own curriculum’
‘I liked seeing how this is actually taught in schools with practical examples from real teachers.’
Key information
- 10:00 – 15:00
- Senate House, London, WC1E 7HU
- Tickets are £30, including refreshments on arrival
- Space is very limited, so we would appreciate it if only one teacher per school and one advisor per organisation could register
- Please note that the programme is subject to change
- 10 free tickets are available to members of the English Association: to claim your free ticket please email ceo@englishassociation.ac.uk
Programme
10:00 Arrival, registration, and refreshments
10:30 Introduction
Dr Rebecca Fisher, CEO of the English Association
The Importance of Excellence for All: Bob Cox, Director and Founder of Searching for Excellence
10:45 Keynote: ‘Writing – and teaching – inclusive stories for middle grade readers’ by multi-award-winning children’s author Catherine Bruton
Catherine’s books include No Ballet Shoes in Syria and Bird Boy. Her latest title is Tadpole Summer
11:45 Choice of two workshops:
Workshop A: Opening Doors for Life: enabling SEND and our most vulnerable to achieve in more than just writing
Workshop Leader: Abbigail Priest, Poulner Junior School
How we have used Opening Doors to support our most disadvantaged students to develop and communicate their owns ideas and build connectedness with their peers. This not only positively impacts how they access the whole curriculum, but how they view themselves as capable individuals.
Workshop B: Establishing autonomy, engagment and confidence in pupils across the writing curriculum
Workshop Leader: Ben Lodge. English Lead and Assistant Head at Richmond Hill Primary Academy
This workshop explores how teachers and leaders can encourage pupils to to become more autonomous in the choices they make across the writing curriculum. It will showcase a variety of activities designed to motivate pupils to engage deeply with their learning and reflect upon how careful curriculum design can ensure pupils of all abilities are given opportunities to challenge and express themselves creatively through their writing.
12:45 Lunch
NB To keep ticket costs down, lunch will not be provided; there are plenty of options for places to purchase lunch near the conference venue
13:30 Choice of two workshops:
Workshop C: Voices at the Heart of the Curriculum
Introduced by Claire Martin-O’Donoghue, Director of Education, Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust
Workshop Leaders: Rebecca Knight, Lorna Watson, Elise Brogan DCAT
This workshop explores how “voice” can be woven through an inclusive English curriculum—through talk, the texts we choose and the perspectives we elevate. By valuing diverse voices across all abilities, we will consider how to deepen engagement and enable every pupil to flourish.
Workshop D: Quality Texts: The Reader in the Writer
Workshop Leader: Renee Etienne
The session will explore how Year 5 pupils developed greater agency in their writing and refined their ability to make precise vocabulary choices for effect through engagement with high-quality texts.
14:30 Endnote: ‘How can the group be the answer not the problem?’ by Leah Crawford, English in Education consultant, member of the Opening Doors team, Let’s Think in English Tutor and author, Let’s Think Forum Council Member.
As we anticipate the draft of a National Oracy Framework:
- Why is talk so central to learning and development?
- What can you ‘build-in not bolt-on’ to everyday routines so that group talk drives development?
15:00 Close
Speakers
Elise Brogan
I am a Deputy Headteacher and English Leader at Sedlescombe Church of England Primary School. With a deep-rooted passion for English, I have dedicated many years to drawing on the very best educational research to design a curriculum that is both aspirational and inclusive, ensuring that every child can succeed and find their voice. At the heart of my work is a clear belief: “Writing is the outcome; thinking and voice are the true purpose.” This vision is realised through an interwoven, golden thread approach, where reading, writing, language and thinking are carefully connected across the curriculum. I am truly committed to developing confident, reflective learners who can articulate ideas, think deeply and engage meaningfully with the world around them.
