Raising the Future
Education Conference – Tuesday 28th April – Liphook, Hampshire
The future of education is being shaped right now and it demands collaboration, courage, and fresh thinking across both education and business.
Our keynote speakers and panellists are leaders and innovators from across these sectors, united by a shared passion: ensuring that education evolves to meet the needs of tomorrow’s world. Together, they recognise that preparing children for an ever-changing future is not the responsibility of schools alone, but a collective endeavour involving educators, policymakers, employers, and society as a whole.
This conference offered a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights from experts at the forefront of educational change, to engage in meaningful dialogue, and to connect with peers who are equally committed to shaping a better future for young people. Throughout the day, we heard thought-provoking perspectives, took part in live Q&A discussions with our panel, and explored the real opportunities, and challenges, facing the sector today.
Following the conference, a recording of the day including the panel discussion is available to purchase. You are also able to read the White Paper which has been submitted to the Department for Education. This was not just a day of listening, but a catalyst for action, collaboration and lasting impact. Look out for future details regarding Round Table events.
Our children will enter a world unlike today’s. Education must evolve.
Raising the Future is the catalyst to shape what comes next. The time to act is now.
Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham School
Hosted by Lawrence Deju-Wiseman
Professor-in-the-field at the University of Connecticut.
| Keynote Speaker | Role | Focus |
| Evelyn Haywood | Director of Education, at Skills Builder Partnership | Shaping learners’ futures through essential skills: adapting to a changing policy landscape. |
| Darren Coxon | Co-founder and Executive Director, Kompass Education | Making Room for AI: Welcoming the cybernetic classmate into schools. |
| Panel Speakers and Specialist Contributors | Role | Focus |
| Suzannah Cryer | Head of Highfield and Brookham School | Evolution of education for tomorrow’s world. |
| Will Goldsmith | Head of Bedales School | The need for a change with the current GCSE format. |
| Sarah Clarke | COO, Media & Entertainment, ITV plc at ITV | What will employers of the future be looking for? |
| Hannah Oertel | Campaigner, Founder of Delay Smartphones | The impact of social media and smartphones on children. |
What we’re up to…
🎭 Does your child love to perform or simply want to give something new a go? Join our talented LAMDA teacher, Susannah Wilson, for a day of creativity at our Performing Arts Holiday Club. Children will explore acting, movement and musical theatre in a relaxed, supportive environment, whether they’re stepping onto the stage for the first time or already love to perform. 📍 Highfield & Brookham School, Liphook 💷 £70 Book your place here: https://highfieldandbrookham.co.uk/school-plus/holiday-activity-clubs/summer-holiday-2026-booking-form/
Yesterday’s Nature Crafting Holiday Club with Corylus Collective made the most of the sunshine, creating beautiful flower shadow art. ☀️🌼 The children explored the grounds to find flowers and plants that caught their eye, then used the shadows they cast to create their own unique artwork. Every piece turned out differently, shaped by the flowers they found and the way the light fell. It was lovely to see children who’d never met before work alongside each other – helping each other keep flowers in place as the wind had other ideas! Taking that first step to make a new friend takes its own kind of courage 💚 And we’re glad that our Holiday Clubs bring children together to do just that.
🗳️ Voting for the Tatler Schools Guide 2026 Awards is now open! We’re incredibly proud of the school we’ve built together and think Highfield is worth shouting about, but it’s always wonderful to hear that from you too! If you’d like to support Highfield, we’d be so grateful for your vote. Whether you’re part of our community or simply want to support us, everyone is welcome to vote 💙 Know someone who’d like to support us too? Please share this post with them. 🗓️ Voting closes on 29th August 2026, the winners announced in September. Voting link: https://shorturl.at/KcBLC
🗳️ Voting for the Tatler Schools Guide 2026 Awards is now open! We’re incredibly proud of the school we’ve built together and think Highfield is worth shouting about, but it’s always wonderful to hear that from you too! If you’d like to support Highfield, we’d be so grateful for your vote. Whether you’re part of our community or simply want to support us, everyone is welcome to vote 💙 Know someone who’d like to support us too? Please share this post with them. 🗓️ Voting closes on 29th August 2026, the winners announced in September. 🔗 Voting link in our bio. #TatlerSchoolAwards #IndependentSchool #SchoolCommunity
The best way to finish a week of Nature Days Holiday Club? Around the campfire with s’mores. 🔥 After learning with @coryluscollective about what a fire needs to burn, how to build one safely and the rules for staying safe around it, the children gathered around the campfire to put it all into practice. Giving children the chance to do things for themselves is a big part of Nature Days, especially when it comes with a toasted marshmallow at the end!
