Academies Conference 2025
Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park, Newcastle
Join us for the eighth annual Schools North East Academies Conference, where trust leaders, academy heads, and educational professionals will come together to shape the future of education.
This year’s conference theme is: ‘Lead, not plead’.
As a senior leader in the North East’s amazing education community, you embody the principle of Lead, not plead—driving positive change and delivering outstanding results for the young people of our region. You lead from the front, navigating the challenges of the education system and empowering your team to make a real impact, without waiting for external solutions.
Our carefully curated sessions will offer you valuable perspectives and practical solutions tailored to your leadership role. Through a blend of keynote speeches and hands-on workshops, you’ll gain actionable ideas to enhance outcomes for your schools and students. This conference is also an unparalleled opportunity to network with fellow leaders, and the wider education community to gain the insights, tools, and strategies to help your trust continue to thrive. Explore our exhibition, showcasing innovative products and services designed to support your strategic goals.
The Academies Conference programme will enable delegates to continue leading with purpose, driving meaningful change, and making a lasting impact on education in the North East.
Who Should Attend:
Whether you’re a Trust CEO, CFO, COO, Academy Head Teacher, or School Business Professional, the programme offers tailored sessions to meet your needs. The event is designed for leaders from trusts, academies, and maintained schools, with content focused on both strategic planning and the operational management of your setting.
Notable Past Speakers:
Our previous speakers have included influential figures such as Bridget Phillipson MP, now Secretary of State for Education, Catherine McKinnell, now Schools Minister, former National Schools Commissioner, Sir David Carter, and Ofsted’s National Director of Education, Lee Owston, among others.
Due to the ongoing Tyne Bridge works, queues at the Tyne tunnel may take longer than expected.
Book your placeEvent Organiser
Event Costs
Partner School£100 + VAT
Non-Partner School£160 + VAT
Commercial/Education Supporter Member£250 +VAT
Non-School£300 + VAT
Group bookings of 3 or more10% discount
Book your placeEvent Overview
Keynote – 5 Principles for Inclusion – Towards a More Inclusive School System – Tom Rees, Chief Executive Officer, Ormiston Academies Trust
Reforming the SEND system is the most important policy reform for government in the next decade and getting this right will require the whole sector to work together in partnership with parents and wider services. In this talk, Tom will propose 5 principles for inclusion that sit behind this reform – developed in work carried out between Ambition Institute and the Confederation of School Trusts. As chair of the government’s newly formed expert advisory group for inclusion, he will look at some of the opportunities and challenges ahead.
Keynote – New Domains of Educational Leadership: Embracing a “Lead, not Plead” Mindset – Leora Cruddas, Chief Executive, Confederation of School Trusts (CST)
In a rapidly evolving educational landscape, leaders today face complex challenges that demand resilience, vision, and innovative solutions. This keynote invites us to consider how trust leaders can embody the conference theme of Lead, not plead, by harnessing the mental models and mindsets that fuel transformative leadership. Leora will explore three crucial domains of educational leadership during her keynote. This session will be a call to action, challenging educational leaders to transcend traditional roles, confront obstacles head-on, and create lasting change. Join Leora to explore new ways to lead with purpose, using Leora’s insights and expertise to fuel your journey as a transformative leader.
Keynote – Delivering the Opportunity Mission in the North East – Katherine Cowell & Paul Green, DfE
Delivering the Opportunity Mission in the North East with a focus on the Best Start in Life and the new Regional Improvement for Education and Standards (RISE) teams. Katherine and Paul will explore what this means for academy trusts in the region.
Keynote – How to Be Brilliant – Michael Heppell, Speaker, Coach & Author
The 3 Key Characteristics of Brilliant Leaders;
How to create confidence;
The importance of decisions;
How to never have a bad day;
Why being good is no longer good enough;
Creating a Future History
Keynote – Ofsted Reform: Leading the Charge for Meaningful Change – Paul Whiteman, General Secretary, NAHT
Paul Whiteman will deliver a thought-provoking keynote on the pressing need for Ofsted reform. Drawing on feedback from NAHT members, he will examine the challenges and inequities within the current inspection framework and outline NAHT’s proposals for a more balanced and supportive system.
