The Next Generation Assessment conference hosted by Edge, Rethinking Assessment and HMC has just been held for a third successful year. From its inception, this sell-out annual event has shifted the thinking and conversation around assessment from frustration to forward-thinking momentum. We’ve seen that momentum grow as the sector rethinks its assessment techniques and begins to favour approaches that value individuality, creativity and potential. The theme of the 2025 conference was Setting All Young People Up to Thrive and the opening session at the University of Manchester saw Edge Chief Executive Olly Newton in conversation with Kate Robinson, daughter of the late, great Sir Ken Robinson. They touched on topics ranging from home education (as parents seek more flexible alternatives to traditional schooling) to the evolving role of technology, including the potential of AI to enable new forms of self-expression.
Delegates were first inspired by an introductory performance from award-winning poet, Peju “The Spark” Abuchi with her poem, The Daring Dance of Leadership, Legacy & Limitation. Her themes of courage, transformation and equality fed through to the conference, with Kate Robinson later reflecting on the poem’s powerful reference to the relationship between those advocating for change and the young people who will be affected by it:
"Their FUTURE is in OUR hands! But GUESS WHAT? OUR future is ALSO in THEIR hands!..."
A reminder to education professionals that rethinking assessment is more than a theoretical exercise. These discussions and debates will have profound, long-term impacts - young people will shape our collective future.
Kate discussed her father’s lifelong focus on creativity and imagination as defining qualities of education and the human condition. She said, “Imagination is fundamentally what separates us from the rest of life on Earth. Every leap of human progress has come from somebody, somewhere, saying ‘Imagine if...’ While it often feels like the education system is immovable, we should never forget it is a human construct. Complex? Yes. Rigid at times? Certainly. But ultimately, it was designed by people for people and it is possible to reimagine it. She challenged us to envision and fight for a system that serves diverse individual needs while embedding in young people a recognition that they are part of a wider whole.
She also debunked the myth of creativity as an innate talent possessed by some and not by others. She quoted Maya Angelou: “You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Sir Ken’s view of creativity was that it is a skill that can be honed through practice – something our education system should support. His definition is that: “creativity is a process of having original ideas that have value”. Kate emphasised in particular:
- Process: Creativity is iterative – it evolves through exploration and refinement.
- Originality: Ideas needn’t be groundbreaking for humanity – what matters is their originality to the individual.
- Value: A clear purpose or goal behind creative endeavours gives those endeavours value.
In short, far from being nebulous, creativity is a definable thing that can be nurtured. Assessment plays a critical role in that. But we must engage the adults in the process – first and foremost teachers and parents – to help them see why creativity in school is essential even if it challenges their preconceived notions. Kate announced that the new Sir Ken Robinson Foundation will launch in the spring, with her as CEO, coinciding with what would have been her father’s 75th birthday. She described this endeavour as her family’s commitment to continuing her father’s life’s work – an inspiring legacy that will shape future generations. She has spent the past year organising Sir Ken’s extensive archive – 127 boxes spanning everything from childhood diaries to his outstanding TED Talks . The foundation will serve as a hub for creative education initiatives, with two initial objectives:
- Launching an open-source immersive archive powered by AI. This will allow users to engage interactively with Sir Ken’s ideas.
- Developing a new pedagogical framework enabling schools and individual teachers to become certified ‘Robinson Practitioners’, embedding Sir Ken’s approach to creativity into existing and new educational settings.
This kicked off a fascinating conference which reaffirmed the progress made over the past three years, while acknowledging that a lot remains to be done.
But there is a clear and growing sense within the sector that a truly transformative education and assessment system is now more than just a pipe dream. If imagination and creativity are not only our goals but our guides, truly widespread assessment reform begins to feel like a real and exciting possibility.