Speakers for Professionals – INSET, Training & CPD

Using computing experiences to inspire the minds of the future, Su Adams from ‘U Can Too’ loves nothing more than seeing children’s eyes light up with excitement when they achieve creative results in her computing workshops.  Su is passionate about empowering students to believe that a future in STEM is achievable.  Su enthusiastically delivers this by designing innovative physical computing projects with cross-curricular links, using lights, motors and sensors to create tangible interactions in the real world.  Whether this is helping students to develop moving artwork, literacy-linked robots or simple solutions for real-world problems, she never tires of designing and delivering memorable and purposeful learning experiences.  As a ‘Subject Matter Expert’ for the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), Su enjoys empowering schools in developing their computing education offer through teacher CPD and advice.

Nicky is a leadership coach, facilitator, and speaker who brings a thoughtful and engaging presence to conversations about leadership, learning, and change. Deeply curious about how people grow and lead with intention, her talks invite audiences to pause, reflect and see their leadership, and themselves, with greater clarity.

Drawing on a background in education, her role as a governor at an SEN school and over 20 years in senior corporate roles as a Chartered Management Accountant, Nicky speaks from real experience of leading in complex, fast-moving environments. Her sessions blend insight, reflection and practical application, helping leaders make sense of the challenges they face and identify grounded, sustainable ways forward.

Her speaking topics include:

• Leading with a coaching mindset
• How to stop fixing and start listening
• Understanding your values to guide decision-making
• How to calm your inner critic

Known for her warmth, curiosity, and gentle challenge, Nicky’s workshops create space, where people feel able to think differently, ask better questions and connect their values with their everyday leadership. Whether working with leaders, teams, or wider organisational audiences, she brings a coaching mindset that builds self-awareness, confidence and purposeful action.

Fiona Clark is an author, teacher, poet and workshop leader living and working in the UK. A teacher and school leader for over two decades, and now a member of the National Association of Writers in Education, Fiona regularly takes up the role of writer in residence in schools across the UK, running creative writing workshops. Evidence gathered through a Knowledge Exchange programme with UCL, shows that Fiona’s workshops improve children’s writing skills, improve well-being, boost self-esteem and increase confidence. All seven creative writing workshops are shared in full, with photocopiable resources, in the publication A Practical Guide to Creative Writing in Schools, available from Routledge along with her poetry anthology The Leaf and the Pea available from Amazon. 

Fiona is also a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and has written for the TES. Her well-being book for youngsters Things Nobody Tells You When You’re Growing Up has received praise from children and grownups and after first publication quickly reached number one in the Amazon best sellers list of books for adolescents. Fiona can work with students and run training for staff.

Chip began writing before he could write. It’s true: his first short story was a series of squiggles – indecipherable, but punctuated. Nowadays, he is sought out by educators keen to inspire that level of urgent enthusiasm for reading and writing with their learners – a proficiency he developed during his two decades as an oral storyteller.

In that time, Chip has represented the Roald Dahl Story Museum for ITV, performed regularly at Glastonbury Festival since 2016, and earned a Guinness World Record certificate for his contribution to the world’s longest continuous storytelling performance.

However, his highest passion is in sharing the power of story-led pedagogies with educators, having witnessed first-hand how the simple act of storytelling has helped children overcome anxiety, grow their literacy and numeracy, and become enthusiastically curious about any number of topics. He was commissioned by English Hub to write All the Better to Read You With, the world’s first off-the-bookshelf lesson scheme for inspiring Reading for Pleasure, and has provided CPD for BookTrust, European Lifelong Learning, and countless schools worldwide.

Chip has authored 19 children’s books and is an Associate Artist of the National Centre for Writing. He is Regional Adviser for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in the Midlands and sits on the Society of Authors’ Children’s Writers & Illustrators committee.

Since beginning her career as a classroom teacher in 2002, Afric has dedicated herself to helping children thrive emotionally, mentally, and developmentally. This commitment led her to co-found Forest Schools Birmingham, a multi award winning therapeutic nature intervention (non-profit) and the leading provider of forest school and outdoor learning services in the Midlands. Her work has earned national recognition, including an invitation to Downing Street as part of The Big Society vision, a testament to the influence and reach of her nature-based approach to wellbeing, learning and development in education.

At the heart of her work is a deep belief in childhood mental health and the transformative power of the natural world. She is passionate about harnessing nature’s therapeutic benefits to create environments where children rediscover curiosity, resilience and a sense of belonging. Her practice is grounded in the principle that these early experiences form the foundation for lifelong learning, cultivating confidence, emotional regulation and a love of exploration that children carry into adulthood. Her mission is to foster a symbiotic relationship between children and nature, empowering them to grow not only healthier and more grounded, but also into future custodians of the our natural world. 

