ASCL Literacy and Oracy Conference 2025

The Studio, Birmingham

“The sessions were brilliant and also provided practical strategies and actions to take to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to address the literacy needs of our cohort. I felt motivated and inspired.” (Delegate, 2024)

Key outcomes

Through the most up-to-date research, understand the biggest barriers to improving literacy across a school, college or trust.
See a range of examples and resources that can be applied across different contexts.
Know where to access support and materials to deliver a more effective literacy programme for all children and young people, regardless of background and starting point.

Following the success of our inaugural conference, we’re delighted to be returning in 2025 with a focus on the strategic delivery of literacy and oracy across a school or trust to improve outcomes for all children and young people, and particularly those who struggle with reading and literacy due to barriers beyond their control.

The programme will feature presentations from national literacy and oracy experts and practising leaders who will share research, strategies, and examples of successful literacy leadership.

The ASCL Literacy and Oracy Conference 2025 is tailored to support school, college and trust leaders as well as leaders of literacy from all phases and contexts.

Speaker

Tiffnie Harris

Primary and Data Specialist

Marc Rowland

Pupil Premium and Vulnerable Learners Adviser, Unity Schools Partnership

Geoff Barton

Chair of the Independent Commission on Oracy in Education

Andrew Hill

Head of Partnerships, FFT Education

Sarah Green

The Literacy Coach

Emma Berry-Dinnage

English Teacher and Reading Lead at Tamworth Enterprise College

Nisha Tank

Head of School Improvement, National Literacy Trust

Cassie Chadderton

Chief Executive, World Book Day

Kate Sayer

Community and Development Manager, World Book Day

Programme

08.30				Registration, refreshments and exhibition

09.15				Welcome Tiffnie Harris, Primary and Data Specialist

09.20				World Book Day: reading for fun, because it seriously improves lives Cassie Chadderton, Chief Executive, World Book Day We know reading improves a range of outcomes, but reading enjoyment is at an all-time low. World Book Day will share why we need to make reading feel entertaining, social and a fun thing to do. They will share the attitudinal barriers inhibiting children’s reading enjoyment, and World Book Day’s evidence-based approach to encouraging children’s intrinsic motivation to read for pleasure.

09.50				Literacy as the Key to Unlocking Disadvantage Marc Rowland, Pupil Premium and Vulnerable Learners Adviser, Unity Schools Partnership Addressing disadvantage is about empowering teachers to empower pupils. Improving literacy empowers pupils academically and socially. The 'attainment gap' is a refection of the inequalities in society. As schools, improving the literacy of our disadvantaged pupils is one of the greatest social justice levers we can pull.

10.30				Refreshments and exhibition

10.45				Leading Literacy Across a Trust Sarah Green, Trust Director for Literacy, The Prospere Trust and Education Consultant In this session, Sarah will explore how to lead impactful and evidence-informed literacy practice at scale. Including: Understanding the role of the Trust Literacy Lead; Knowling how to lay strong foundations for implementation; Using assessment sensibly to diagnose challenges and evaluate impact;Developing a blueprint for high quality teaching across settings; Enabling access to the curriculum and support for all with targeted intervention pathways; Creating capacity, connecting people, and coordinating approaches

11.15				Keynote Andrew Hill, Head of Partnerships, FFT

11.45				Keynote Geoff Barton, Chair of the Independent Commission on Oracy in Education

12.15				Lunch and exhibition

12.55				Breaking the reading barrier for boys Emma Berry-Dinnage, Teacher of English and Reading Lead, Tamworth Enterprise College A session on overcoming reading barriers with bespoke interventions - a case study of how we addressed a struggling cohort of males to achieve better reading results and improve their engagement across the curriculum.

13.25				Developing a culture of reading in secondary schools Nisha Tank, Head of School Improvement, National Literacy Trust This session will explore how developing a culture of reading can ensure that students are supported to become fluent, motivated readers with an awareness of how reading affects their own well-being, their sense of self and their learning in all subjects.

14.05				Keynote Speaker tbc

14.35				Refreshments and exhibition

15.05				World Book Day: giving children reasons to read Kate Sayer, Community and Development Manager, World Book Day How can your setting encourage children to find fun in reading? World Book Day’s session will explore how to plan your World Book Day and work with all staff regardless of curriculum specialism. We will support you to plan interventions which motivate children to read for enjoyment and how to use World Book Day’s approach and pupil voice to stimulate children’s intrinsic motivation to read.

15.35				Closing remarks

Exhibition

Visit the following exhibitors at the conference:

Fee

£290+VAT for ASCL members
£310+VAT for non-members

Group Discount (two or more delegates) £260+VAT (ASCL members) or £279+VAT (non-members)

Special rate for those taking part in our Leading Educational Disadvantage Programme (primary or secondary)

Who can attend?

The ASCL Literacy Conference 2025 is tailored to support school, college and trust leaders as well as leaders of literacy from all phases and contexts.

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Day

24 January 2025
time

08:30 - 16:00
location

Birmingham
Day

See 'Fee' tab