This summer marked a major milestone for the Festival of Education as, for the first time, it expanded into mainland Europe.
Over the course of two weeks, educators gathered in The Hague and Barcelona for the inaugural Netherlands Festival of Education and Spain Festival of Education. Together, the events brought hundreds of teachers, school leaders and education professionals together to exchange ideas, challenge thinking and celebrate the transformative power of education.
While each festival reflected its own local context, both shared the values that have defined the Festival of Education for more than a decade: outstanding professional learning, thought-provoking discussion and a strong sense of community.
The Hague: A Festival Community Takes Root
The European journey began in The Hague at Edith Stein College, where the Festival was delivered in partnership with ToetsRevolutie.
An exceptional keynote programme set the tone for the day. Pedro De Bruyckere challenged common misconceptions in education with his trademark mix of evidence and humour, while Paul Kirschner explored how learning happens and what effective teaching looks like in practice. Claire Boonstra encouraged delegates to rethink the purpose of education and imagine new possibilities for the future.
Dutch politician, Marjolein Moorman brought a powerful perspective on education’s role in creating equitable opportunities for young people, while Hannah Miller’s sessions on purpose and values resonated strongly with delegates throughout the day.
More than 40 workshops explored topics including evidence-informed practice, adaptive teaching, leadership, artificial intelligence, assessment, oracy and curriculum design. Rather than traditional presentations, classrooms became spaces for conversation, collaboration and shared learning.
The atmosphere echoed the spirit of the original Festival at Wellington College: open, optimistic and driven by curiosity.
One delegate reflected:
“It was a day filled with inspiring conversations, challenging ideas and valuable opportunities to reflect on the purpose of education.”
Another captured the experience perfectly:
“What a fantastic opportunity to share ideas, thoughts, purpose, ambition and practical projects with fellow educators… just like the original Festival at Wellington College it was a day full of energy and ideas.”
For a first event, it was clear the Festival had found an enthusiastic home in the Netherlands.
Barcelona: Learning Under the Mediterranean Sun
Shane Mann, CEO EducationScape and the Mayor of Castelldefels, Manuel Reyes
Keynote Owen O’Kane
Just a week later, the Festival travelled south to Barcelona, where The British School of Barcelona’s Castelldefels campus hosted educators from international, independent and state schools for another inspiring day of professional learning.
The keynote programme tackled some of education’s most important challenges. Francesca Martinez brought humour and humanity to conversations around inclusion and belonging, Owen O’Kane explored resilience and wellbeing, Geoff Barton reflected on educational leadership, and Richard Culatta examined the opportunities and challenges presented by technology and artificial intelligence.
Across the campus, more than 40 workshops covered instructional coaching, leadership, formative assessment, STEM, wellbeing, curriculum design, sustainability and professional development. Sessions led by respected educators including Tom Sherrington, Edward Watson and Valentina Devid offered practical strategies that delegates could immediately apply in their own settings.
A recurring theme throughout the day was the value of learning from colleagues working in different contexts and disciplines.
As one attendee observed:
“One of the joys of events like this is the opportunity to step outside your own specialism and learn from brilliant thinkers working across every aspect of education.”
Another reflected on the importance of creating learning environments where every young person belongs:
“Whether we’re talking about oracy, technology, adaptive teaching, literacy or inclusion, the common thread is belonging. Great education isn’t simply about what we teach; it’s about creating classrooms where every child feels valued, understood and able to flourish.”
More Than Two Events
Although separated by geography, both festivals demonstrated the same enduring qualities.
The most valuable conversations often happened between sessions, over coffee or lunch, as educators exchanged ideas, forged new relationships and began future collaborations.
The workshops themselves were designed to be interactive and discussion-led, encouraging participants to contribute their own experiences while exploring practical approaches to leadership, literacy, AI, assessment and inclusion.
None of this would have been possible without the commitment of our host schools, speakers, partners and exhibitors, whose support helped create welcoming and inspiring environments for professional learning.
Most importantly, both festivals reinforced something that lies at the heart of the Festival of Education: educators value opportunities to come together across sectors, phases and national boundaries to learn from one another. Whether discussing evidence-informed practice in The Hague or leadership, wellbeing and innovation in Barcelona, delegates embraced the opportunity to explore ideas openly, challenge assumptions respectfully and return home inspired.
Looking Ahead
Launching festivals in two new countries is an exciting step, and the response from delegates, speakers, partners and host schools has been overwhelmingly positive.
The inaugural festivals in the Netherlands and Spain have established strong foundations for the future and demonstrated that the Festival of Education resonates far beyond the UK.
As we look ahead to 2027, we look forward to growing these communities, welcoming even more educators and continuing to create spaces where ideas flourish, connections are made and learning is celebrated.
To everyone who attended, spoke, exhibited, partnered with us or helped make these events possible, thank you.
This is only the beginning of the Festival of Education’s European story, follow our updates on LinkedIn and Instagram.
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