School Turn Around with Character Education | Gary Lewis, Chris Clyne ECVA Conference 2025 | Vienna

How do you transform struggling schools into thriving communities of learning and character?

In this powerful talk from the ECVA Conference 2025 in Vienna, two of the UK’s most experienced school reformers - Gary Lewis and Chris Clyne - share how they led dramatic school turnarounds through a deep commitment to character education.

Gary Lewis, former headteacher and former Chair of the Association for character education, has helped many schools in crisis rebuild their culture, improve student behaviour and wellbeing, and raise academic outcomes - by putting character at the heart of school life. He is now advising ministers and education leaders in the whole world about how to effectively improve schools systems and individual schools with a focus on character education.

Chris Clyne is a leaders of 60 high performing schools in difficult circumstances in England and famous for the turnaround of Northampton Academy by embedding character into every layer of leadership, teaching, and student experience. His work shows how a strong character focus can transform ethos, motivation, and results not only in individual schools, but also among a large trust.

This session offers real-world insights into how character education is not a “nice-to-have”—it’s a game-changer for school improvement.

🔹 Learn what works in tough school contexts
🔹 Discover how values-driven leadership boosts performance
🔹 See how character helps schools flourish - from the inside out

This talk is a must-watch for school leaders, policymakers, and educators committed to renewing education through character.

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