Exploring the Future of Education:
Where Artificial Intelligence meets Emotional Intelligence
Where Artificial Intelligence meets Emotional Intelligence
Thursday 30 April 2026
📍 Westonbirt School, Gloucestershire
Education, work and society are being reshaped by Artificial Intelligence at a pace unprecedented in human history. As technology takes on increasing roles in content delivery, assessment and feedback, the central philosophical question becomes: what is the purpose of education in an AI-enabled world?
The AI × EI Conference is a thought-leadership summit for Heads and Senior Leaders, exploring how schools can navigate this transformation; not only by embracing new technologies, but by deepening the qualities that make us human: empathy, creativity, character and purpose.
1. Engage with leading thinkers from education, industry, neuroscience and psychology.
2. Reflect on the philosophical, practical and ethical dimensions of AI in schools.
3. Connect with fellow leaders to share insights and shape collaborative projects for mutual benefit.
4. Experience the beauty and inspiration of Westonbirt School, a venue designed to spark big ideas.
Hosted by the Wishford Centre for Innovation, this event marks the publication of the first Wishford Journal of Educational Innovation, reflecting Wishford’s aim to be at the forefront of research and thought leadership in education.
We are assembling a dynamic panel of subject-matter experts who will deliver valuable insights and thought-provoking perspectives. We’re thrilled to introduce our first three speakers below.
Stay tuned – additional speaker announcements and the full programme will be revealed soon!
Simon is Director of Innovation at Wishford Education, where he created the Wishford Centre for Innovation to explore education at the forefront of the AI revolution. Combining philosophical depth and technical expertise, he brings over 20 years’ experience exploring where artificial intelligence and human potential intersects. Simon’s career spans senior leadership roles, teaching Computer Science and Philosophy across independent and state schools, and pioneering work in AI development. He understands the transformative promise and practical challenges of implementing AI in education. His work has featured in the Times Educational Supplement and Sir Anthony Seldon’s The Fourth Education Revolution, and recently presented at Artificial Intelligence in Education at Oxford University.
Simon believes we are experiencing a disruption as profound as the Industrial Revolution, at exponential speed. As AI increasingly automates manual and cognitive tasks, he argues that uniquely human qualities – creativity, emotional intelligence, leadership, and teamwork – become essential. Through the Wishford Centre’s CPD programmes, the inaugural Wishford Journal of Innovation in Education, and convenings like the AI x EI conference, he aims to help educational leaders navigate this transformation with both ambition and wisdom.
Cat Scutt is a former English teacher who has since held a number of leadership roles in the education sector, having recently been appointed as Chief Executive of The PTI. She was previously Deputy Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching and Head of Learning Technology at the GDST.
She is an expert in teacher development, education research and edtech, and has been a member of several government advisory groups.
She received an MBE for services to education in 2021 and completed her PhD at UCL IOE in 2024, with a focus on school leaders’ use of research evidence. She is also Chair of Cornwall Education Partnership, a trustee of NASBTT, and a governor of Astra Teaching School Hub.
Isaac Pattis leads the evaluation and implementation of emerging AI technologies for educational applications at Oxford University Press. With a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Washington and experience building machine learning systems in Microsoft’s Cloud + AI division, Isaac brings both technical depth and practical wisdom to the challenge of AI in education.
Currently developing ELT-Bench, an open-source evaluation framework for assessing Large Language Models in English language teaching contexts, Isaac works directly with educators and researchers to understand where AI genuinely enhances learning – and where it falls short. His hands-on experience evaluating and implementing AI systems gives him a grounded perspective on both the capabilities and limitations of current technology.
Isaac is passionate about helping school leaders navigate AI disruption thoughtfully – balancing innovation with the irreplaceable human elements that make education transformative. He believes the future of education lies not in choosing between artificial and emotional intelligence, but in understanding how they can work together to support both students and educators.