The wait is over… your first Bett UK 2027 speakers are here. From trailblazing educators and visionary leaders to technology pioneers and policy influencers, these are the voices driving the biggest conversations in education today. Explore what's in store across nine theatres and start planning for three unforgettable days of inspiration, innovation and actionable insights. Ready to see who's taking the stage first?
AGENDA FIRST LOOK
ARENA
The Arena is Bett's flagship stage, bringing together influential voices from education, government, technology and beyond to explore the ideas shaping tomorrow's classrooms. From AI and leadership to innovation, inclusion and student empowerment, discover inspiring conversations and fresh perspectives from leading voices including Professor Michael Wooldridge, Al Kingsley MBE, Emma Stenning and more. With more keynote speakers still to be announced, the Arena will host some of the most important conversations shaping the future of education.
MUST-SEE IN THE ARENA
What gets protected under pressure? Leadership beyond efficiency
Al Kingsley in conversation with Danielle Lewis-Egonu on her leadership journey, and why stewardship and belonging now sit at the heart of her thinking. Aimed at trust CEOs, headteachers, governors and senior leaders, the session moves through the experiences, decisions and turning points behind Danielle's distinctive voice in UK education.
Open source and big tech: a two-track approach
Does your school really choose its technology, or has it forgotten how? Across Europe, and in the UK, schools have grown so dependent on a handful of dominant providers that real choice has quietly become an illusion, and AI now built into everyday tools deepens it. SIVON, the Dutch school cooperative, believes schools, not suppliers, should decide who builds their walls, through binding agreements with Big Tech, an Open Source Program Office and an AI Assessment Framework built for the Dutch government.
Reclaiming the lost generation: Practical solutions for leaders and policymakers
Led by speakers with powerful lived experiences, this panel addresses these systemic pressures head-on. The discussion offers practical frameworks to integrate personalised technical learning and "sandbox" soft-skill environments into strained school days, building student confidence without adding to teacher workloads. Finally, the session tackles the ultimate barrier: talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.
Reimagining state education through music and partnership
Chaired by CBSO Chief Executive Emma Stenning, the discussion will cover governance, curriculum design, instrumental tuition, enrichment, and student aspiration, offering practical insights for schools looking to develop meaningful cultural partnerships of their own. Ideal for teachers, senior leaders, governors, and trust leaders interested in arts-rich education, equity of access, and innovative school partnerships.
TEACHING AND LEARNING THEATRE
The Teaching and Learning Theatre showcases the strategies, research and real-world practice helping educators improve outcomes for every learner. Explore practical approaches to AI literacy, curriculum innovation, student voice and evidence-informed teaching from experts including Professor Miles Berry, Amelia King, Matthew Wemyss, John Jones and more. From embedding AI across the curriculum to designing learning with students rather than for them, discover actionable insights you can take straight back to your classroom, school or trust.
MUST-SEE IN THE TEACHING & LEARNING THEATRE
Every educator is already an AI literacy educator
Moving subject by subject, this session reveals where it already happens and how one shift in your questioning can turn any lesson into AI literacy. You will leave being able to audit your curriculum, give staff a starting point that requires no technical training, and lead with confidence.
To bot or not to bot: When should schools use AI?
The hype surrounding AI in education is increasingly hard to ignore, but schools deserve a more considered conversation. Drawing on global research and practice at RGS Worcester, this session examines when schools should use AI and, equally importantly, when they shouldn't.
The AI-empowered curriculum
This session demonstrates how you can design a curriculum that strengthens metacognition alongside the effective use of AI. Drawing on current research, it explores how AI can both support and disrupt key metacognitive checkpoints, and what that means for teaching and learning.
International Teachmeet
The International Teachmeet is a lively gathering that connects educators through a series of inspiring, bite-sized presentations. It’s the perfect space to build your network, gain fresh insights, and gather practical ideas to bring back to your classroom. Prepare to be inspired by passionate educators and make connections that last. Teachmeet is more than just a meetup: it's an experience you won’t want to miss.
Designing learning with students, not for them
Discover how curriculum co-creation can increase motivation and help you identify realistic entry points for student voice. Drawing on mixed-methods research from a secondary Geography classroom in Rome, you’ll see how giving students meaningful voice in topic choice, resources, and learning artefacts led to a marked increase in motivation and later transferred into a twelve-subject civic education project adopted school-wide.
HIGHER EDUCATION THEATRE
The Higher Education Theatre brings together academics, sector leaders and innovators to explore the challenges and opportunities reshaping universities today. From the impact of agentic AI and AI-resilient learning to inclusive digital design, research-led innovation and the future of teaching, hear from experts including Vivienne Stern MBE, Dr Ann Thanaraj, Professor Gosia Kwiatkowska, Nathalie Brahler and more. Discover practical insights to help institutions navigate change, drive innovation and prepare learners for the future.
