From visibility to belonging: helping learners bloom — Kate Heath
In this thought-provoking session, Kate Heath, CEO of Gaia Learning and Bloom, invites educators to reimagine what learning could look like if we designed education for today’s world, rather than inherited systems built for yesterday. Together, we’ll explore a future where learning is recognised wherever it happens, where every adult supporting a learner contributes to one connected story, and where belonging becomes as important as attainment. Through real stories, interactive discussion and practical reflection, Kate will challenge conventional thinking about attendance, progress, inclusion and learner identity. From imagining how future generations might view today’s schools, to asking what we would build if we started from scratch, this session explores how we can move from fragmented information to connected understanding—and from visibility to belonging. Rather than focusing on technology for technology’s sake, this session asks a bigger question: How do we build an education system that truly sees the whole child? Expect to leave with new ideas, fresh questions and a vision for a more holistic, connected future of education—one where learners own their story, every contribution matters, and education extends far beyond the classroom. w ideas, fresh questions and a vision for a more holistic, connected future of education—one where learners own their story, every contribution matters, and education extends far beyond the classroom.
About the speaker
Kate is the Founder and CEO of Gaia Learning, an award winning national specialist online alternative education provider supporting children and young people who are unable to access traditional school environments. She leads an international team of educators, SEND specialists, technologists and operational leaders committed to improving access to education through flexible, personalised learning. Gaia Learning works with families, schools, local authorities and other partners to deliver specialist online education, SEND informed support, alternative provision, reintegration pathways and executive functioning coaching. Kate also leads Bloom, an inclusive learning platform developed from Gaia's frontline experience. Bloom brings together learning, wellbeing, attendance, engagement and progress data to give schools, families and professionals a clearer understanding of each learner's needs and the impact of the support they receive. Drawing on both lived experience of SEND and extensive experience across the education sector, Kate speaks on inclusion, alternative provision, emotionally based school avoidance, learner engagement, reintegration and the role of technology in creating more connected and effective support systems. Her work is driven by a simple belief: education should adapt to the child, not expect the child to adapt to the system.