In line with this year’s theme, ‘Lead, not plead’, Paul will explore how school leaders can navigate these challenges while maintaining their focus on excellence and innovation. This session offers valuable insights and practical perspectives for senior leaders committed to driving positive change in their schools and trusts.
Why Creating a Flexible Working Environment is an Opportunity and not a Threat – Kath Hull, Chief Financial & Operations Officer, Lingfield Education Trust
The tight labour market and changes in Employment Law can present challenges, especially within the education sector. This session looks at vision, values and innovation to overcome some of the challenges we face. Lingfield Education Trust were one of the fastest growing trusts in 2022/23, here you can discover how capacity was created through flexible working to meet the pace of change.
Leading with Purpose – Dr Jill Berry, Leadership Development Consultant, Author & Education Commentator
How can leaders at all levels ensure that they navigate challenges, and embrace opportunities, with confidence and a strong sense of purpose? How can we model senior leadership so that we inspire and lift others, identifying and nurturing potential and investing in the next generation of school and trust leaders?
Recent research from Professor John Jerrim (UCL Social Research Institute and ImpactEd Group): ‘The link between school leadership, staff job satisfaction and retention’ identifies the capacity of strong leadership to build staff engagement. As Professor Jerrim observes in a recent Schools Week article describing the research: ‘Leadership teams have strong evidence – if they needed it – to back up investing in relationship-building with their staff.’
How can we lead with purpose so that we build the most positive and constructive relationships with those we lead in order to drive positive change in our schools?
Strategic Growth: Navigating Success Without Setbacks – Nick Blackburn MBE FRSA, CEO, Lingfield Education Trust
This session on trust growth offers strategic insights and actionable strategies to navigate the challenges of growth effectively. At the heart of the message lies the importance of remaining true to your values as a leader throughout and beyond the growth phase.
AI in Education: Strategic Opportunities, Ethical Challenges and Practical Tools for School Leaders – Dr Kimberley Hardcastle, Assistant Professor in Business & Marketing, Northumbria University
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping industries—and education is no exception. In this session, we’ll explore how AI can be strategically leveraged in school academies to improve outcomes, streamline operations, and empower teachers while navigating critical concerns about privacy, equity, and cost.
We’ll explore the potential cost-saving benefits of AI-powered systems in administration, resource allocation, and personalised learning. We will contrast this with the ethical implications of data security and privacy. We will discuss the landscape of AI tools—free versus premium—and the accessibility issue. The session will also offer some practical uses of AI for teachers, from lesson planning and assessment to fostering creativity in the classroom.
Great schools are necessary but no longer sufficient – Phil Latham, Chief Executive Officer, Endeavour Academies Trust
Endeavour Academies is a cross-phase trust in Middlesbrough taking CYP from ages 2-18.
They have been working with the Reach Foundation over the last 2 years to develop a
Cradle to Career model of education. Central to this idea is the notion that the social
problems affecting schools are now too complex for a single organisation, like a school, to
be able to manage on their own. The Cradle to Career model encourages schools to develop
a deeper understanding of the challenges facing the local community and then to work much
more closely with community organisations to address them. The presentation focuses on
the work Endeavour have done with Reach, in developing their own charity The Endeavour
Foundation and cross-sector convening partnerships that have been established to enhance
the work of their schools.
Estates: A Solid Strategy is the Key to Success – Tracey Field, Director of Strategy and Projects, James Carson Construction Group
This session will explore why a clear estates strategy is essential for managing competing priorities such as maintenance, capital projects, sustainability, and compliance. You’ll learn the key components of a successful strategy, including asset management, space utilisation, and technology integration, while addressing challenges like ageing infrastructure and evolving educational needs. Discover how strategic planning drives effective decision-making, resource allocation, and collaboration, with insights into stakeholder involvement, communication, and contractor perspectives. Packed with practical takeaways, this session will equip you with the tools and knowledge to develop a forward-thinking, sustainable estates strategy.
