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“Solutions-focused, mobilising, inspiring” — Spring Conference 2026 roundup & highlights

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Apr 14, 2026 2:04:33 PM
PSHE Association

 

Our 2026 Spring Online Conference saw over 600 PSHE professionals come together for a half-day of keynotes and practical workshops, focusing on the most urgent challenges in the lives of children and young people today.

We kicked off with a lively keynote from Peter Hyman and Shuab Gamote, co-authors of the Demos report Inside the Mind of a 16-Year-Old. This explored the complex and diverse nature of teenagers’ online lives, identifying five different personality archetypes to capture how they think about social media and politics.

Peter and Shuab concluded by highlighting the vital role of schools and parents in supporting young people’s digital wellbeing.

Delegates then chose from a selection of three practical workshops focused on helping schools get to grips with the new statutory RSHE requirements, with options tailored for primary, secondary and SEND settings.

These workshops also gave delegates a first look at our new Programme of Study (KS1-5) and Curriculum Models — flexible planning tools designed to support schools to deliver a carefully sequenced PSHE programme aligned with all statutory RSHE requirements and tailored to pupils’ needs.

As one delegate reflected:

“Great session, grounded by a clear understanding of what a busy PSHE lead needs to focus on ahead of September… the new resources look great and easy to understand so I can go away and crack on with planning.”

Next up, we heard from Polly Haste (HMI, Lead for PSHE, RSHE and Citizenship, and Specialist Advisor, Ofsted Academy), who delivered a detailed analysis of Ofsted’s renewed inspection framework in relation to PSHE, statutory RSHE, and personal development.

Polly’s keynote was followed by an exclusive pre-recorded message from Jess Phillips MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Safeguarding and VAWG, who outlined the government’s strategy to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. Phillips emphasised the vital role PSHE educators play in promoting respectful relationships as early intervention and prevention of VAWG.

The second round of workshop options covered new topic areas from the updated statutory RSHE guidance as well as practical pedagogy and recent policy updates:

  • What can we do about the deepfake crisis? Latest research and practical solutions (key stages 3-5)

  • The fear factor (and other pitfalls in PSHE) (key stages 1-5)

  • Navigating the news - from critical media literacy skills to managing wellbeing (key stages 1-4)

  • What does the Curriculum and Assessment Review mean for PSHE in my school? (key stages 1-2)

Delegates then heard from our CEO, Jono Baggaley, who delivered a rousing and thought-provoking keynote on the role of PSHE in helping young people critically engage with chatbots or “conversation simulators” — from questioning their anthropomorphic design and sycophantic outputs to reflecting on what constitutes genuine human connection.

Hollie McNish, award-winning poet and author brought the conference to a close with a moving poetry reading, featuring pieces on positive sexual relationships and healthy masculinity.

This final session captured both young people’s real-world experiences and the foundational role of PSHE teachers, with one delegate commenting, “Hollie’s poems at the end felt like a gift to us for the job we do.”

Overall, delegates praised the conference’s clarity, energy, and practical impact, leaving them inspired and full of new ideas to take back to school:

“Every speaker was concise, on time, and made every word count. The number of similar events where you are bored 10 minutes in… here, I couldn’t write notes fast enough.”

“Without doubt the BEST conference and training there is —anywhere! The speakers are phenomenal, the Association's planning and delivery is so succinct and helpful. Empowering, uplifting, reassuring & inspiring.”

“I look forward to this conference every year and I always come away with so many useful resources and takeaways to share with staff. It highlights how important this subject is, and I love reminding my wider team of this!”

What’s next: Upcoming training and networking event