Welcome to 2026–27: A Message from SAfE’s CEO, Patrick Alexander

A warm welcome back from everyone at SAfE. This summer was an important one to take stock, with so much change in motion locally and nationally, not to mention working through tough conditions in the extraordinary heatwaves of June and July.

Just as we were all catching our breath, a new Secretary of State arrived, with indications of new priorities. This also unlocked an important debate about how we are creating opportunities for all young people. Interesting to note that, despite the prospect of further reform, some evidence suggests a lot of teachers clearly feel positive about it: I have shared this and some other developments from the summer below.

First, some important messages from SAfE.

Congratulations – Surrey’s summer exam data is very strong; Key Stage 4 comfortably above national average, and well above at higher grades; Key Stage 5 results are exceptional. A huge congratulations to teachers and pupils. At SAfE, we will continue to work with you this year to ensure these excellent achievements are consistent, inclusive and widely shared among all pupil groups. At primary phase, the national Key Stage 2 picture is stable, with an increasing policy focus on school readiness, and reading (as part of the National Year of Reading in 2026). We look forward to working with you on the local data, and the changes to the EYFS framework which came into play this week.

Welcoming Olivia Page to SAfE – I am delighted to share that we have appointed Olivia Page as our new Deputy CEO. Olivia is a Surrey-based Ofsted inspector and current Director of Professional Development at Orion Education, where she has led cross-phase school improvement for six years. She brings strong strategic expertise and deep alignment with SAfE’s values. Olivia will join us after half-term, picking up the portfolio from our Interim Director of School Services, Sarah-Jane Ashworth, as we build towards our 2027–2030 Strategy.

Mandatory Inclusion Strategy Deadline: Are You Ready? – Every school must publish an Inclusion Strategy on its website by 31st December 2026. To support you with this challenge, SAfE is holding a practical, half-day face-to-face workshop at the SAfE training suite:

  • Date: Wednesday 23rd September 2026
  • Time Options: Morning session (09:00–12:00) or Afternoon session (13:00–16:00)
  • Facilitators: Kenny Wheeler and Michele Miller

This hands-on workshop will focus on the Seven Principles of Inclusion, helping you articulate your universal offer, identify common barriers to learning, and use data to shape strategy. Delegates will leave with a structured draft strategy. To ensure you meet the December deadline, this will be supplemented by a follow-up twilight webinar on Thursday 5th November (16:00–17:00). Please book here

Save the Date: SAfE Inclusion Conference 20th January 2027 – Looking further ahead, a reminder of our Rethinking Inclusion: Leading a Whole School Approach at Sandown Racecourse (9am – 4pm), open to colleagues in London and across the South East. A full-day conference which will explore research and innovative systems to support the whole child.

  • Keynotes: Prof. Sinead Gormally, Prof. Toby Greany, and Marc Rowland.
  • Specialist Workshops: Featuring Prof. Courtenay Norbury, Sam Crome, Miranda Collins, Emma Dibden, Karen McGuigan, and Victoria Bagnall.
  • Exhibitors: BSquared, Enemy of Boredom Academy, Fresh Start in Education, Lifestyle First, Navigate Education, Hamish & Milo, Life Lessons, and more.

Inclusion is everyone’s responsibility. We invite Headteachers, SENCos, Deputy Heads, Pupil Premium Leads, Pastoral Leads, Heads of Department, and Phase Leaders to join us.

Together, let us rethink, re-evaluate, and re-imagine our approach to inclusion this year. We look forward to working alongside you in 2026–27! Please book here.

Professional Learning & Development – Our updated SAfE Professional Learning and Development Programme 2026/27 brochure is now live on our website here. Please also keep an eye on your inbox, as our weekly professional learning updates restart next week to bring you timely resources, networking opportunities, and training events.

Below, I’ve shared some selected reading and listening from the summer. At the start of a new year, the breadth of excellent thinking in our education system brings to mind the words of Lord Hobby at SAfE’s leadership conference in March. To plot a path through uncertainty, keep it simple: know what is statutory, know the needs of the pupils in your setting and how you intend to meet those needs… then, in strategic terms, have the courage of your convictions. Easy to say perhaps, but salutary nonetheless.

  • The brilliant Lucy Crehan, author of Cleverlands, on what works in global education systems, including reflections on Ofsted versus systems in other countries.
  • Teacher response to Burnham/Powell on vocational training. Would also recommend blogs from Jon Hutchinson, Daisy Christodoulou, John Burns Murdoch and Iain Mansfield on this subject.
  • Fascinating David Thomas blog about attainment, groups of pupils and school design with some eye-watering statistics about 2025 results. Still relevant this year, especially as the debate about school design and attainment remains close to the surface (note BBC’s controversial Panorama documentary this summer).
  • A less well-publicised but equally extraordinary national statistic from the summer. In 2026, Maths had 115k A-level entries; English Literature had 36k. In 2006, they both had about 50k.
  • IPPR on the current experience of childhood in England.

From all at SAfE, thank you for your support as always, and the very best for this academic year.

Very best

Patrick Alexander 

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