Highlights from Education Business Live 2025

The inaugural Education Business Live event, which took place on 19 March in London, gathered the education community to hear from industry experts and experience the latest solutions to transform schools, while the co-located Education Business Awards celebrated the dedication of the sector. Here's how the event unfolded

The first-ever Education Business Live took place on 19 March 2025 at Evolution in Battersea, London. With three theatres showcasing talks from industry specialists, attendees left Education Business Live empowered with the latest policy insights, a wealth of knowledge from keynote sessions, and with access to the latest pioneering solutions to transform schools.

Attended by headteachers, site managers, department heads and teaching staff, this careful curation of both exhibitors and speakers was a must-see spectacle, with attendees leaving both caught up on the educational landscape and inspired by the possibilities within education. Alongside the event ran the prestigious annual Education Business Awards, sponsored by Cornerstone, which recognised schools that demonstrate exceptional commitment and innovation in various aspects of education. These awards honour institutions that go above and beyond to provide outstanding educational experiences that foster a positive impact on their communities.    

An exhibition for everyone

Education Business Live was a display of the latest products, solutions and services for the education sector, connecting educators with contacts to implement solutions and improvements to their schools. This provided a brilliant opportunity for attendees to discuss their issues and find solutions with companies covering a variety of sectors, from sustainability to education technology.

Exhibitors spanned all areas, from LGfL’s SuperCloud team advocating for their fast and secure broadband made for schools, and the National Alliance of School Premises Management’s stand, which helped attendees understand compliance and audits without stress. Wernick Buildings showcased their unique approach to modular buildings, including SEND-friendly classrooms, and leading supplier YPO had their school supplies on display for all to see.

Cornerstone had a stall equipped with knowledgeable staff and expert advice for schools to protect against damp and mould.

AOC and Phillips attracted crowds eager to test their latest gaming displays in action.

Cresent Purchasing Consortium helped iron out any difficulties or intricacies in the new Procurement Act 2023, and nasen were eager to talk to attendees about how educational settings can improve resources and outcomes for students with SEND. Chess in Schools and Communities had an interactive stand, inviting attendees to participate in a game of chess, while EVOLVE were championing innovative management systems for educational institutes.

The Minibus Centre impressed visitors with its stand which showcased its high-quality, customisable minibuses, while TG Escapes was on hand to discuss their inclusive learning hubs and how they can offer much-needed SEND spaces. Brookhouse were able to share their expertise in washroom refurbishment, while the Schools Advisory Service was on hand to discuss how they can support whole school wellbeing as well as improve the mental health of teachers.

Exciting conferences

Education Business Live’s bustling conferences continued throughout the entire day, giving industry experts the space to educate, inform, and entertain attendees.

The conference included insightful talks loaded with advice, methods to address common challenges, and ideas for guests to ponder over, before ending with a Q&A panel where the audience were invited to join the discussion. From SEND and AI to leadership and recruitment, speakers covered the most pressing topics in the education sector.

The conference in theatre one saw Stephen Morales from the Institute of School Business Leaders (ISBL) discuss the concept of good leadership, while Hannah Stolton from Governors for Schools, spoke about working with other leaders.

The second session focused on school inspections and was lead by Amanda Jackson, the lead senior inspector at Havering Education Services, who kicked off the session by talking about changes to the inspection landscape. Other speakers included Rob Carpenter, leadership consultant and trust leader of the Inspire Partnership, and Colin Diamond CBE, professor of educational leadership at the University of Birmingham. Discussions included Ofsted’s consultation on the new inspection framework, and an explanation of Ofsted’s new school score cards.

In a conference on estates management, Stuart McGregor, director of operations at the National Association of School Premises Management, gave insightful advice on the complexities of compliance as a duty holder for an educational building and addressed the challenges these organisations or individuals might face.

Dave Smith from Osborne Cooperative Academy Trust chaired a session on creating a sustainable school. Speakers included Alex Green, head of Let’s Go Zero, who explored measures to make schools greener and more energy efficient. Headteachers Sam Dyer and Ian Broyd discussed how sustainability is approached at their schools Thames Park Secondary School and Little Thurrock Primary School. Meanwhile, procurement manager at Cresent Purchasing Consortium Katharine Rose Orme and Dan Pardesi, charted energy manager at Sustainable Energy First, shared best practice in buying energy and energy efficiency goods and services.

A much-anticipated talk, Nasen’s head of whole school SEND, Amanda Wright, took to the stage to tease out the intricacies of sustainable, tailored SEND provision and how schools can navigate their journey to providing support for all of their students. Amanda talked to an engaged audience about how mainstream schools can transform their SEND provision using a case study, and then chaired a Q&A.

