Over the two-day event, current Scholars and alumni alike gathered from across England for an engaging programme of professional development, collaboration, and inspiration. And as the Department for Education-funded programme prepares to close in September 2025, the final FTS National Conference served as a celebration of its impact – and a powerful reminder of its legacy.
On the Friday evening, Scholars attended a celebratory dinner, providing a space to reconnect with peers and mentors. The evening included a lively and entertaining maths quiz hosted by Ben Sparks and Rob Eastaway from Maths Inspiration, blending problem-solving with laughter.
On Saturday, keynote speeches were delivered by two highly respected voices in education. Ross Morrison McGill, founder of the widely read @TeacherToolkit blog, shared insights on classroom practice from his latest publication: Mark, Plan, Teach. Mark McCourt, a leading figure in maths mastery pedagogy, offered a thought-provoking session on breaking through automaticity to reach fluency in maths learning.
Ben Sparks from Maths Inspiration, hosting a maths/physics themed quiz at the FTS National Conference 2025.
The conference also featured a vibrant and varied line-up of guest speakers including mathematician Katie Steckles, who entertained the room with an awe-inspiring session on the mathematics of paper. SCITT Director and FTS advocate, Emily Giubertoni, led a workshop on practical motivation strategies, with a focus on helping students to meet their potential and improve outcomes.
Adam Robbins, author of Middle Leadership Mastery, delivered a session on responsive teaching, which challenged our Scholars on how often they consider students’ prior knowledge as part of their lesson planning. Peter Mattock, author and National Secondary Maths Lead, tackled the transition from additive to multiplicative thinking in maths and how best to support students who find this challenging.
Attendees also heard from several Scholar alumni, who shared their expertise as more experienced teachers. Saffron led an insightful workshop on enhancing mathematical literacy to help students build critical thinking and interpretation. And Habib’s popular session on progression into leadership emphasised just how ambitious and dedicated to the teaching profession our Scholars are.
Ross Morrison McGill speaking at the FTS National Conference 2025.
Beyond these brilliant CPD sessions, the sense of community was a defining element of the conference. A remarkable 81% of Scholars reported being ‘very satisfied’ with the conference, with the remainder ‘satisfied’ – reflecting the consistently high standard of support provided throughout the duration of the FTS programme.
Ross Anderson, Managing Director UK at EDT – the non-profit organisation that delivers the FTS programme – attended the event and praised the dedication of our Scholars:
“The energy and enthusiasm from dozens of new maths and physics teachers and subject-specific experts was truly inspiring. I overheard one Scholar say, ‘this weekend has really reminded me why I love teaching children’. For me, this validates why investing in attracting, developing and retaining teachers in key STEM subjects is so critical to EDT’s purpose.”
Nina Dhillon, FTS Programme Director, closed the conference with heartfelt reflections:
“I have had the joy of meeting Scholars who are incredible practitioners, who are able to articulate the why and what of their craft with such clarity, and who are committed to constantly developing their role in the classroom and beyond. It has been a privilege being a part of the FTS team and seeing the impact it has made on our Scholars, their schools and – crucially – their pupils.”
The FTS team would like to extend a massive thank you to each of our National Conference session speakers, and to our Scholars past and present for joining us during a weekend. Stay tuned as we share more highlights and stories from the final Future Teaching Scholars National Conference in the coming weeks.
