Our NDNA Conference Leadership Stream is packed with guidance and support for leaders and managers in early years.
Join us at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool on Friday 5th June for:
- An opportunity to meet face to face, share experiences and ideas, support and reassure each other.
- A varied line up of speakers offering delegates opportunities to be informed, inspired and improve practice in their setting.
- Exhibitors, special offers and more!
Our conference is open to all managers and leaders. Practitioners can also join our face to face event for a reduced price!
Your speakers and hosts:
Matilda Martin
Matilda Martin is a Political Reporter at PoliticsHome with a specialism in education. Before joining PoliticsHome, Matilda was a Senior Reporter at Tes (Times Educational Supplement) magazine.
She has written many early years features, covering NDNA’s research and is familiar with the sector’s challenges.
Olivia Bailey MP, Minister for Early Education and Equalities
Hear an update from Olivia Bailey MP, Minister for Early Education and Equalities, on the UK Government’s priorities for early education and care.
More about Olivia:
Olivia was elected as Labour Member of Parliament for Reading West and Mid Berkshire in July 2024. She was appointed as Minister for Early Education Minister for Equalities at the Department for Education on 7 September 2025.
As a Minister, she covers a range of policy areas including all of Early Years policy and delivering on Best Start in Life strategy; school food and breakfast clubs; school attendance; mental health in schools and behaviour; and the use of Artificial Intelligence in education. She also is the Minister responsible for all LGBT+ policies that sit within the Office for Equality and Opportunity.
Olivia was born in Reading and grew up in the area. Before becoming an MP, Olivia worked in policy and public opinion research, and held senior roles in a range of think tanks and research bodies. She also worked in recent years as Head of Domestic Policy to Keir Starmer. Her passion is putting the public at the heart of policy making.
Your chance to get your questions answered by Ofsted
Hear a short update from Sir Martyn Oliver and Jane Coward from Ofsted, then you will have your chance to ask the Early Years team your questions.
More about Sir Martyn:
Sir Martyn Oliver started as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector at the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills in January 2024. He has worked in education since 1995 starting as a teacher and joined Outward Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) in 2009 where he became Principal of Outwood Grange Academy and then a National Leader of Education (NLE). In 2016, Sir Martyn was appointed Chief Executive and Accounting Officer for OGAT, a role he held until he started as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector. Sir Martyn has also previously held Trustee positions for the Office for Students (OfS), Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), Confederation of Schools Trusts (CST) and for the David Ross Education Trust (DRET), was a board member of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Opportunity North East and has advised both the government and the DfE on a number of groups.
More about Jayne:
Jayne is the Deputy Director for Early Years Regulatory Policy and Practice at Ofsted. She has worked for Ofsted for 16 years, both as an inspector and senior manager. Before joining Ofsted, she worked in local authority, leading on the development of a variety of early years initiatives, including the Sure Start programme.
Professor Dr. Ger Graus OBE
Building on his experience as an advisor to the Fondazione Reggio Children, Prof Dr. Graus will cover:
- “Children can only aspire to what they know exists” – aspiration from an early age
- “We don’t know our children well enough” – personalisation, insights and data
- More than a school – how community and family provision is essential, not just desirable
- “The environment is the third teacher” – not every classroom has four walls
- Measuring what we value. A new accountability for a new age.
More about Ger:
Professor Dr Ger Graus OBE is a renowned figure in the field of education – once described as “Jean-Jacques Rousseau meets Willy Wonka”. He was the first Global Director of Education at KidZania and the founding CEO of the Children’s University. In 2019, Ger became a Visiting Professor at the National Research University in Moscow, Russia. He is also a Professor of Practice at the University of Cumbria, United Kingdom, and a Member of the PhD Advisory Council at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. Ger is a frequent keynote speaker at some of the world’s leading education conferences. Driven by his famous mantra that “Children can only aspire to what they know exists”, Ger champions the cause of equity, progress, purpose, creativity, and innovation in children’s learning.
Looking for our virtual conference stream?
The virtual conference stream has been designed to offer greater flexibility and accessibility, allowing professionals to take part throughout NDNA Conference week in a way that fits around their working day. Access to all virtual workshops is available for just £25 (incl. VAT) per setting, enabling multiple professionals within your setting to come together to develop and strengthen their practice during conference week. If your setting purchases a leadership ticket for the in person NDNA Conference, you will automatically receive access to the virtual conference stream at no additional cost.
Full programme details, along with joining instructions, will be shared in advance of the conference.
Visit our virtual practice stream
