Frequently Asked Questions

Please note that this is a live event at the NEC in Birmingham, meaning our content will not be available in a virtual format. 

However, we will be hosting The Schools & Academies Show Extra on 23rd November, a post-event virtual day of 1-2-1 meetings between schools leaders and leading education suppliers, alongside a range of handpicked case-studies, panels and presentations. Find out more here.

If you have registered for the Schools & Academies Show Birmingham 2022 at NEC, or pre-booked meetings for the Schools & Academies Show Extra, or are a registered part of the Schools & Academies Show Community, you will be able to login on 23rd November. You can benefit from viewing exclusive content and conduct meetings that you did not have time to do on the day of the live show.

Registration for the Show is not yet live, however you are able to register your interest in joining us below and you’ll be the first to know when registration is live.

We do of course encourage all of our attendees to register online ahead of the event.

Registering in advance means that you can take advantage of a reduced contact-registration system. Securing your ticket in advance will ensure our staff will be able to manage the crowd and plan effectively for number of attendees.

> Register Your Interest

The Schools & Academies Show primarily serves the public sector. If you are representing a private sector organisation, the cost to attend is £395 + VAT per delegate. We also recommend exhibiting or sponsoring.  You can apply for a private sector place or enquire about sponsorship opportunities by filling out our enquiry form here and a member of our team will be in touch to let you know if your application has been successful.

This is a free to attend show for Schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, Colleges, Universities, Charities, Not-for-Profits, Local and Central Government and the wider public sector. Private sector tickets are available on a first come first served basis and are £395+ VAT, but you can apply for a private sector place by enquiring here.

Registering and visiting the show is completely free for Schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, Colleges, Universities, Charities, Not-for-Profits, Local and Central Government and the wider public sector. If you are a private sector organisation then you can apply to attend through the registration form, however, private sector tickets are limited and allocated two weeks out from the event.

We will be providing masks as per government guidelines, but they will not be mandatory. We understand some will not be able to wear a mask for medical reasons. Face masks will be available at the entrance to the event for every attendee if you forget your own.

Yes, you can still buy food and drink at the NEC. You can find out more about this here.

We ask that individuals take personal responsibility for their health and order free tests in advance from the NHS website/pick them up from their local pharmacy. Tests will not be available at our venue.

In line with the current government guidelines, the entry policy at the NEC Birmingham does not require any visitor to show their COVID status; however, they are ready to reintroduce checks if the Government guidance changes. Ahead of the event, you’ll receive email communications containing everything you need to know.

Yes, hand sanitising stations have been installed around the arena and we encourage all visitors to wash their hands frequently.

The NEC fully complies with government legislation on managing the risk of COVID-19 to keep everyone’s experience safe. They will continue to implement our enhanced venue sanitisation, with all communal areas cleaned frequently, alongside high contact surfaces throughout event days. The venue will also continue to provide the optimum amount of fresh air to all spaces to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. A full recommission of their mechanical ventilation equipment took place during the pandemic, plus the upgrade of our filtration to ensure clean and safe air is circulated. To minimise contact points when in the NEC, visitors can pre-pay parking online, use our cashless options for payment at all food and drink outlets and even pre-order food via an app. Find out more here.

We will be taking all sensible steps to ensure the conference proceeds safely and successfully and are closely monitoring the situation. In cooperation with our venues and in consultation with our supporters we currently have no plans to postpone or cancel the event.

Should we need to move our event to a hybrid or digital format, all attendees and supporters will be notified via email.

In total, we offer over 30 hours of CPD certified content split across multiple theatres during the 1-day event.

You will be scanned on entry to the sessions that you attend so that we can track the number of CPD points you have collected during your visit. Unless you can be in two theatres at once, we would estimate a maximum of 7 CPD points for attending the event.

It can take up to 30 days to process the CPD information. We will do our best to get your certificates to you as quickly as possible and are grateful for your patience.

After the event, it can take up to 30 days for us to process the CPD information. We will do our best to get your certificates to you as quickly as possible and thank you in advance for your patience.

Yes, hand sanitising stations have been installed around the arena and we encourage all visitors to wash their hands frequently.

You can drop off your bags, coats and luggage at our cloakrooms, which can be found adjacent to the halls. Items are charged at £1 each (cloakrooms are open 30 minutes prior to the event opening and close when the event finishes). Please note, due to overwhelming demand the NEC are unable to offer cloakroom facilities in Resorts World Arena. In the interests of safety and security overnight storage is also not possible.

The NEC have a variety of food options available. Visit their food and drink page for more tantalizing details.

The NEC provide free visitor Wi-Fi across the NEC, with no code required.

There are a wealth of options close by to the NEC for those delegates who need a place to stay. With 7 hotels available on-site and many more in the local area, you’ll have plenty of choice for a great night sleep. Find out more about the hotels in the area on the NEC Visitor Page.

The NEC has parking onsite at the venue and all the Schools & Academies Show visitors will receive free parking for 17th November. You can simply show your visitor badge while exiting the car park. Find out more about parking at the NEC here.

Date – 17th November 2022 – 09:00 – 17:00

Venue – NEC, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT