Role modelling change in education
Leadership Conference | 25th to 26th March
VIENNA
Role modelling change in education
Conference themes & overview
Keynote speaker: Kester Brewin
Guest speakers: Brave Generation Academy
Tuesday and Wednesday itinerary
Thursday itinerary
Role modelling change in education
The Malvern College Family of Schools Leadership Conference 2026
The Malvern College family now educates nearly 5,000 students. That growth reflects the fundamental principle that lasting change in education happens when leaders collaborate.
This Leadership Conference brings together proprietors, Heads, and senior leaders to explore critical education trends reshaping our landscape and examine how the Malvern College Family of Schools leadership framework guides our collective response. Key topics to be covered during discussions, presentations, keynotes and workshops can be found on the next page.
We’ll focus on strengthening our shared identity, embedding Malvern Qualities into everyday practice and evolving Malvern Pathways for the next generation. These are the practical foundations that unite our schools and empower our students.
This conference ensures we all share what works, learn from each other’s experience and bring insights and expertise together to collectively shape tomorrow’s role models today.
For queries before and during the Leadership Conference, please contact:
Wayne Maher: +44 (0)7825584650 | wayne.maher@malverncollege.org.uk
Allan Walker: +44 (0)7717 474477 | allan.walker@malverncollege.org.uk
Conference themes
Leadership and collaboration
Share strategies and strengthen partnerships across our family
Innovation and disruption
Navigate tomorrow’s challenges through collective insights
Impact and identity
Shape what it means to be part of the Malvern College family Malvern Pathways
Collaborate on evolving our distinctive educational approach
Discussions, presentations and topics to include
» Year in review:
Sharing & celebrating the successes across the family
» Innovating for tomorrow: What will the future of education look like at the Malvern of tomorrow?
» Staff Malvernisation: Exploring the induction processes and ongoing professional development for all new staff and further supporting current staff in their growth as role models
» Amplifying our story: Alumni engagement, leveraging alumni and brand storytelling
» Branding the future: Strengthening the Malvern identity across the globe
» MCFS recruitment strategy: Co-designing our groupwide approach to recruitment
» Follow-up from 2025 conference
» 2027 conference planning
Kester Brewin
“Innovating for Tomorrow”
Kester Brewin is an author and Associate Director at the Institute for the Future of Work, a London research and development institute focused on how new technologies are shaping work and working lives.
He taught Mathematics across a number of London schools for twenty-five years, and has written regularly for the national education press, as well as writing and presenting for BBC Radio.
His latest book is God-like: a 500-year history of Artificial Intelligence in myths, machines, monsters, and is a clarion call for, against technological determinism, a ‘re-encounter-culture’ to sustain a future based on human flourishing.
A thought-provoking exploration of the changing landscape of employability and the role schools play in preparing pupils as both current and future leaders. Drawing on evidence and labour-market insights, Kester will examine areas from intrinsic motivation and character development to the growing importance of AI as an augmenting, not replacing, force. Expect an engaging mix of presentation, discussion, and Q&A that challenges us to rethink what truly matters in education.
Guest speakers
Brave Generation Academy
Tim Vieria
(Tim’s website & LinkedIn)Founder
Sancho Sampaio (LinkedIn)Head of Expansion Strategy
Esther Silva (LinkedIn)Partnerships & Higher Education
Brave Generation Academy (BGA) is a global education organisation pioneering a hybrid, learner centred model designed to prepare young people for life beyond traditional schooling.
Operating through a network of physical learning hubs and online provision, BGA combines internationally recognised curricula (including British, American and national pathways) with personalised, selfdirected learning supported by Learning Coaches rather than conventional classroom teaching.
Their model rethinks the role of teachers, time, space and assessment, placing flexibility, real world relevance and learner agency at the centre of education. BGA also works in partnership with schools and organisations worldwide to embed this approach locally, offering practical insight into how future teaching models can be scaled without losing quality or identity.
Building on the keynote, this collaborative session explores what the ‘traditional classroom’ of tomorrow might look like across our schools. With shared examples from colleagues and a showcase from Brave Generation Academy, we’ll examine alternative learning models that blend character formation, inclusive practice, and dynamic, non-screen-based approaches. The session concludes with a group discussion on how we, as a community, can shape more future-focused teaching and learning across the group.