Houston, we have no problems… just lots of crating! 🚀 It would be easy to think crafting is just about the finished creation, but it’s the skills built along the way that really matter. Threading cord for macramé for example, builds hand-eye coordination and precision, the kind our children rely on in sport, DT and everyday tasks. Our holiday clubs are full of moments like this, skills that quietly build in the background! #IndependentSchool #Liphook #HolidayClubs #IndependentSkills #Crafting
Today’s Bushcraft challenge? Whittling their own bows and arrows from scratch. Turns out there’s more technique to it than you’d think. Too much curve and the wood snaps, too little and it won’t shoot at all, so they had to keep testing the bend as they went rather than guessing. It takes a fair bit of trial and error, but we love seeing them stick with it until that first arrow actually flies. In a world where so much happens on a screen, there’s real value in learning practical skills and discovering what you can create with your own hands!
Today at Bushcraft Holiday Club, the children learned how to weave their own survival keyrings. It took patience to master the technique, but by the end of the session they had made something genuinely useful. The paracord can replace a broken shoelace, help build a shelter or even secure a hammock! In a world where so much happens on a screen, there’s real value in knowing how to make something useful with your hands. #IndependentSchool #PracticalSkills #OutdoorSkills #HolidayClub #Bushcraft
Dragons have had quite a year at Highfield! First in Shrek and now in our Crafting Holiday Activity Club with @feltybee_crafts 🐉 Using needle felting, the children shaped their very own dragons, a fiddly process that took patience and plenty of concentration. It just goes to show, real magic takes a bit of hard work! #IndependentSchool #PrepSchool #HolidayClub #IndependentLearning #Crafting
What do dragons, potions and magical houses have in common? 🪄 They were all part of the Magic and Myths craft session with Feltybeecrafts this week! The children learned new techniques, including needle felting their own dragons, before turning glass pebbles into dragon eyes and creating magical houses of their own. Some parts were fiddly and took a few steps to get right, teaching the children patience and perseverance to stick with it. It just goes to show, real magic takes a bit of hard work! ✨
The children discovered the magic of cyanotype printing with Corylus Collective during our Nature Days Holiday Club, using sunlight to create beautiful nature-inspired artwork 🌿 They explored the grounds to find natural materials they wanted to include, deciding for themselves what would work best before arranging their pieces. We love that every piece is so unique, reflecting the different choices each child made!
The children discovered the magic of cyanotype printing with @coryluscollective during our Nature Days Holiday Club, using sunlight to create beautiful nature-inspired artwork 🌿 They explored the grounds to find natural materials they wanted to include, deciding for themselves what would work best before arranging their pieces. We love that every piece is so unique, reflecting the different choices each child made! #IndependentSchool #Liphook #OutdoorLearning #HolidayClubs #ChildInitiatedLearning
The sun is shining outside… and it’s been shining during our Cosmic Crafting Holiday Course too! ☀️ Today’s session from Feltybeecrafts was packed full of space-themed creativity, with the children enjoying a whole galaxy of activities. Among their many creations, the children sewed their own suns. Sewing has a great way of teaching patience and just when everything seems to be going well, the thread slips away or gets itself in a knot! We saw our children take those little setbacks in their stride, choosing to have another go independently before asking for help. …and just look where that perseverance got them!