Education Business Live left no bases uncovered, with further conferences spanning across learning outside the classroom, a specialist Gemini AI conference hosted by Getech and Google, championing STEM for women and girls, business management, recruitment, procurement, and more.

Education Business Awards 2025

The Education Business Awards have recognised talent and outstanding educational progress since 2009, and this year was no exception. Presented by TV presenter, electronics engineer and maths teacher Kate Bellingham, these awards recognised excellence in 21 categories.

There were three awards up for grabs for outstanding progress, one for a primary school, one for a secondary school, and one for an independent school. West Thornton Primary School won the award for outstanding progress in a primary school following its transformation from an ‘Inadequate’ school to one receiving an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rating.

Similarly, Ridgeway Secondary School in Warwickshire was the most improved school in the UK for Progress 8 within a year, winning the Outstanding Progress award for a secondary school. Meanwhile Latymer Upper School in London, which recorded its best GCSE results in 2023, was awarded Outstanding Progress Award for an independent school.

River Learning Trust in Oxfordshire won the Best Practice in Inclusive Education Award for its SEND support across 28 schools and 15,000 pupils, with SEND pupils outperforming national averages in phonics and GCSEs.

The SEN Provision Award went to Leigh Academy Milestone for being the first Special Educational Needs school for Profound, Severe, and Complex needs (PSCN) to achieve International Baccalaureate World Status in September 2024.

The winner of the School Building Award was Byrchall High School in Wigan for its bio-diverse green roof, PV-covered outdoor canopies, and enhanced sports and performing arts facilities, among other features.

Lesley Colbert, finance manager at the Maritime Academy Trust, scooped the School Business Manager Award for her 20 years of expertise in educational finance, and her exceptional dedication.

The Environmental Practice Award was presented to King’s Academy Easthampstead Park in recognition of its commitment to sustainability. The school won the 2024 Eco Rewards Most Improved School, logged 3,000 green miles, and regularly embeds sustainability in assemblies.

Winning the Community Award, Etone College in Warwickshire was celebrated for its frequent initiatives to support local causes and raise funds, with their pupils having raised £15,000 for charities.

Wellington Place Primary School in Leicestershire took home the School Procurement Award for its sustainable and innovative procurement, such as its solar panels and air source heat pumps.

Taking home School Recruitment Award was Exeter College, recognised for its revamped recruitment campaigns that include a streamlined application process and a graduate scheme.

Dawn Ferdinand from The Willow Primary School and Broadwaters Children’s Centre won the EB Leadership Award in the primary category, in recognition that both of her institutions achieved successive ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted ratings.

The EB Leadership Award in the secondary category went to Mark Thomas of Brymore Academy in Somerset for his 14 years of dedication to the role, and advancing his school from the bottom ten per cent to the top ten per cent nationally for student progress.

The STEM Award was awarded to Alderman Peel High School thanks to its plethora of curricular and extra-curricular activities, including an annual Science Fair, a Science Club, and participation in events like the Gresham’s STEAM Fair.

Royal High School in Edinburgh took home the School Security Award for its comprehensive security measures, such as issuing all visitors identification badges, and restricting S1 pupils from leaving the school campus during the school day.

London’s Thomas Tallis School won the ICT Innovation Award for the second year in a row for its extensive ICT opportunities, such as increasing girls’ engagement in STEM, competitions for year sevens, and involving teachers to create a comprehensive AI policy.

For their transformative educational visits, specialist SEND provision school Castledon School in Essex won the Educational Visits Award, with their residential and cultural programmes focussing on fostering independence, social connections, and lifelong learning.

The winner of the School Catering Award was Ingol Community Primary School in Lancashire, whose in-house catering prioritise sustainability, local sourcing, and pupil involvement in menus.

Healthfield Junior School won the School Sports Award; five years after having the worst PE provision in London, the school has now won many accolades for its sporting excellence, particularly in cricket, and is one of only four sate schools featured in The Cricketer’s Top 50 Prep and Junior Schools Guide.

There were two winners for the Educational Resource Award: one for a primary school and one for a secondary school. For the first, Cornerstones Education’s Maestro took home the prize, which is a tool designed to streamline curriculum management for primary schools, helping when planning, delivering, and accessing a comprehensive curriculum.

In secondary education, 2Simple won the award for their Python in Pieces, which is an innovative coding platform designed to help students transition from block-based programming to text-based Python. Further detail on all our Education Business Awards 2025 winners and those commended can be found on our website here.

Watch this space

At Education Business, we thoroughly enjoyed hosting our first event, collaborating with industry specialists, and bringing educators and exhibitors together under one roof. We will be back next year with an even more impactful event, so keep up to date with us at Education Business on our website and social media.