Breakout sessions

Most schools know they need to respond to AI, but many are unsure where to start or are focused narrowly on policy and plagiarism. This interactive session equips participants with two practical frameworks that can be applied immediately to shape a thoughtful, purpose-driven approach to AI across any school context:

• The Three Lenses of AI in Education: understanding AI as a curriculum subject, as a tool for teaching and learning and as a catalyst for rethinking how we develop human intelligence.
• Seven types of human intelligence: why schools must move beyond academic intelligence to develop emotional, social, metacognitive, creative, embodied and ecological intelligence if learners are to thrive alongside AI.
• Equity and inclusion: ensuring that future readiness is not a privilege of well-resourced schools, with examples of purpose-driven approaches from diverse contexts worldwide.

Participants will leave with a clear, adaptable framework for integrating AI into their school in ways that enhance rather than diminish human capability, along with practical first steps they can take immediately.

Students are increasingly using AI tools to find and understand information. While this can support learning, research shows that relying too much on AI may reduce comprehension and memory.

In this session, participants will:

• explore how students are currently using generative AI
• review research - including Cambridge studies - on the cognitive impact of AI use
• identify which types of knowledge are most affected
• reflect on how this influences critical thinking and classroom practice.

This workshop encourages educators to think carefully about how AI is used in learning and offers strategies to help students use it thoughtfully and effectively.

The Cambridge Pathway is designed to be both skills- and knowledge-rich, with these elements deeply connected. In today’s world, students need critical thinking and other higher order thinking skills to succeed, alongside strong conceptual knowledge.

In this interactive workshop, participants will:

• explore systems thinking and its role in understanding complex ideas
• examine kind and wicked problem-solving and the role of analogical thinking
• explore metacognitive skills
• review examples from Cambridge IGCSE™ and International A Level materials, including specimen papers and textbooks.

Participants will also discuss effective teaching practices and share experiences. The session will link these skills to the Cambridge learner attributes and consider how they prepare learners aged 11 to 19 for a future shaped by AI and uncertainty.

Within the current era of AI, Cambridge school leaders and teachers have an expectation to explore and enable effective teaching and learning using AI. This session explores what good practice looks like today and for the development of future skills.

Participants will:

• explore practical examples of current impactful practice
• participate in challenging discussions focusing on student impact
• consider the immediate, the short term and the longer term opportunities
• have practical takeaway to explore and develop further in collaboration with Cambridge

This workshop is for school leaders and teachers at any stage of the Cambridge Pathway.

How do students actually build understanding—and how can teachers work with the brain rather than against it? This interactive session draws on the latest neuroscience to give educators practical tools they can use immediately, no matter what subject or age group they teach.

The power of metaphor in learning, how curiosity and dopamine drive engagement, and why toggling between focused concentration and diffuse-mode thinking is essential for creativity and problem-solving—including what this means for tackling procrastination.

Spaced repetition and interleaving—two of the most robust findings in learning science, and how to weave them naturally into everyday teaching to build lasting knowledge.

Neurodiversity and fast and slow thinking—why brains that learn differently can be a hidden strength, and how understanding the brain’s dual processing systems helps teachers reach every learner in the room.

Participants will leave with a neuroscience-grounded toolkit of strategies they can bring back to their classrooms and share with their teams.

Meaningful talk-based activities help students to think and write better. In this workshop and live lesson, we will explore how speaking, listening and communication skills are vital to active learning and to improving outcomes in assessments. Across the curriculum, students are required to use accurate vocabulary and clear expression in written exams. So, effective exam preparation is crucial.

In this session, participants will:

• understand why education and assessment increasingly require strong oracy skills
• explore how oracy creates formative assessment opportunities without adding to teacher workload
• consider how exam preparation can be strengthened by applying oracy throughout Bloom’s taxonomy
• experience a live lesson rich discussion inspired by a multi-media campaign
• reflect on strategies that develop oracy and enhance exam preparation in your subject

Participants will leave with a clear understanding of why oracy matters and how small changes to lesson planning can be transformative. Most suitable for secondary school leaders and teachers.