Catherine Bruton
Catherine is a multi-award winning children’s author of novels for children and young people. She has also been a teacher for over 30 years. Her books address complex themes, including mental health immigration, conservation,grief and loss, in a way that aims to open conversations expand young readers’ capacity for empathy widen their horizons and switch on light bulbs in their heads. In the Carnegie nominated ‘No Ballet Shoes in Syria’ she explores the experiences of a young refugee from Syria, whilst the Nero shortlisted ‘Bird Boy’ looks at grief, anxiety and ADHD. Her latest title ‘Tadpole Summer’ explores sibling loss and the healing power of nature. Her books are heartbreaking and heart warming in equal measure, and Catherine’s mantra is ‘I never enter a dark room unless I think I can light the way out’
Leah Crawford
Leah has over 30 years experience in education, as a teacher, subject leader, Local Authority adviser. She now leads the independent consultancy Thinktalk. She is an Opening Doors consultant and author, a Tutor for the Let’s Think in English programme and Council member for the Let’s Think Forum charity. All of her work is rooted in developing teachers’ and students’ socialised intelligence: meeting challenge with collaborative talk.
Reneé Etienne
It feels like I have been in education for as long as can remember myself. Having parents in education, meant that I was always surrounded by learning and more importantly, words! It seemed inevitable that I would follow a similar path and have been teaching since 2006. I have taught in and around Cambridge, London and out in the UAE, where I supported a large team of practitioners to implement a robust English curriculum across a multi site school. English and in particular reading has always been my passion. I currently lead English in a diverse north Cambridge school, where we believe that our pupils deserve the best possible experiences to enable them to “make their world a better place.” At present we are developing an English curriculum alongside the ‘Opening Doors’ team that will encourage breadth as well as depth, challenge along with support. The aim is to support our teachers to deliver an inspirational and memorable programme of study so all pupils see English as ‘their’ subject. By using the finest current and heritage texts, we teach pupils to reflect upon the beauty of language and how it influences the world in which we live.
Beccy Knight
I have worked in education for 19 years, teaching in three schools along the south-east coast. in various schools in London and on the south coast. I have taught all years within KS2, and am now Assistant Headteacher and English lead at my current school, St. Leonards CE Primary Academy. We adopted the Opening Doors approach to writing 18 months ago, and have seen the impact across the school. Children are hearing, seeing and applying broader, richer language, and teachers are experimenting with a diverse range of texts within their classrooms. Opening Doors is, indeed, creating writers, and not just writing.
Ben Lodge
I have worked at Richmond Hill Primary Academy in South Yorkshire for 12 years. During my time at Richmond Hill I have studied for a Masters in Education and become a moderator for the local authority which gives me the privilege of visiting many other schools and discussing their approaches to writing and their pupil outcomes. I began to lead English at Richmond Hill in 2017, first implementing Let’s Think in English and then Opening Doors. Both of these have added a great richness to our English curriculum and play a large role in our outcomes now being consistently above national. I now lead our school in being a hub school for both of these approaches. I take great pride and enjoyment in showcasing our school and helping to develop colleagues’ subject and pedagogical knowledge in English.
Abbigail Priest
I have worked in education for 15 years in various schools in London and on the south coast. In that time, I have gained a Masters in Education and my experience ranges from EYFS through to GCSE. I joined my current school in 2019 and became head of English the following year. For the past 4 years, we have developed our approach through Opening Doors. Our results are significantly above national average but the true impact is deeper; our classrooms foster a sense of connectedness and the children LOVE to write.
Lorna Watson
I have been a Primary School teacher for 27 years in East Sussex. In this time, I have worked at a range of schools. For the past 24 years I have been the English Lead with a real passion for teaching writing to KS2 pupils. As a school, we began to use Opening Doors texts and approaches with our UK2 pupils three years ago. We have seen fantastic results, especially in the quality of the narratives our children produce. I am always proud to share our children’s work and love that they identify writing as one of their favourite subjects. An additional bonus is that our children’s confidence with reading has also improved significantly.
