FlourishED National 2027

Deeply Christian, Serving the Common Good - Celebrating 10 years of the Church of England Vision for Education

Friday, 5 February 2027

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full – John 10:10

Programme Overview

In 2016, at our first National Conference, we launched the Church of England’s Vision for Education. Ten years on, this vision continues to inspire and equip dioceses, trusts, schools, leaders and children across the country to flourish - something to truly celebrate!

We invite you to join us for FlourishED National on Friday 5th February 2027 at SAINT Church in Hackney for a day of celebration, reflection and inspiration. With keynotes and workshops to stretch and challenge our thinking, we’ll join together to hear stories of the vision’s impact over the last decade, and we’ll look ahead to the next chapter with hope and ambition for the class of 2040.

We’re delighted to welcome the Archbishop of Canterbury who will lead a special service of commissioning, alongside keynotes from Schools Minister Geogria Gould and Richard Kueh, Chief Education Officer, CAM Academy Trust.

Our workshops will be delivered in partnership with Diocese and school leaders, and shaped around our three core workstreams - Developing Leaders, Shaping Policy (focusing on RE) and Growing Faith. They are designed for reflection, collaboration and challenge.

We hope you will join us as we celebrate a decade of a vision rooted in wisdom, hope, community and dignity and as we consider together what it means to be Deeply Christian, Serving the Common Good for the next generation.

Keynote Speakers

Archbishop Sarah

Archbishop Sarah is the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. Born in Woking in 1962, she became a Christian at the age of 16. Before being ordained, she worked as a nurse in the National Health Service, specialising in cancer treatment.

At the age of 37, she became Chief Nursing Officer for England, the youngest person ever to be appointed to the post. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her outstanding contribution to nursing. In 2001, she was ordained and served her curacy in the Diocese of Southwark, initially as a self-supporting minister, before leaving her government post in 2004. 

She was installed as Canon Treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral in 2012 and three years later became Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. In 2018, she was installed as the 133rd Bishop of London at St Paul’s Cathedral, an office she held until being confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury in January 2026.

Dr Richard Kueh - Chief Education Officer, CAM Academy Trust and former HMI national lead for religious education

Dr Richard Kueh is Chief Education Officer of CAM Academy Trust, a family of 18 schools across Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. A former senior civil servant, Richard was a specialist adviser and HMI national lead for religious education in England. He wrote his Cambridge doctorate in the field of philosophical hermeneutics, has written widely on RE, and, most-recently, was appointed as co-lead drafter for the proposed national curriculum for RE, following the government’s curriculum and assessment review.

Georgia Gould OBE MP

Georgia Gould was appointed Minister of State (Minister for School Standards) at the Department for Education on 6 September 2025.

She was previously Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office between 9 July 2024 and 6 September 2025.

Georgia was elected as the MP for Queen’s Park and Maida Vale in July 2024.

Workshop Streams

We're excited to bring you a range of different workshops during our conference, with speakers to be announced shortly – watch this space!

  
                Workshop Stream #1 Developing Leaders - ‘Rooted in Place, Shaping the Story, Driven by serving the Common Good’
            
                Rooted in Place

                What changes when leaders see themselves as responsible for the flourishing of a place, not just an organisation?
            
                Shaping Place

                What becomes possible when leaders really know and shape the story of the place they serve?
            
                Workshop Stream #2 Shaping Policy – Hopeful RE
            
                Communities as signs of hope

                What is the role of meaningful faith-based dialogue within the RE classroom, and how can it act as a sign of hope to our local and national communities?
            
                Dignity which restores hope

                What are the characteristics of an RE classroom which centres the dignity of all pupils and what is the impact on ensuring a hope-filled future for the most vulnerable, marginalised and disadvantaged?
            
                Workshop Stream #3 Growing Faith - Growing Faith Together Across Church, School and Home
            
                Enabling Life in All Its Fullness

                How can Growing Faith turn the vision for education into a reality of ‘life in all its fullness’?
            
                Dignity through participation

                How do we amplify the voices of children and young people to build Flourishing Communities?