Innovate North 2026 Event Highlights Digital Education Advances

Bradford College hosts regional education technology conference

On Wednesday 17 June 2026, Bradford College held the second annual Innovate North event, focusing on digital transformation in further education (FE). The conference brought together educators and technology partners from across the North of England to share knowledge, innovations, and practical strategies for enhancing teaching and learning through digital tools.

Collaborative sessions from multiple institutions

This year’s event expanded beyond Bradford College’s own digital journey to include contributions from other FE providers and partners. Delegates attended a variety of sessions led by representatives from Manchester College, Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, Leeds City College, and Bradford College, alongside technology companies such as Microsoft, Canva, Edpuzzle, and ClassView.

Event sessions included:

• Pause. Question. Decide. – Practical AI routines for critical thinking in FE (Aleks House)
• Design Smarter, Not Harder: Using Microsoft Copilot Teach to plan, assess, and differentiate learning (Microsoft – Clara Heppleston)
• Connected Communities: Exploring digital technology to bridge the digital gap (Seima Mahmood & Craig Clarkson, Bradford College)
• Leading Meaningful Digital Transformation: Insights from The Manchester College (Alison Cunningham, Rajesh Mistry, Suad Kelkal & Louise McIntyre)
• Using Digital Influence Analysis to Shift Practice at Scale: Heart of Yorkshire Education Group (Rob Lea)
• Connected Classrooms of the Future + The 360 Learning Lab: ClassView and Bradford College (Robert Bailey & Michelle Swallow)
• Canva AI in Action: Magic activities and Canva Code (Canva – Adwoa Mhango)
• Coding the College: Building custom AI solutions for FE with Google AI Studio (Shipley College – Luke Terry)
• From Barriers to Brilliance: Navigating the digital shift in ESOL synchronous learning (Leeds City College – Agnieszka Kulas & Gosia Tobolska)
• What is Edpuzzle and How Can It Help Me! (Edpuzzle – Rob Jones)
• Escape From Frankenstein or Fall to Pieces! (Bradford College Library – Emma Luby, James Golab & Alan Macintyre)

Keynote and partnerships

The event featured a keynote speech by Alexandra Willans, which set the tone for the afternoon sessions. Innovate North 2026 was supported by several partners, including Canva, Edpuzzle, Microsoft, Jisc, and Bodyswaps, who contributed to session delivery, sponsorship, and networking activities.

Organisers’ perspectives

Monika Worthington, Learning Innovation Manager, emphasised the event’s role in fostering collaboration and accessibility within the FE sector:

“Innovate North is about so much more than sessions and presentations. It is about giving educators a space to come together, share, reflect and pick up ideas they can actually use. FE has one of the most incredible communities of practitioners I have ever come across, people who really want to help one another deliver the best possible teaching and learning for their learners. It is also about access. Events like this can cost a lot of money to attend, and we never want that to be a barrier. Our mission is simple, we do not want people from our region to be left behind. Everyone deserves the same opportunities to learn, grow and connect, and that is exactly what Innovate North is here for.”

Paul Richardson, Head of Department for Learning, Development and Innovation, reflected on the event’s impact:

“Innovate North 2026 exceeded all expectations. It brought together some of the most forward-thinking educators, practitioners and technology partners from across the region to share ideas that are genuinely transforming learning. The energy, collaboration and enthusiasm throughout the event was inspiring, and we are delighted to see so many delegates leaving with practical strategies and new partnerships that will ultimately benefit learners across the North.”

Further information

Innovate North aims to continue supporting digital innovation and collaboration in further education, providing a platform for sharing best practice and exploring emerging technologies.