Summit 2025
St James' Park, Newcastle
The Annual Summit is the UK’s largest regional gathering of Trust CEOs, Head Teachers, and senior school leaders. Celebrating its seventeenth year, this flagship event draws over 500 of the North East’s most influential education leaders annually. Attendees gain access to thought-provoking insights from internationally renowned speakers across government, academia, business, and education. The Summit is a vital platform for cultivating inspiration, driving innovation, and sparking collaboration to shape the future of education in our region.
At the 2024 Annual Summit, we welcomed Catherine McKinnell MP, who delivered her inaugural address as Minister for School Standards. Prior to this, the Summit has hosted a prestigious lineup of influential speakers, including former Education Secretaries Gillian Keegan and Justine Greening; Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza; former HMCIs Amanda Spielman and Sir Michael Wilshaw; as well as prominent education leaders such as Sir Kevan Collins, Lord Agnew, and Sir David Carter. Their insights have made the Summit an unmissable event for shaping education policy and practice.
Who Should Attend?
Trust CEOs, Head Teachers, Senior School Leaders, Business Managers, education professionals, policy influencers and decision-makers in the education sector.
It’s an essential event for anyone invested in addressing the challenges, exploring the opportunities, and sharing the best practices that will define the future of education in the North East.
Event Organiser
Event Main Sponsor
Event Costs
Partner School£100 + VAT
Non- Partner School£160 + VAT
Commercial/ Education Supporter£250 + VAT
Non-School£300 + VAT
Group bookings of 3 or more10% discount
Book your placeEvent Overview
Lee Owston
National Schools Director, Ofsted
Lee came into the role with a wealth of experience, having previously filled the position temporarily for several months earlier this year. Since joining Ofsted in 2013 as one of His Majesty’s Inspectors, Lee has taken on various roles and made great contributions to many areas of the organisation and education sector, including early years, schools, teacher development and special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Before joining Ofsted, Lee held senior leadership positions in schools, was Senior Adviser for early education and primary schools in a local authority and was Regional Director for The National Strategies, where he contributed to national publications on English, phonics and assessment.
INVITED: Bridget Phillipson MP
Secretary of State for Education
Bridget is the Labour Member of Parliament for Houghton and Sunderland South; one of three constituencies in the City of Sunderland. She was first elected to the seat on 6 May 2010, and was most recently re-elected at the 2024 General Election. She is also the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities.
Chris Zarraga
Director, Schools North East
Chris has been part of the Schools North East team since its inception in 2007 and in 2019 he was appointed Director.
Chris works with other leaders across the North East, the education sector and charity sector to represent the voice of North East schools, and lobby policy makers to ensure that the North East is not left behind when it comes to education policy. Chris has overseen the launch of the Ednorth evidence-based excellence programme, as well as the partnership with SHINE bringing over £500,000 worth of funding to North East schools.
Under Chris, Schools North East has moved to a greater focus on lobbying around education policy, with the launch of the Manifesto for North East Education in December 2019. As well as being a trustee of a local MAT, Chris sits on various boards including the board for Opportunity North East. Prior to joining Schools North East, Chris worked with over 165 schools in the North East and various education organisations including local authorities, Excellence Partnerships, 14-19 Groups, the Specialist Schools & Academies Trust, and School Improvement Officers. He led a large scale culture change project in education across the North East and was the development consultant for the LEGI funded Wansbeck Enterprise Education Network.
Tyne Bridge Restoration Travel Information
If you are planning to travel to the Schools North East Summit by car, please remember that the Tyne Bridge is currently undergoing major restoration works and is down to one lane each way.
We recommend avoiding the Tyne Bridge as there are expected delays of up to 40 minutes at peak travel times. Heavy congestion is expected on the Quayside route, Swing Bridge and routes to and from Redheugh Bridge and all approaches to the Tyne Bridge from both Newcastle and Gateshead sides.
Public transport is strongly advised when travelling to and from Newcastle city centre and Gateshead town centre, whether or not you now drive over the Tyne. For those who can’t use public transport, other river crossings that drivers could use include the A19, with the Tyne Tunnel connecting North Shields and Jarrow. Further west, motorists could cross the Tyne via the A1 on Blaydon Bridge or Scotswood Bridge, which connects the A694 and A695.
Whichever route you decide to use, we advise planning ahead, allow more time for your journeys, and expect delays.
More information about park and ride/ public transport and journey:
NUFC Parking Information – information provided by St James’ Park
We are pleased to offer limited free, on-site car parking for any guests using our conference and banqueting facilities.
The car parking areas are accessed from Barrack Road. At the traffic lights, turn into the ground and drive straightforward, past a multi-deck car park on your left. You will then see a sign for “Conference & Banqueting Car Parking”. Follow the arrow down the road, as it curves to the left and it will lead you into a multistorey car park.
Guests are free to park on Level One. Levels Two and above are not owned by ourselves so parking is not permitted. Once parked on Level One, guests must input their car registration details into the Parking Eye computer situated in the Milburn Reception area, failure to do so may result in a parking fine.
Should the unlikely event of level one of the multi-storeys being full, guests are asked to use the pay and display multi-deck car park as previously mentioned. There is a cost of 90p per hour here.
Please note, all other parking spaces in the ground, other than those mentioned above on level one of the multi-storeys, are owned by the City Council and you require either a permit or a ticket to park there. If you are a conference organiser, please ensure that your delegates are aware of the designated Newcastle United Conference and Banqueting car parking areas. Newcastle United will not be held responsible for any parking tickets received by guests whilst attending events here.
Should guests require disabled parking, the City Council bays are available on the outskirts of the multi-storey, on the ground level.
Alternative Parking
Other car parks located close to the stadium:
Public Transport
Newcastle Central station is a 10 minute walk away.
Newcastle Bus Station is an 8 minute walk away.
The nearest Metro stop is St James’ Park which is 1 minute walk away.
WiFi
Network: NUFC
Password: stjamespark24
Arrival
Please head to the 4th floor and register your arrival on the screen at the registration desk
Please use the form below to book if you have any issues click here to open in your browser.
Summit 2023: Great North Schools – A Manifesto for Change
Event Date: 19 October 2023
Location: St James Park
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