From Classroom to Global Stage: STAR21 Brings Starlight to BETT 2026

We’re thrilled to announce that STAR21 will be exhibiting Starlight, the UK's first AI coaching platform for teachers, at BETT 2026 — the world’s biggest celebration of education and technology — taking place at London’s ExCeL Centre from 21–23 January 2026.

Bett brings together over 35,000 educators, innovators, and industry leaders from around the globe — including school leaders, policymakers, charities, and more than 3,000 students — all united by a shared passion for shaping the future of learning. With 400+ world-class speakers and hundreds of pioneering EdTech companies showcasing under one roof, Bett is the global epicentre of innovation in education.

For us, being invited to exhibit in the Startups Village at Bett marks a major milestone. Just five months ago, Starlight was an emerging idea — a way to help teachers capture lesson audio and receive fast, private, AI-powered coaching feedback. Since then, we’ve completed pilot programmes in multiple schools, supported over 130 teachers, and analysed nearly 1,000 lessons. The response has been exceptional — with an average user rating of 4.3 out of 5 from nearly 100 reviews — and we’re now receiving new enquiries every week as interest in the platform continues to grow.

Every pilot school that tested Starlight has now chosen to purchase it for the coming year — a clear sign of the trust and belief educators have placed in what we’re building. That support has made this moment possible.

We want to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our users, pilot schools, and early champions who believed in Starlight from the beginning. Your feedback, insights, and encouragement have shaped every step of this journey. Bett 2026 is not just a showcase for us — it’s a celebration of what can happen when schools and innovators collaborate to build tools that truly serve teachers.

If you’re attending Bett, we’d love you to come and meet us in the Startups Zone. You’ll find us demonstrating how AI can make teacher development faster, more personal, and more reflective — without adding to workload.

This is a proud moment for our small team and a glimpse of the bright future ahead for teacher coaching and professional learning in the age of AI.

See you at BETT 2026.

Starlight – Spark Insight.

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The Insight Engine is written by Adam Sturdee, co-founder of Starlight—the UK’s first AI-powered coaching platform—and Assistant Headteacher at St Augustine’s Catholic College. This blog is part of a wider mission to support educators through meaningful reflection, not performance metrics. It documents the journey of building Starlight from the ground up, and explores how AI, when shaped with care, can reduce workload, surface insight, and help teachers think more deeply about their practice. Rooted in the belief that growth should be private, professional, and purposeful, The Insight Engine offers ideas and stories that put insight—not judgment—at the centre of development.