Year 8 Reflections: part 2 💙 As our Year 8s enjoy their summer and look ahead to the next stage of their journey, we’re excited to see them take these lessons with them into their new schools. Swipe through to read some of their answers. ➡️ #IndependentSchool #Liphook #SchoolLeavers #Memories #ClassOf2026
The exciting news just keeps coming! 🎉 We couldn’t be prouder of our Head Boy, Rupert, on his selection for the prestigious U14 UK Lions programme. 🏑 This is a fantastic achievement and a reward for all of Rupert’s hard work, dedication and passion for hockey. Tomorrow, Rupert heads to Manchester for his first UK Lions training session – the start of an exciting new chapter! Good luck, Rupert. We’ll all be cheering you on! 💙 #IndependentSchool #UKLions #Hockey #SchoolSport #FutureStars
The exciting news just keeps coming! 🎉 We couldn’t be prouder of our Head Boy, Rupert, on his selection for the prestigious U14 UK Lions programme. This incredible achievement is the result of years of hard work, dedication and passion for hockey, and is so thoroughly deserved! Everyone at Highfield & Brookham is delighted to see Rupert recognised at such a high level and we can’t wait to follow his journey over the coming year. Rupert’s first UK Lions training session takes place next tomorrow in Manchester – the first step in what promises to be an amazing adventure. Good luck Rupert, we’ll all be cheering you on! 💙 Read more in our latest press release ➡️
Bookings are now open for our Parent & Child Swim School starting this September! Whether your little one is taking their very first splash or continuing to build their confidence in the water, our friendly, supportive classes provide the perfect environment to learn together. ✨ We’re also introducing a brand-new class for 3–4-year-olds from September – a great opportunity for older preschoolers to develop their swimming skills and independence.✨ Places fill quickly, so if you’re planning ahead for September, now is the perfect time to secure your place. Book now: https://highfieldandbrookham.co.uk/school-plus/swim-school/
🎉10(ish) weeks until the 10(ish) Year Reunion! The countdown is officially on and we’re so excited to welcome everyone back! It’s going to be a fantastic evening of catching up, reminiscing and reconnecting with old friends. If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, there’s still time – we’d love to see you there!
Our school community never fails to amaze us. 💙 Huge congratulations to Highfield and Brookham parent Clare Woodward, who has completed the incredible Verbier Marathon alongside her husband, Matt. 43km. Over 3,000m of climbing. Mountain ridges, thunderstorms, lightning and torrential rain… what an achievement! Clare took on this epic challenge to raise money for our Centenary Bursaries Fund, helping to create life-changing opportunities for future generations. We’re so proud of you, @clareawoodward – you are an inspiration! 🔗Read more about Clare’s incredible achievement via the link in our bio.
We’re incredibly lucky to have such a supportive and inspiring parent community at Highfield and Brookham. 💙 A huge congratulations to parent Clare Woodward, who has completed the epic Verbier Marathon with her husband, Matt – taking on 43km and more than 3,000m of climbing through the Swiss Alps. Clare set herself this extraordinary challenge to raise money for our Centenary Bursaries Fund and has already raised more than £3,000. Thank you, Clare, for taking on such an amazing challenge and for supporting future generations of Highfield and Brookham pupils! Read more ➡
It takes more than strength to win a game of Capture the Flag! 💪 A firm favourite at our Multi Activities Holiday Club, it’s one of the many games that gets children thinking on their feet. There are split-second decisions to make and the odd dramatic dive for the flag, but it’s all part of learning to think for themselves. We have plenty more holiday clubs and courses happening over the summer. Head to the link in our bio to find out more ➡️
Strong, determined and ready for the challenge! 💪 Capture the Flag is a firm favourite at our Multi Activities Holiday Club, and it’s just one of the many games keeping our children thinking strategically. There are plenty of last-minute decisions during the game and the odd dramatic dive for the flag, but it’s all part of learning to think for themselves! We have plenty more holiday clubs and courses happening over the summer. Head over to our website to find out more ➡ https://highfieldandbrookham.co.uk/school-plus/holiday-activity-clubs/