MUST-SEE IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION THEATRE
Students are leaving the loop: Teaching after agentic AI
This session is for Higher Education leaders and educators who are questioning whether current approaches to AI in education are already outdated. Drawing on an early-stage pilot within Creative Business - Beyond Campus at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, in collaboration with the Lectorate (research group) Learning & Innovation, this workshop introduces a practical approach for making judgement, knowledge gaps and responsibility central to learning.
The AI-resilient learner: Reframing Higher Education for responsible agency
Outlining progression from AI literacy to resilience and institutional integration across curriculum assessment in Higher Education. The session examines the challenge of sustaining human judgement and accountability in contexts of epistemic inversion, where outputs proliferate but their justification is increasingly opaque.
Building inclusive digital learning design
Drawing on current practice in curriculum development, assessment redesign, and digital experience design, this session will examine how AI is reshaping learning while addressing challenges such as digital equity, student over-reliance on AI tools, and limited resources.
How university research is transforming technology innovation for SEND students
Attendees will discover how platforms are supporting digital inclusion, self-advocacy, and student-centred learning. The session will also examine Universal Design for Learning UDL), lifelong learning pathways, and practical strategies for embedding accessibility by design.
POLICY IN PRACTICE - NEW!
New for 2027, the Policy in Practice Theatre brings together policymakers, researchers, education leaders and innovators to explore how policy decisions translate into real-world impact. From AI and EdTech evidence to system-wide transformation, inclusion and skills development, hear from experts including Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith, Dr Ugne Marija Andrijauskaite, Ernest Gavor and more. Discover global perspectives, emerging research and practical insights that connect policy, innovation and educational outcomes for learners around the world.
MUST-SEE IN THE POLICY IN PRACTICE THEATRE
Leveraging AI for good for the most marginalised
Learn how AI tutors can expand access to personalised learning for underserved and marginalised learners. Explore how advances in generative AI and multimodal technologies are creating new opportunities to deliver foundational literacy at scale across the Global South. Through real-world examples, this session will showcase inclusive, voice-first AI solutions that challenge traditional approaches and help create more equitable learning opportunities for every child.
Esports policy: Delivering national impact across education and skills
The session will position esports within wider government priorities including skills reform, social mobility, levelling up, and workforce development. It will highlight how the British Esports Hub and Spoke model provides a scalable, place-based blueprint for local and national investment, strengthening education ecosystems and reducing NEET risk.
Lithuania’s EDU Project: Evidence Before Innovation
Hear from the Research Council of Lithuania’s EDU project on how to ground EdTech in evidence, linking research, design, and classroom practice for real impact. Drawing on practical experience, the session will highlight approaches to improving the applicability of research and strengthening links between evidence and implementation. These insights will be valuable for researchers, school leaders, governors, and policymakers seeking to make more informed, evidence-led decisions about digital innovation in education.
INNOVATION THEATRE
The Innovation Theatre is where emerging technologies, bold ideas and pioneering practice come together to challenge what's possible in education. Explore the latest developments in AI, immersive learning, accessibility, spatial computing and game-based pedagogy with innovators including Zahra Razi, Professor Thierry Geoffre, Celestino Magalhães and international experts from schools, universities and research institutions around the world.
MUST-SEE IN THE INNOVATION THEATRE
From Teacher to Developer: Vibe coding apps students need
In this session, a Secondary mathematics Teacher shares how she has used conversational AI to "vibe code" classroom applications that respond to the precise needs of her students. Examples include Learning Forward, an assessment to intervention planner that generates a personalised lesson, practice set, and reassessment for each learner; a prerequisite knowledge generator aligned to grade level standards; and a live check for understanding tool.
DivInTech (Diversity, Inclusion, Technology)
DivInTech shows how the repetition of specific interactive dynamics mediated by a social robot can lead to improvements in linguistic production, spontaneity and learning among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This session will highlight the importance of personalising interventions according to the individual needs of neurodiverse learners.
Scaling spatial computing and global partnerships to transform the student experience
Attendees will learn from a first-hand experience how to create a strategic framework for scaling emerging technology, including managing personal devices in a shared-cart environment, and establishing international developer partnerships to build bespoke curricular content.
Choice, access and assessment: Hidden learning loss
Digital learning platforms promise personalisation, but three hidden problems undermine them. This session will show how process-aware AI solves all three: detecting cognitive overload in real time, scaffolding choice literacy and access literacy, and making reasoning visible. Attendees will leave with concrete design principles to turn choice, accessibility tools, and assessment from sources of inequality into tools for equitable learning.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Teacher training
This session explores how Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality can move beyond novelty to become meaningful tools for teacher education and pedagogical innovation in Higher Education. Drawing on a real Teacher training session with 26 Masters’ students, this session will show why this matters now: immersive learning can increase engagement, motivation and learner agency, but its real impact depends on thoughtful design, curricular alignment and critical reflection.