Afric is a warm, passionate, inspiring speaker and trainer, known for bringing her experience to life through stories, practical wisdom and genuine enthusiasm. Her talks and INSET sessions can help teachers reconnect with their own sense of purpose while equipping them with simple, meaningful ways to bring nature into children’s lives. Schools value her ability to ignite new ideas and leave staff feeling energised, confident and ready to make a real difference in their school community.

Alkin has had one foot in Higher Education as a lecturer in screenwriting and directing – for over 15 years – and the other foot in independent film where he continues to work both as a screenwriter and director. He is the former head of the B.A (Hons) in Film Production, a level 6 top-up degree which he designed and was instrumental in getting validated.

Alkin loves to share screenwriting and believes in a fun, no-jargon, participatory and practical approach to quickly build confidence, understanding and know-how in what can seem like an inaccessible craft. He is particularly skilled at helping brand new and early phase writers to go from an idea to a fully-fledged story.

Alkin came to screenwriting and directing aged 29 after an early mid-life crisis saw him walk away from a conventional ‘suit and tie’ corporate career. Why so late? Being creative was simply not a destination for a working class, UK born Turkish-Cypriot boy. Regardless, a year later his first feature screenplay started a bidding war between two producers who were vying to option it.

Practical Talks & Workshops that work well include:

• What Makes You Think You Can’t Be a Screenwriter?
• What’s Screenwriting and How does it Differ from Other Forms of Writing?
• How to go from an Idea to a Story
• The Power of Visual Writing: Cinematic Prose. How is it Different from Literary Prose?
• What is a Story?
• What makes for Engaging Characters in Screenwriting?
• Dialogue do’s and dont’s?
• The Magic Sauce… Secret Dramatic Screenwriting Techniques and Devices that the Professionals Don’t Want you to Know

Dr Ahmar Ferguson (PhD) is a practicing Child and Educational Psychologist with over 20 years experience working within the education sector. 

Driven by the findings unearthed in his doctoral thesis ‘Creating Space in a Busy and Complex System’ Ahmar strives to create reflective spaces for schools and school staff. 

As an Educational Psychologist Ahmar specialises in supporting schools to overcome barriers to learning by working with children, teachers and parents. 

Having previously worked in the NHS as a therapist, Ahmar has a particular passion for supporting schools to understand and manage their pupil, parent and staff social emotional and mental health needs. 

Ahmar has been credited for delivering inspiring and insightful workshops that provide practical solutions to complex problems. 

With over 25 years of experience in mental health, Gemma is a highly respected trainer and consultant, specialising in workplace wellbeing and mental health education. Beginning her career as an NHS Clinician, she gained first-hand experience supporting individuals with complex mental health needs before transitioning into training and consultancy. She has since dedicated her expertise to designing, developing, and delivering both national training programmes and bespoke training to support organisations build healthier, more resilient teams.

Gemma’s approach is engaging, practical, and evidence-informed, ensuring that businesses and teams receive real-world strategies to support mental health in the workplace.

A sought-after speaker and trainer, Gemma has worked with leading national organisations, corporate teams, and public sector bodies to equip workplaces with the skills they need to prioritise mental health, reduce stigma, and create a culture of well-being. 

Named as one of the ‘Top 10 teachers you won’t believe exist’  (The Richest), Christian’s career has clearly taken poetry to unexpected places. From PMQs at Westminster, to TED Talks and even the Premier League. Despite this, it is the classroom where Christian is truly at home. Christian is one of the only few poets in the world selected to complete a ‘Spoken Word Education Programme’ and Teaching MA at Goldsmiths University, an incentive which was created to transform professional poets into specialised facilitators. He has been the Poet-in-Residence in at St Elizabeth’s Primary School, Cardinal Pole Secondary School and The Complete Works School, all in East London, for the past seven years. Christian has been the editor of twelve poetry anthologies, written by his students since 2013.

Christian’s incorporation of Hip Hop Education and rap freestyles into lessons, has won him famous fans, from 50 Cent to Lin Manuel Miranda, amassed millions of views worldwide and made him a regular on British television and radio. When the cameras are off, Christian studies a PhD in ‘Poetry in Education’ at Goldsmiths University. 

Eliza Fricker is a Sunday Times bestselling author and illustrator whose work is rooted in neurodiversity, education, and family life. Over more than a decade, she has crafted a body of work that brings together stunning illustration and genuine honesty to give voice to experiences that mainstream culture has too often passed by.  

Her debut title Can’t Not Won’t, which follows a family through the realities of school avoidance, became an instant Sunday Times Bestseller and earned a place on the University of Cambridge Reading List. Her memoir Thumbsucker, an illustrated account of growing up undiagnosed and autistic in the 1980s, extended her reach from advocacy into deeply personal storytelling, earning widespread critical praise for its warmth, wit, and emotional precision.