This hands-on workshop explores how the language learners use - for themselves and in interactions with others - is fundamental to building deep mathematical understanding. Through practical activities including LEGO building challenges and exploratory NRICH tasks, delegates will experience first-hand how structuring expectations of talk can transform mathematical thinking in all classrooms.

In this practical session, participants will:

• encounter the distinction between private mathematical talk and public mathematical conversation, and consider why both are important
• experience how carefully designed tasks can scaffold meaningful mathematical dialogue
• explore strategies for developing mathematical communication that are adaptable across different ages and stages
• reflect on how to create classroom cultures where all learners are supported to express their thinking and develop their understanding through dialogue.

This workshop is intended for teachers of mathematics from primary through to upper secondary stages of the Cambridge Pathway.

This interactive breakout session supports educators in translating the neuroscience of attention into practical strategies they can apply immediately in their classrooms and schools.

• Designing attention-friendly environments: Explore practical ways to reduce auditory and visual clutter in classrooms, drawing on evidence that noise and sensory overload can make learning especially difficult for many pupils. Participants will discuss simple changes such as classroom layout, noise reduction and the creation of quiet or low-distraction spaces.
• Using rhythm and predictable teaching structures: Examine how techniques such as call-and-response, repeated phrases, chanting and “I do–we do–you do” teaching sequences can help stabilise children’s attention and support learning.
• Balancing structure with child-led learning: Consider how predictable classroom routines can coexist with responsive, child-led interactions, helping teachers manage multiple learners while maintaining engagement.

Assessment is not just about measuring learning; it is a way for learners to take ownership of their progress and develop the self-management skills that prepare them for success. When learners are supported to reflect on their progress, use feedback and manage their own preparation, assessment becomes a tool for building agency, confidence and resilience.

In this workshop, participants will:

• explore how assessment practices can promote learner self-management, agency and metacognition
• examine how classroom environments and culture can support wellbeing and positive relationships
• consider how assessment for learning strategies (success criteria and feedback) can help learners monitor, plan and take responsibility for progress
• collaborate to develop practical tactics that connect formative strategies with summative outcomes.

This session will show how well-designed assessment can shape and empower learners to become reflective, responsible and independent, while supporting teachers to create classrooms where self-management is at the heart of success.

Resilience helps young people manage challenges, adapt to change and succeed in a complex world. It supports emotional wellbeing, strengthens social connections and promotes long-term academic progress.

In this session, participants will:

• understand what resilience is and why it matters
• explore a framework for building resilience with learners
• discover practical tools and strategies to use in your school.

This workshop will provide senior leaders and teachers of all stages with tools and ideas to help learners become confident, adaptable and ready for the future.

Drawing on insights from leading academics and practitioners, this session explores how teachers and school leaders can strengthen digital awareness and support online wellbeing among learners of all ages.

In this workshop, participants will:

• develop an evidence‑informed understanding of digital risks and wellbeing pressures, using insights from our report and recent research in psychology, education and digital childhood studies
• gain practical strategies for embedding digital awareness and critical thinking into teaching and everyday classroom interaction
• explore leadership approaches for shaping a positive digital culture, including policies, staff development and effective communication with families
• discover tools to guide conversations with learners, colleagues and parents about healthy, balanced digital habits.

This session is designed for teachers and school leaders across the Cambridge Pathway seeking to strengthen their school’s digital wellbeing provision.

This breakout will explore university progression routes for Cambridge learners. We will look at the latest trends influencing student decisions, the skills universities look for and how Cambridge is supporting schools in guiding learners towards higher education.

Participants will:

• explore the latest trends, including a look at our 2025 Destination Survey insights
• consider the skills that universities value in applicants and understand the admissions process
• learn how universities are preparing students for their futures
• discover how Cambridge can help you guide students to make informed higher education choices.

This session will build understanding and awareness of the progression routes available from the Cambridge Pathway globally. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with a UK university to hear the latest trends and updates for international applicants. Most suitable for schools offering Cambridge International AS & A levels.