NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2025

A Vibrant Gathering of Leadership and Connection: ESHA Conference 2025 in Rome

The ESHA Biennial Conference 2025 in Rome was an unforgettable celebration of leadership, innovation, and human connection. Bringing together school leaders from across Europe, the event offered a powerful mix of inspiration, collaboration, and social exchange — all set against the timeless beauty of the Eternal City.

Leadership for a Changing World

This year’s theme, “Powerful Leadership in Changing Times – Cultivating Sustainable, Innovative and Healthy Learning Environments,” highlighted the evolving responsibilities of educational leaders. Throughout keynote sessions, workshops, and discussions, participants explored:

• Leading for sustainability, with a focus on preparing young people to tackle global challenges.

• Leading learning organizations, strengthening adaptability, creativity, and innovation in schools.

• Leading for student well-being, ensuring that every learner feels supported —emotionally, mentally, and physically.

The conference strengthened a shared belief: effective leadership is not only about managing schools, but about shaping the future of education.

A Warm and Welcoming Social Atmosphere

Beyond the formal program, the conference created countless opportunities for genuine human connection. Performances of a youth orchestra and a miniconcert of school heads that are passionate musicians in their personal life, echoed our need for arts and music in our lives.
Highlights included:

• A visit to the Saint Peter Square where the Pope gave the school leaders hosted by ANP a warm welcome and his blessings.

• A charming Vacanze Romane Dinner filled with Italian flair and joyful conversation.

• A festive gala evening designed to spark new friendships and deepen existing networks.

• Informal gatherings during breaks and social events, where ideas flowed freely and collaboration felt natural.

These shared moments gave the conference its heart — reminding everyone that leadership flourishes through relationships.

Opening ceremony

ANP President Antonello Giannelli

Networking That Matters

Throughout the three days, participants engaged in rich exchanges with colleagues from across Europe. The variety of workshops, roundtables, and interactive sessions encouraged leaders to share experiences, challenge assumptions, and broaden their perspectives. Also, we have been welcoming a significant delegation of Ukrainian school heads at our opening session.  An incredible applause was performed to support all colleagues in difficult circumstances in a radiant call for Peace in the world. 

From conversations about AI in education to sessions on sustainability, mobility, and inclusive learning, the conference provided a fertile ground for meaningful professional growth. Many attendees left with new partnerships, project ideas, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Materials and resources from the conference

Micke Hermansson

Zachary Walker

Looking Ahead: ESHA 2027 in Killarney, Ireland

With the momentum of Rome still fresh, it is exciting to announce that the next ESHA Biennial Conference will take place in the week of 8–12 November 2027 in Killarney, Ireland.

Set in one of Ireland’s most breathtaking regions, the 2027 edition promises new inspiration, new connections, and new opportunities to shape the future of educational leadership. We will keep you posted!

School leaders discuss the AI revolution in education during the EduAId workshop

During the ESHA conference in October 2025, school leaders from a dozen countries gathered in Rome for the EduAId workshop led by ESHA education consultant Judit Horgas. They discussed how artificial intelligence is changing the classroom, the staff room and even the future of teacher training. This was no ordinary round table meeting, but an energetic, multinational brainstorming session full of ambition and critical debate.

News on Soil Health Education

CURIOSOIL launches national conversations and conferences: get involved!

Soil health — the new kid on the block in European education — is beginning to gain real traction. CURIOSOIL, the four-year programme tackling gaps in soil attitudes, knowledge and policy, has released an impressive overview of 17 national narratives on soil-related education. While formal EU approval is still pending, a crowd-intelligence version* is already available, complete with a DIY annex for countries not yet analysed.

What do we need from you as a school leader?

In short: help set things in motion. More specifically, support the testing of educational tools and their integration into lesson plans — often in interdisciplinary ways. Contribute to shaping policy advice tailored to your national context.

At our biennial Rome2025 conference, ESHA and GAIA Education piloted the draft policy chapter for Italy. Strikingly, school leaders and experts from Norway, Iceland and Germany offered refreshing outside-in recommendations on how to strengthen Italian soil-health education.