MAT Finance Sector Insight Report 2024 – Warren Porter, Head of Education Strategy, IMP Software
Join Warren Porter, Head of Education Strategy of IMP Software, to hear insights from the first ever forward-looking financial benchmarking report created from the budget assumptions of over 300 school trusts.
Warren will explore key trends from across the sector; the varied approaches that different trusts are taking to navigate budget challenges over the medium and long term; and emerging areas such as ‘lost income’ from falling pupil numbers vs capacity.
Changes in Public Procurement: What Does it Mean for Your Trust? – Tim Care, Partner, Ward Hadaway
This session will look at the key changes to law and practice as a result of the new Procurement Act and, in particular, areas that will impact on Academy Trusts, such as registration and use of the Central Digital Platform, the enhanced transparency requirements, the new competitive procedure and how frameworks and other similar markets will operate in the future, as well as the transitional provisions.
Practical Solutions to Implementing a Whole Trust Strategic Planning Framework – Glenn Sanderson, CSO, BCCET & Sarah Burns, Director, Data2Action
Discover practical, proven strategies to implement a Trust-wide strategic planning framework that fosters accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Learn how our innovative approach, leveraging data dashboards, automation, and engagement tools, has reduced workload, empowered leaders, and aligned schools with shared goals—all while preserving their unique identities. Join us to explore actionable solutions that drive organisational excellence and support rapid growth.
Keynote – Research Lessons from Trusts across England- Iona Jackson, Director of Strategy, Edurio
In order to move forward with purpose, it’s important we know where we are now. As we head into a new term, let’s review how staff, pupils and parents are experiencing their time in schools across England and identify the areas we can have the highest impact this year.
Iona Jackson, Edurio’s Director of Stategy, will look back on the academic year 2023/24, and uncover some key trends based on the views of over 175,000 stakeholders, the largest dataset in England.
During this session you will:
– Reflect on how you measure up to the national benchmark
– Pinpoint what to prioritise to maximise school community engagement
– Identify ways to improve the strength of community within your trust.
Tom Rees
Chief Executive, Ormiston Academies Trust
Tom is chief executive of Ormiston Academies Trust, one of England’s most established school trusts which serves over 35,000 children in 44 schools across the country, including special, alternative provision, primary and secondary. He has 25 years of experience working in education as a teacher, headteacher and in executive roles, most recently at Ambition Institute where he was responsible for the delivery of professional development to over 50,000 teachers and school leaders. In 2006, Tom was one of the co-founders of Ups ‘n’ Downs – a charity supporting families affected by Down’s syndrome. He is currently the chair of the DfE’s expert advisory group for inclusion.
Leora Cruddas
Chief Executive, Confederation of School Trusts (CST)
Leora Cruddas CBE is the founding Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts – the national organisation and sector body for academy trusts in England. She is a teacher and has spent many years working at director level in local government. She is Visiting Professor at UCL Institute of Education. Leora was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours, 2022.
Michael Heppell
Speaker, Coach & Author
Sunday Times No.1 best-selling author. Success coach to Davina McCall, Patrick Kielty, Simon Woodroffe, Sara Cox and hundreds of others who want brilliance as their benchmark.
Katherine Cowell
Regional Schools Director for the North East, Department for Education
Katherine Cowell started in her role as Regional Director for the North East in July 2022 as part of a change programme within the Department of Education to bring improvement and intervention in SEND and CSC together with the stewardship of the schools system.
Prior to this Katherine was Regional Schools Commissioner for North in May 2020, following an interim position since July 2019.
Katherine is an experienced civil servant with a broad range of experience including:
an area director within the Cities and Local Growth Unit
FE and skills policy
an education advisor in the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit
Paul Green
Head of Opportunity North East
Paul Green is the Head of the North East RISE team at the Department for Education. Having started his career as a maths teacher in the North East and in Eritrea, Paul went on to join the DfE where he was Head of Opportunity North East, a three-year programme aimed at improving secondary educational outcomes in the region. Prior to becoming a civil servant, he was the North East Director for the teacher training charity Teach First. He is a trustee at the SHINE trust, an education charity that works with teachers, helping disadvantaged children in the North of England to fulfil their true potential. He is also chair of governors at a maintained nursery school in Gateshead and previously ran a charity, One World Network North East, which created partnerships between schools in the UK and overseas.
