SurreyFE hosted the second annual Teaching and Learning Conference at Nescot College on Tuesday 1 July 2025.
The event which was a huge success brought together around 200 colleagues from across the SurreyFE colleges group, Activate Learning, East Surrey College, Brooklands Technical College and Nescot, to collaborate, share best practice, and strengthen their approach to teaching and learning.
The theme for this year’s Conference, ‘Student Attendance and Engagement’, offered opportunities to explore strategies to maximise learners’ attendance, build stronger relationships with them, develop their independence, and strengthen their confidence to enable them to thrive and progress.
In her welcome address, Julie Kapsalis, Principal and CEO of Nescot, said, “A warm welcome to everyone joining us today. Nescot is absolutely delighted to host the second SurreyFE Teaching and Learning Conference this year. Thank you to the teams from across the SurreyFE colleges including all the teaching and learning groups who have worked tirelessly to organise today’s event and to the many speakers and colleagues hosting sessions throughout the day.
“It’s going to be an incredible day of learning, networking and collaboration with over 20 different workshops, opportunities to share learning resources and engage with three exhibitors, and listen to two fantastic keynote speakers, Catherine Sezen MBE and Dr Paul Redmond.”
The Conference’s first keynote speaker for the day, Catherine Sezen MBE, Director of Education Policy at the Association of Colleges (AoC), gave an insightful talk on attendance, highlighting the national view, post pandemic factors and useful tips for encouraging attendance and tackling persistent absence.
The second keynote speaker, Dr Paul Redmond, International speaker, Author, Broadcaster and Generational Researcher in his thought-provoking talk, ‘Wired for Distraction: Generation Alpha and the Challenge of Learning in the AI Age’, spoke about the challenges of tackling attention for learners in a world designed to distract them. He shared his three “killer apps” to help students not only manage distraction but flourish in the AI age. He was also joined on stage by a unique AI-avatar who shared their own thoughts on the future of further education.
The Conference also welcomed exhibitors, Macmillan Education, Peerscroller Yipiyap (Young Inspiring People Inspiring Young Aspiring People) and Surrey County Council’s Surrey Careers Hub.
Alongside the Teaching and Learning Conference, this year also featured a Surrey colleges Governor’s Conference, with guest speakers and insightful governance sessions led by Heather Cross, Chair of the AoC’s National Governance Professionals Group, and Matthew Kelly, Partner at Eversheds Sutherland.
Attendees had the opportunity to share teaching resources, discuss and exchange ideas and learning methods, and explore the respective exhibitor stands in Nescot’s Skills Park. They were greeted and welcome by Nescot’s robots, Pepper and NesBot and had the chance to engage with the colleges’ specialist AI and VR technology facilities in the Immersive Learning suite.
Attendees also attended workshops and seminars throughout the day hosted by all four colleges on topics ranging from decoding neurodiversity and strategies and addressing toxic behaviour, to building confidence through technology and maximising learner engagement.
Attendees even had a chance to win a Selfridges hamper donated by YipiYap and goodies from Macmillan Publishing, which was won by Julie Setchfield (East Surrey College).
SurreyFE is a collaborative initiative by four Surrey colleges – Activate Learning, Brooklands Technical College, East Surrey College and North East Surrey College of Technology (NESCOT), to enhance skills and training across the region.
