We hosted our Thrive Conference on Friday 28th June, with Dan Fitzpatrick,  author of 'The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to ArtificialIntelligence in Education' as our Keynote speaker and Gemma Gibson as our speaker for the afternoon.

In an effort to be environmentally friendly, we won't be providing stationery and we therefore ask that attendees bring their own paper/pens/device.

Dan is the author of the acclaimed book, 'The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to ArtificialIntelligence in Education'.

His work in the industry earned him the esteemed accolade of Tech ChampionAward at the Digital Industry Dynamite Awards.

Dan is a prominent contributor in the media on all things AI and education, having recentlybeen featured in Time Magazine and on CNN, Good Morning Britain, BBC Radio 4 and ITVNews.

His former roles include serving as Director for Digital Strategy at Education PartnershipNorth East, and as a senior leader at a secondary school. Presently, he assumes the role offounder of The AI Educator and Director at Thirdbox.org

With an impressive educational background, Dan holds an M.A. from Durham University, aPGCE from UCL, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Design Thinking & Innovation from MIT. This robust foundation in academia has endowed him with the knowledge and skills to thrivein the ever-evolving world of AI and education.

In 2023 alone, Dan trained approximately 15,000 educators worldwide, guiding them inthe integration of AI into education. Additionally, he has partnered with hundreds of smallbusiness leaders and marketing professionals, such as those from Welsh Water andCleanspec, to enhance their practices using artificial intelligence.

Dan Fitzpatrick's unwavering commitment to the advancement of AI in education and hispassion for fostering innovation in the field render him a highly sought-after expert, strategist,and thought leader. Dan's extensive knowledge and hands-on experience continue to inspireeducators, professionals, and organisations worldwide as they grapple with the challengesand prospects presented by the AI revolution.

Gemma became Headmistress of Bedford Girls’ School (BGS) in September 2020, bringing a wealth of experience in school leadership gained during an international teaching career. Passionate about promoting girls' education and the use of technology in future inspired learning, Gemma is committed to fostering equity and inclusion at BGS and beyond to ensure all young women have equal access and opportunities to thrive in their future careers, particularly those in the tech field. 

She joined BGS from Harrow Hong Kong where she was Deputy Head (Academic). Prior to this, she was in charge of Teaching and Learning at North London Collegiate School in South Korea. She has also been a member of Senior Leadership Teams at both Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School and St Ignatius College, London. 

Gemma has a degree in History from the University of Glasgow; she initially qualified as a solicitor and practised for three years before moving into teaching where she specialised in teaching History and Law.  

Twitter: @BGS_Head

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Last year, we had the pleasure of having Dylan Wiliam Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment at University College London, as our Keynote Speaker at Thrive. 

In a varied career, Dylan has taught in urban public schools, directed a large-scale testing program, served a number of roles in university administration, including Dean of a School of Education, and pursued a research program focused on supporting teachers to develop their use of assessment in support of learning.

Our afternoon speaker was Marina Gardiner Legge, the President Elect of the Girls' Schools Association and Headmistress at Oxford High School GDST.