Eliza’s work spans a wide range of audiences: parents navigating underfunded systems, teenagers trying to understand their own minds, educators searching for better approaches, and children encountering differences for the first time. Her thirteen published titles, produced both as sole author-illustrator and in collaboration with leading clinical psychologists and autism specialists, have been endorsed by clinical psychologists, academic researchers, and charities working in the neurodiversity field.

Eliza brings something rare to her craft, the ability to make people laugh and feel deeply seen, often on the very same page. Her illustrations are full of life, honesty and compassion, and it is no surprise that her books have found their way into the hearts and hands of so many people who simply needed to know they were not alone.  

Her book Could Try Harder illustrates a journey through an undiagnosed autistic adolescence. The book arrives at a moment when growing numbers of people are exploring their own neurodivergence. With characteristic compassion and humour, it invites readers to look back at their own experiences with fresh eyes, honouring the identity they have shaped in response to a world that did not always understand them.

Eliza is also the founder of Missing the Mark, a platform for support, training, and advocacy around autism, PDA, and alternative education.

As Chief Correspondent for ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Richard Gaisford travelled the world reporting on conflicts, terror attacks, catastrophes, natural disasters and countless other history making events.  A trusted and familiar face for more than three decades, he’s reported live from Balmoral immediately after the death of Queen Elizabeth II and was the first British journalist to broadcast live from Basra, after the city fell to British forces in 2003. More recently he has spent significant time in Ukraine, delivering reports from frontline communities. Richard was in the Middle East immediately after the October 7th attacks and was briefly kidnapped in Beirut in 2006, having been mistaken for an Israeli spy.

Whilst much of his reporting focuses on headline making tragedies, Richard also gets to see the lighter side of life. He’s followed the Royal Family abroad, reported from World Cups and Olympics. Richard has covered a wealth of stories from across the USA  charting the rise of the MAGA movement through three Presidential election campaigns. He was in the room with Donald Trump when he declared victory in 2024.

An accomplished live broadcaster, Richard has pioneered the use of new technology for breaking international events often in challenging environments.

Richard offers talks and workshops about the challenges of reporting on developing stories and important world events. He speaks with experience and authority on the importance of impartial journalism and the need to have a trusted source of news. He offers workshops about storytelling, shaping a story and presentation skills and how changes in technology have impacted news gathering.

Charlotte is an author, teacher, educational speaker and children’s poetry editor. A teacher and teacher-trainer for over two decades, Charlotte has extensive experience of leading and teaching across the Early Years and Primary phases. Her special interests lie in the development of reading and writing, the role of phonics and the use of picturebooks and poetry to raise children’s engagement and attainment. 

She has spoken and delivered workshops at a wide range of educational events and conferences, including keynotes at the UKLA conference, The Reading Recovery International Conference and delivered the 2025 Christian Schiller Lecture for the National Association for Primary Education. 

Her book, The Balancing Act: An Evidence-Based Approach to Teaching Phonics, Reading and Writing, co-authored with Professor Dominic Wyse, dismantles polarised debates about the teaching of phonics and analyses the latest scientific evidence of what really works, showing in vivid detail how phonics, reading, and writing should be taught through the creativity of some of the best authors of books for children.

Charlotte was formerly the Learning and Programme Director at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE).  In this role, she developed the CLPE’s groundbreaking Power of Pictures research, investigating the impact visual literacy and illustration can have on children’s reading and writing, for which she was awarded the Anna Craft Creativities in Education Prize. She also extensively developed CLPE’s poetry programme, including the CLPE Poetry Award,  and several research projects investigating the power of poetry to develop children’s literacy. 

Charlotte has extended her work in children’s poetry by working as a children’s poetry editor, including on the multi-award winning The Final Year, by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton.

Jon is an award winning performer and artist who has travelled the world with his diverse repertoire of deadpan, funny and stylish, artistic oddities.

Toy elephant wrangler, varieties answer to Picasso, Zen master of the obstacle course, contraption creator, friend to bullet catching (puppet) Frank the dog

Renowned for his speed painting act Jon works across a variety of areas, often comedic, always with an anchor in visual awareness and the joy of making; skills developed through Fine Art training and as a scenic artist and prop maker.

He performs across theatre, cabaret, street theatre, TV and corporate events. Solo, in collaborations and as a member of award winning variety troupe Slightly Fat Features.

He has appeared in sell out shows at The London Palladium and The Royal Albert Hall, made an Art Attack style video for The Kaiser Chiefs, performed at the Magic Circle, been on Blue Peter (twice), is a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe and been a guest act with Olivier Award winning La Soiree.

In recent years he has been sharing his knowledge with schools and can provide performances and workshops, both art and performance based, giving children an insight into the power and joys of lateral and creative thinking and an understanding, outside traditional academic structure, of the power in method, focus and practise.