Is soil really that important?

Yes. Soil underpins biodiversity and, according to the European Commission, around 60% of European soils are in a worrying state. Left to recover naturally, a degraded soil layer can take up to a thousand years to rebuild. Therefore, CURIOSOIL aims to bring soil health into pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher education, as well as lifelong learning.

It is wise to familiarise your staff with the topic now, so teams are ready when soil health begins to enter classrooms across Europe.

All in all: climb aboard. Soil health needs you to help set this in motion. Don’t forget to express your interest.

HEADsign, a shared journey toward resilient, inclusive, and future-focused schools

HEADsign is a practical tools for school leaders across Europe, offering clear guidelines, reflection questions, and actionable steps to strengthen leadership. Covering themes like professional growth, digital transformation, collaboration, and shared vision, they help you empower your team and build future-ready schools. This book is your starting point for inspiration and practical solutions, enabling you to lead with confidence.

HEADsign contains a collection of previously released HEADstart cards created by ESHA. They cover key themes such as continuous professional development, fostering student participation, leading digital transformation, collaborating with parents and students, building learning organizations, developing vision, shared leadership, ensuring privacy and data protection and much more.

Download your copy of HEADsign here:

BRIDGES: Education for Sustainability Citizenship

BRIDGES is a new project under the Erasmus+ Policy Experimentation program. Evolving around the role of Education for fostering Sustainability Citizenship, the project can be seen as a follow-up project – or continuation of the successful SYNAPSES – Teacher Academy. While SYNAPSES aimed to support teachers in reimagining their role in preparing students to become active sustainability citizens, BRIDGES will research how sustainability citizenship can become part of school wide – and nationwide policies.

BRIDGES builds on SYNAPSES by scaling up the vision — from teacher training to systemic transformation.

For ESHA-members, the project was launched during the ESHA General Assembly in Rome, where member organisations were asked about their experience with sustainability citizenship and their visions for the future of education for sustainable development.

Based on these workshops, and many more organised by project partners, BRIDGES will publish the BRIDGES Framework for Sustainability Citizenship and start assembling good practices on embedding Sustainability Citizenship in national and school policy.

Erasmus+ Interim Report and 2028-2034 Programme Proposal

The CULT Committee received the long-awaited mid-term review of the Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027), introduced by Michael Teutsch, Acting Director of Youth, Education, and Erasmus+ at the Commission’s DG EAC. While regretting the delayed publication, the Commission highlighted the extensive evidence base supporting the review, including national reports, studies, and a public consultation.

Despite pandemic disruptions, Erasmus+ reached 1.6 million learners and staff, with 15.2% of the participants coming from groups with fewer opportunities, reflecting sustained progress in inclusivity. More than 77,000 distinct organisations participated, with 14,000 accredited institutions. The evaluation underscored the programme’s effectiveness, efficiency, and alignment with EU priorities like the Green and Digital Agendas. DiscoverEU, the youth travel initiative, was cited as a standout success.

Challenges remain, including further simplification of application procedures and improved user-friendliness for end users. Schools presented an important challenge, as simplification in the accreditation process led to demand that by far exceeded available resources. Remote regions and international cooperation represent untapped potential. Synergies with other funds like Horizon Europe and ESF+ have been limited in practice, and overlapping objectives

The forthcoming 2028-2034 Erasmus+ proposal, presented by the Commission, reflects a merged programme with the European Solidarity Corps. According to the Commission, the €40.82 billion budget offers flexibility by removing sector-specific earmarking, while continuing indirect management. The Commission aims to preserve inclusion and democratic participation as core principles.

MEPs expressed scepticism about the real budget increase, pointing to inflation effects and concerns over funding dilution for youth and VET sectors. Calls were made for enhanced programme monitoring, evaluation, and stronger safeguards to ensure equitable resource allocation.

From the European parliament CULT Newsletter September 2025