The day opened with the Student Voice Panel, and it set the tone perfectly. Hearing directly from students about their experience of being taught by Now Teachers was a brilliant reminder of why this all matters. A huge thank you to Jack Hunt School, Peterborough and Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich for letting us borrow their students for the day, it made all the difference having their voices in the room.
"The panel discussions involving students were particularly effective, and inviting them to join tables for discussion afterwards was a strong format choice." - Xavier Martin, prospective Now Teacher.
Next up was Musharaf Asghar, whose keynote was a genuinely insightful look back at his own journey, and it was clear just how much his own teachers had shaped who he became.
"We laughed, lots of us cried as Mushy shared his story and the importance of the connection with his teacher and the fact that if one teacher believes in a pupil then a life can be changed" - Graihagh Crawshaw-Sadler, CEO of Now Teach.
That early afternoon slot gave people a real choice depending on where they are in their journey. Cohort 2026 spent time with Dr Emma Kell on building strong mentor relationships from day one. Cohort 2025 heard from Professor Sam Twiselton and Gareth Conyard on what the ECT year really feels like and how to thrive in it.
And for those further along, Tom Sherrington had the room nodding along and scribbling notes in equal measure, with research-informed techniques people could genuinely try in their classroom on Monday morning.
"I found Tom Sherrington's session incredibly useful and enlightening about what a good lesson looks and feels like" - 2026 Cohort Now Teacher.
Glyn Potts MBE DL supported to close out the afternoon with a session that gave people space to really see their own impact. For a lot of Now Teachers, it was a chance to connect the dots between who they were before teaching and the difference they're making now, and to leave with a clearer sense of their own value in the classroom.
"Both Tom Sherrington and Glyn Potts were fantastic. Lots of tangible advice I can put into practice in the classroom" - Suzanne Ipe, Maths Now Teacher.
Beyond the speakers, the real magic of the Summit is always the conversations between Now Teachers themselves. Whether it was catching up with old faces or meeting new ones across the network, the connections being made were exactly what these days are for.
"The day introduced new ideas for practice, expanded my professional network and re-energised by commitment to teaching" - Susana Lajusticia, Spanish Now Teacher.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, to our speakers for giving us so much to think about, and to the whole team behind the scenes who made the day run so smoothly.
And if you couldn't make it this year, keep an eye out for more content from the day soon!