We are delighted to invite families, students and members of our wider community to the Festival of Ideas Conference, taking place on Wednesday 24 June from 4pm-6.15pm.
This year’s theme, Curiosity, runs through every element of the week, and the Conference brings together three outstanding speakers who will explore how curiosity shapes leadership, innovation and social change.
Our keynote speakers are Sir Robert Francis KC, Libby Gray and Tom Livesey (Class of 2007).
Sir Robert will reflect on how curiosity has influenced his distinguished fifty-year career in medical law, including his work on major NHS inquiries such as the Alder Hey organs scandal, the Mid Staffordshire inquiry, and the infected blood compensation scheme.
Libby Gray, Chief Operating Officer at Unlocked Graduates, will speak about using curiosity to drive social impact. Unlocked Graduates recruits and trains graduates to become prison officers, aiming to reduce reoffending and support rehabilitation. Libby will explore how curiosity can help address complex social challenges and create meaningful change.
Tom Livesey, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of health tech company Thriva, will share how entrepreneurial curiosity can lead to innovation in healthcare. Thriva has supported millions of people in tracking and improving their health through accessible at-home testing.
Following an interval, there will be a panel discussion and an open Q&A facilitated by our Sixth Form students, giving the audience the opportunity to put questions directly to the speakers. The panel would also welcome questions in advance of the event. Please use this link to submit your questions: Festival of Ideas Conference (24/06/26) – Question submission – Fill out form
The conference will be held in the Trinity Concert Hall; there will be refreshments for those attending in the TCH circus prior to the conference from 3.45pm, and again during the interval. Please note the conference finishes after school buses have departed so students will need to be collected or travel home independently at 6.15pm. If students need to leave for school buses, they should do so during the interval at 5.15pm.
It is worth noting that as the speakers will be touching upon sensitive issues such as healthcare scandals and the criminal justice system. This will be done sensitively however, if students would like to discuss any of the matters discussed they should speak with their tutor or member of staff.
Alongside the Conference, the wider Festival of Ideas programme includes concerts, workshops, performances and enrichment activities across the week, culminating in Activities Day and Field Day.