Tuesday 24th March
18:00
OM Drinks (Malvern in Vienna), Hosted by OM Tono Sarovia (5.12-14). Venue: Collina am Berg, Spittelberggasse. Conference delegates are welcome
Wednesday 25th March
9:30 Arrival & refreshments
10:00 Welcome, conference opening & year in review Sharing & celebrating the successes across the family
11:00
11:45
12:15
Session 1: Follow up from 2025 conference
Session 2: Shaping Futures:
Harnessing the Power of Your Alumni
Building a global network for your pupils, parents and alumni
Session 3a: Keynote: The future of education, Kester Brewin Kester Brewin will discuss the future of education and what employers will be looking for in the graduates of tomorrow
13.00 Lunch & Group Photo
13:45
14:15
Session 3b: Future teaching models (facilitated by Brave Generation Academy)
How are the needs of future skills reflected in new education delivery models?
Session 4: Developing the Malvern brand
Strengthening & living the Malvern identity across the globe
15:45 Day 1 round up
16:15 End of conference day 1
19:00 Conference dinner at Park Hyatt Vienna
Thursday 26th March
9:00 Arrival and refreshments
9:30 Developing academic & character strategy
10:00
11:00
Session 5: Pupil focussed collaborations
Session 6: Split session
Heads roundtable – chaired by Keith Metcalfe
Proprietors roundtable – chaired by Rob Breare
12:30 Lunch
13:15
15:15
Session 7: People Strategy
Malvern Pathways & recruitment
Closing remarks & future conference dates
15:30 End of conference day 2
Welcome to Vienna
Vienna is a city like no other. The former heart of the Habsburg Empire, Austria’s capital blends imperial grandeur with world-class museums, celebrated concert halls, and some of Europe’s finest dining - all anchored by a coffeehouse culture that UNESCO has recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
We hope that whilst you are here with us, you take the opportunity to explore and experience this magnificent city for yourself. With the conference at Park Hyatt Vienna - itself a landmark building on the city’s oldest square - you are already at the heart of it.
Top 5 attractions
1. Hofburg Palace
The seat of Habsburg power for six centuries, the Hofburg is a city within a city. Explore the Imperial Apartments, the remarkable Sisi Museum, the Austrian National Library’s spectacular State Hall, and the Spanish Riding School - home to the famous Lipizzaner horses. (8-minute walk)
2. St. Stephen’s Cathedral
(Stephansdom) The Gothic centrepiece of Vienna, with its iconic mosaic roof and soaring spire. Climb the South Tower for panoramic views across the city or descend into the catacombs for something altogether more atmospheric. (5-minute walk)
3. The Kunsthistorisches Museum
One of the great art museums of the world, housed in a building as impressive as its collection - Vermeer, Raphael, Caravaggio, and the world’s finest assembly of Bruegel. Allow at least two hours. (15-minute walk)
4. Belvedere Palace & Gardens
A masterpiece of Baroque architecture set in formal gardens with sweeping views of the city. The Upper Belvedere houses Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss - arguably the most iconic painting in Austria. (25-minute walk or short taxi ride)
5. Schönbrunn Palace
The Habsburg summer residence - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - with 1,441 rooms and gardens that stretch up to the Gloriette viewpoint. The interiors offer a remarkable window into imperial life. (15-minute taxi ride)
Helpful tips for Vienna
Embrace coffeehouse culture.
Viennese coffeehouses are an institution, not just a café. Order a Melange (the classic Viennese coffee with steamed milk), settle in and expect unhurried service - that is entirely intentional. Café Central on Herrengasse, five minutes from the hotel, is unmissable.
Tipping etiquette is specific. Service is almost never included in the bill. Rather than leaving coins on the table, state the total you wish to pay when handing over cash or card - for example, hand over €50 and say “forty-five”.
Rounding up by around 10% is standard and expected; leaving nothing signals dissatisfaction.
Carry some cash. Vienna remains more cash-oriented than many Western European cities. While cards are widely accepted, some traditional coffeehouses and smaller restaurants prefer cash - it is worth having euros on hand.
Book ahead for key attractions.
Schönbrunn and the Belvedere attract significant visitor numbers even in March. If time is limited, booking tickets online in advance avoids queuing and ensures entry.
Travel – getting here and around
Airport transfers Vienna International Airport (VIE) is approximately 18km from the city centre - around 25-30 minutes by road, traffic permitting. Standard metered taxis are available at the rank outside Terminal 3, with typical fares to the city centre in the region of €40–60. For those preferring rail, the City Airport Train (CAT) runs non-stop to Wien Mitte station in just 16 minutes, with departures every 30 minutes.
Getting around the city Vienna’s historic centre is very walkable, and most major sights are within a 20-minute walk of the Park Hyatt. For visits further afield - Schönbrunn, Belvedere, or the Prater - taxis are plentiful and straightforward to hail or book. Uber also operates reliably across the city. The hotel’s own valet parking is available for guests travelling by private car.
