26 - 28 November 2008, Birmingham UK

In November 2008 the iNet annual conference joined the SSAT 16th National Conference in Birmingham, England.  It attracted over 2000 delegates including over 200 international delegates, plus some of the worlds leading educational speakers, academics and policy makers.

The themes of the conference were:

• Redesigning learning – developing a 21st century pedagogy with particular emphasis on formative assessment, student leadership, competence-based curriculum and creativity
• Redesigning schooling – a focus on merging of phases, flexible age cohorts, design of buildings, curriculum, flexible time schedules, smaller units within schools and academic / pastoral divide
• Redesigning leadership – exploring how to lead schools effectively in the 21st century, including governance, executive headship, succession planning and distributing leadership

Click here to download presentations and watch keynote presentations.

How international delegates got involved in the conference

International school showcases at the conference
The response to our call for international showcases was overwhelming with over 50 applications. 
We would like to thank the following schools for their excellent showcases:

• Assessment in learning, Australian Science & Mathematics School, Australia
• Student voice – helping to change community aspirations, Belfast Model School for Girls, Northern Ireland
• Concept based curriculum for the middle school, Northcross Intermediate School, New Zealand
• Student voice as a strategy for transformation, Eltham College, Australia
• Teaching and learning in the 21st century, Bellaire Primary School, Australia
• Getting the whole school thinking, Cardiff High School, Wales
• Continuing professional development: A Chilean experience based on students learning results, and peer-to-peer mentoring and coaching, Sociedad Educacional Teniente Dagoberto Godoy, Chile
• The Kahikatea Project, Hauraki Plains College, New Zealand
• The art of effective leadership, Nanchang Middle School of Shenyang City, China
• How student achievement can be raised by working with other teachers, Beijing Fengtai No 1 High School, China
• The international partnership fair – includes a presentation by Over Betuwe College, The Netherlands
• Well being panel – includes Le Rocquier School, Jersey

Congratulations to Bellaire Primary School for winning the Toshiba system redesign with ICT award.

International partnership fair
A highlight at the conference were the international partnership fairs.  Delegates came together from around the world to share information about their school and projects.  One delegate who participated descirbed the fair as:

'The iNet International Partnership Fair, to me was "like a rejuvenation of the educational mind".  Although we are an established International School, my walking into the hall and finding the "world" under one roof gave me the impetus and drive to continue with forging and establishing new links around the globe.  The layout of the room facilitated private discussions and cultural knowledge transfer and exchange without disruptions. The "multilinguistic" aura that pervaded the room was strong enough to instil interest even in the most "budget-controlled" individual / organisation. The fair organisers must be congratulated for successfully putting together what must have been a very arduous task of bringing together people from all over the world with different languages, cultures, perspectives, experiences and knowledge but with a single mission - making the world accessible to all!'