Arlene Holmes-Henderson is Professor of Classics Education and Public Policy at Durham University. She is an award-winning qualified schoolteacher and she taught classical subjects (Latin, Greek and Classical Studies) in secondary schools for more than a decade. Her doctoral thesis examined the role of rhetoric in 21st century educational policy and practice. By sharing her expertise on ancient rhetoric with policymakers and teachers, she has secured several policy changes in English education which widen access to high quality rhetoric, oracy and spoken language education. She is the author of seven books and more than 50 articles. Arlene was awarded an MBE for Services to Education in 2023.

Kat Howard is Executive School Improvement Lead and Curriculum and Assessment Lead at a Multi Academy Trust, working with schools across the West Midlands region and leading curriculum and assessment across the Trust. She is also founding CEO of LitdriveUK, a charity and subject association dedicated to providing resources and CPD provision for English teachers and tutors. She is the author of the bestseller Stop Talking About Wellbeing: a Pragmatic Approach to Teacher Workload and co-author of another bestseller, Symbiosis: the Curriculum and the Classroom.