Digital escape rooms: The joy of learning
Digital escape room games are more than just games, they represent a revolution in learning, enabling curriculum goals to be achieved in an experiential and engaging way. Students don't just play; they experience the depth of language and culture, solve puzzles, communicate, and apply their skills. They escape the room, but at the same time, they break free from the traditional classroom model.
THE CLASSROOM THEATRE
The Classroom Theatre is where real classroom practice takes centre stage. Hear directly from experienced practitioners including Heather Aird, Ty Goddard, Vicky Barker, Cate Marsden and Kalam Neale as they share practical ideas, effective tools, and proven approaches through interactive sessions, live demonstrations, and engaging debate - leaving you with insights you can take straight back to the classroom.
MUST SEE IN THE CLASSROOM THEATRE
AI as a bridge: Empowering dyslexic learners
Through real-world examples, this session will showcase how AI can transform traditional tasks into engaging, multisensory experiences: turning dense texts into podcasts and visuals, generating adaptive scaffolds in seconds, and supporting idea development through intelligent prompting. Attendees will see how AI can move beyond “assistive” to become transformative, unlocking creativity, reducing barriers, and enabling pupils to access the curriculum with greater clarity and confidence.
EdTech journeys: From first steps to fully embedded
This session is for headteachers, deputy heads, curriculum leaders, and trust leaders, at any stage of their EdTech journey, who want to build something sustainable. School leaders share candid EdTech journeys, from first steps to trust-wide embedding, revealing what truly makes technology stick in schools.
Why every school needs an esports curriculum
How esports curriculum design enhances pedagogy, engagement and attainment while aligning teaching with the digital, skills-driven demands of modern education. Attendees will gain practical, research-informed strategies to support regulation and behaviour, supporting improved engagement, attendance, and learner agency in diverse classroom contexts.
SEND THEATRE
The SEND Theatre showcases the people, practices and innovations helping to create more inclusive learning environments for every learner. Explore topics including neurodiversity, accessibility, communication, behaviour and the role of AI in supporting engagement and learner agency. Hear from experts including Dr Lucy Caton, Cate Marsden, Meg Brough, Katy Leckenby and Andy Baker as they share practical strategies, research insights and real-world examples to help break down barriers and improve outcomes for all.
MUST-SEE IN THE SEND THEATRE
AI, agency, and empowerment: Enhancing engagement for neurodivergent learners
This session examines AI-mediated strategies supporting neurodivergent learners in mainstream classrooms, emphasising engagement, agency, and ethical practice through multi-agency research, with practical approaches for impactful implementation.
Navigating Transitions
Girls with complex needs are an under-identified and underserved group, raising the voices of girls with complex needs is essential. Transitions into adulthood are a critical, and vulnerable, developmental window, there are clear actionable steps schools and services can take. Current systems and support pathways are fragmented, improving outcomes is possible and urgent.
Vital for some: valuable for all
In this session Meg will explore how tools originally designed to support specific accessibility needs can unlock creativity, communication, and deeper engagement for every learner. Drawing on her digital inclusion approach, where tools are “vital for some, valuable for all”, Meg will demonstrate the power of tools to transform classroom experiences, enhance learner voice, and make learning more inclusive and expressive for all ages.
Beyond previous potential: Student stories
A student voice session focusing on how digital approaches to education have removed barriers and help students achieve more through the targeted deployment of accessibility features. A deep dive into one student's journey through education after being told he wouldn't succeed. We will take a deep dive into the approaches the school took to help him engage with his learning and his journey through secondary school, exams and starting college. .
AAC in the classroom
This session will demystify aided language and explore how communication devices and assistive technology can be meaningfully embedded into classroom practice. Drawing on real-life case studies, it will illustrate how learners can develop language through consistent, responsive modelling and strong communication partner skills.
Calm first, strategy second: A practical framework
Are you looking for ways to balance clear boundaries with relational, inclusive practice? When behaviour becomes difficult, staff often reach for strategies before they examine the mindset they are bringing into the room. This session explores how adult interpretation, emotional regulation, language and expectations shape classroom behaviour and outcomes.
OPERATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
THEATRE
Watch this space!
From budgets and business strategy to operational excellence, this theatre explores the ideas, innovations, and practical solutions helping schools, trusts, and institutions run more efficiently. Learn from leaders who are transforming operations, improving performance, and creating the conditions for long-term success.
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=logo}
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=logo}
){kind=logo}
){kind=logo}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=logo}
)
)
)
){kind=logo}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=logo}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=logo}
)
)
)
)
){kind=logo}
){kind=logo}
)
)
)