AoC English and Maths Conference 2025

Since 1903, we’ve been rewarding achievement by designing and delivering fair and inclusive assessments. We do this because quality assessment is an essential ingredient for a good education. We set and mark the papers for around half of all GCSEs and A-levels, but we’re more than an exam board. As an independent education charity, we reinvest all of our income. From funding cutting-edge research to supporting new insights that help raise the bar in assessment practice internationally, we’re always focused on fair and inclusive assessment and the positive impact it has on teaching, learning and society.

Website: https://www.aqa.org.uk/

CENTURY Tech is an award-winning AI education technology company. Our team of teachers, neuroscientists and technologists develop world-leading artificial intelligence tools for schools and colleges as well as learning and development environments. Founded by entrepreneur Priya Lakhani OBE in 2013, CENTURY’s mission is to help teachers across the world to remove learning roadblocks so that every student can succeed. CENTURY’s scalable technology creates a constantly adapting personalised learning path for every student across any curriculum. It provides teachers with real-time rich data insights to make effective targeted interventions. Our powerful SaaS platform is used by leading schools around the world, and has been implemented by ministries of education on a national and regional scale.

Website: http://www.century.tech

Ascentis is a leading Awarding Organisation and Access Validating Agency providing cutting-edge qualifications for training, education and business in the UK and overseas. With nearly 50 years’ experience, Ascentis has developed an extensive portfolio including Access to Higher Education Diplomas, Community Interpreting, Construction, Digital Skills, Employability, English & Maths Skills, ESOL, Education & Training and Short Online Qualifications (SOQs). We are proud to be the number 1 provider of ESOL in England and the #1 AVA for four Access to HE Diplomas including Nursing & Midwifery.

Website: https://www.ascentis.co.uk/

Website: https://www.et-foundation.co.uk/

LessonUp is an online teaching platform designed to make learning more engaging. Teachers can find, create, and teach interactive lessons, whether in-person or online, without needing to switch between platforms. With interactive features like quizzes, mind maps, and videos, it improves student participation and provides valuable insights into their learning.
Website:https://www.lessonup.com

Rebecca is an education researcher at the University of Warwick. Prior to her career in higher education, she was an English teacher in Birmingham. Rebecca’s research interests focus on education policy, inequalities, post-16, widening participation, literacy/English, and the teaching workforce.

Jenni has over 14 years’ experience in FE, having taught adults, apprentices and 16-18 learners, and have 4 years’ experience leading a team of maths and English lecturers. As Head of Pre Advanced Maths and English, Adult Skills and ESOL, Jenni oversees the delivery and quality of maths, English and ESOL courses for learners of various ages and abilities. She is passionate about empowering learners of all ages with the maths and English skills they need to succeed in their academic and career goals and to support their social mobility, and the value of working collaboratively with colleagues across the sector to make this possible.

Nabil's vocation is medicine, and he has been with FE for more than 20 years and as a Senior Manager since 2007. One of the areas Nabil looks after is English and Maths where they have more than 4000 students every year. The innovation of English and Maths in FE sector is something that he is specially motivated by due to the unique challenges surround this area

Sacha Murmann is an experienced educational leader, currently serving as Group Head of School for Maths at Capital City College Group, one of London’s largest further education institutions. With over a decade of senior leadership experience, she has successfully driven improvements in Maths education for 16-18-year-olds through innovative teaching strategies and curriculum development. This year she has led a large implementation of an AI driven diagnostic tool, AQA Stride, that has transformed the team’s ability to provide individualised student feedback and to create interventions to target learning gaps.

Kayte Haselgrove is Co-founder of The Further Education (FE) Literacy Movement and Co-Editor of The Use of English (English Association) journal. Her main role is as Senior Lecturer and Assistant Programme Lead for the PGCE and Cert Ed in Further Education and Skills, and English Pathway Lead at University of Derby. She is also a research convenor and Co-Chair for the Learning and Skills Research Network and convenor for BERA special interest group for Post-compulsory and Lifelong Learning. She is a University Technical College Governor for SEND and Inclusion, and PhD candidate researching subject specialist pedagogies in Further Education Initial Teacher Education. Owner of EduKayte.

Kirsty Haughton is Co-founder of The Further Education (FE) Literacy Movement, Head of English and Literacy at Nottingham College and Committee Member of The English Association.

With over a decade of experience working in education, Kirsty champions the role of further education as a place of transformation for the most disadvantaged. Kirsty spearheads curriculum design for 3,500 English Resit students in the heart of Nottingham, working collaboratively with partners in the city. An active writer and speaker, she has recently appeared within the Westminster Education Form and FE Week to advocate for the development of literacy across FE.

Harriet is a Programme Leader for GCSE and Functional Skills Maths with over 10 years’ experience in Further Education. She holds an MPhil and has contributed to several research projects focused on GCSE maths resits. Her work explores Maths Mastery approaches, the benefits of contextualising maths lessons, and strategies to support students progressing onto T-Level qualifications. Harriet is dedicated to advancing educational practice through evidence-based research, aiming to improve outcomes for all learners, particularly those facing additional challenges.

Gareth is the current Head of English at Central Bedfordshire College. He has previously worked at Buckinghamshire College Group and Milton Keynes College, and is what’s known in the business as a unicorn; he has taught maths and English at GCSE level, after getting a first class degree in English and Creative Writing from the University of Northampton. When not working, he enjoys reading, writing and is looking forward to sleepless nights, once his first child is born in April.

Darren is the current Quality Manager for Maths and English at Cambridge Regional College. In this role, he leads on quality improvement for all Maths and English at the college. He has worked in the FE sector for 12 years. Darren has delivered both English and maths, at all levels of Functional Skills and GCSE. He has managed Maths and English departments since 2015. Darren is passionate about supporting learners to progress in English and Maths. He is always keen to collaborate with colleagues across the country. He enjoys supporting and mentoring new teachers.