By Carole Bennett, CEO
HFL Education is a proud member of the Area-based Education Partnerships Association (AEPA), a national organisation that brings together local education partnerships to share best practice and influence national policy. While our core mission is to support schools, settings and trusts in Hertfordshire, we also recognise the importance of contributing to the wider educational landscape.
The AEPA Annual Conference, held in London in March 2025, provided a valuable opportunity for education leaders to reflect on emerging policy and how the experiences of strong local education systems can inform national strategies. HFL Education and Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), as founding members of our local partnership, were pleased to attend and represent our region.
The conference brought together representatives from leading partnerships across the country, including Surrey, Camden, Birmingham, Hounslow, Leeds, Leicester, Sheffield and Tower Hamlets. Together, we explored how locally designed, inclusive support systems across all educational settings can foster collaboration and improve outcomes. These partnerships form educational families that support one another, resulting in stronger, more resilient systems.
The event opened with a welcome from AEPA Co-Chair Dame Christine Gilbert, followed by a keynote address from Sir Kevan Collins, Adviser on Standards to the Secretary of State. His speech focused on removing barriers to opportunity and set a collaborative tone for the day.
A key session was led by John Edwards, Director General of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Regions Group, who discussed the RISE (Regional Improvement in Standards and Excellence) initiative. Chaired by Maria Dawes, CEO of Schools Alliance for Excellence, the session highlighted the importance of regional strategies in driving school improvement and the value of local partnerships in delivering these goals.
In the afternoon Tom Rees, Chair of the DfE’s Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion, led a session on embedding inclusion at the heart of the school system. Chaired by Juliet Silverton, CEO of Birmingham Education Partnership, the session resonated strongly with HFL Education’s values. We were able to share feedback on the pressures schools face and the shared approaches that are proving successful in our local areas.
The conference reaffirmed our belief that a preventative, practice-based approach to school improvement is more effective and sustainable than reactive, crisis-driven models. As AEPA Co-Chair Baroness Estelle Morris noted, we must aim higher than simply responding to failure. Every child deserves access to a strong local school, regardless of its legal status.
Our participation in the conference strengthened our resolve to advocate for inclusive, locally driven education systems and to ensure that the voices of Hertfordshire’s schools, settings, and trusts are heard in shaping national policy. AEPA’s commitment to supporting its members, sharing practice, and promoting the value of local education ecosystems remains vital to building a stronger, fairer education system for all.