Paul Whiteman
General Secretary, NAHT
Paul Whiteman took over as General Secretary of NAHT in September 2017. NAHT represents the majority of school leaders in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Paul leads all of NAHT’s campaigns to improve schools for everyone, including the campaigns to achieve a fair funding settlement for schools, improving the systems of accountability and improving the recruitment and retention of teachers and leaders.
Prior to taking over as general secretary, Paul was NAHT’s director of representation and advice, a post he held for five years. The representation and advice team includes regional officers, organisers, the advice team and the legal team, helping to promote NAHT’s voice across the country while providing highly-regarded assistance and protection to members when needed.
Before joining NAHT, Paul spent a decade as a national official at the FDA, the union for civil servants. He has a first-class grasp of education issues as well as many years’ experience in the wider trade union movement.
Dr Jill Berry
Leadership Development Consultant, Author & Education Commentator
Jill taught for thirty years across six different schools in the UK, state and independent, and she taught adults to GCSE and A level in the evenings for several years. She was a head for the last ten years of her time in schools. Since 2010 she has completed a doctorate, researching the transition to headship, written a book about it: 'Making the Leap - Moving from Deputy to Head' (Crown House, 2016) https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/publications/making-the-leap, and carried out an extensive range of leadership development work.
She has given a TEDx presentation, ‘Take a Second Look: Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Others’: https://www.ted.com/talks/jill_berry_take_a_second_look_bring_out_the_best_in_yourself_and_others and she has published four novels: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B01JSM9UXI
Jill is an advocate for the opportunities presented by social media for networking and professional development, on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/jillberry102, on Bluesky: @jillberry102.bsky.social, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jill-berry-a5a55a21/ and blogging about education at https://jillberry102.blog/
Kath Hull
Chief Financial & Operations Officer, Lingfield Education Trust
Kath is the Chief Financial and Operations Officer for Lingfield Education Trust. She is a CIMA qualified accountant with over 20 years financial experience within the education and commercial
sector. She joined Lingfield Trust as a Finance Director in 2018 before progressing to her current position of CFOO where her remit expanded to include HR, Estates, H&S, Governance and Compliance.
She has led central services through a period of significant growth for the trust, and believes passionately in ensuring that high quality central services support schools and the wider communities. Her vision is to align resources to the strategic priorities of the trust, to ensure
finances are an enabler, and not a block, to achieving the key objectives for our pupils.
During her career Kath has also gained experience in HR, H&S, Governance and Compliance and holds qualifications in CIPD, SBM, Procurement, as well as coaching and mentoring.
Tim Care
Partner, Ward Hadaway
Tim specialises in procurement, PFI and education, advising almost exclusively public sector clients such as NHS Trusts, local authorities and academy trusts. He also advises on governance and statutory powers, as well as directors’ duties, often delivering bespoke training workshops for clients.
Tim has written articles and spoken at conferences on education and procurement issues as well as PFI and frequently delivers seminars on these subjects.
Nick Blackburn MBE FRSA
CEO, Lingfield Education Trust
Prior to his move into school leadership positions in London, Nick was a Local Authority Lead Teacher for Numeracy, Literacy & Inclusion and provided exemplar/modelling of best practice for the National Strategies. He also sat on the DfE National Strategies Steering Group as a teacher representative.
Following two deputy headships, one in Kings Cross, London, then in Darlington, he became a substantive Headteacher in 2007. In 2012 he became Executive Headteacher of two primary schools and subsequently led on the formation of Lingfield Education Trust.
He has successfully coached and developed leaders at all levels in schools and has a strength and a great track record in supporting leadership in schools that are in challenging circumstances.
He brings a very strong set of personal values coupled with very strong sector experience. Nick is very outward facing in leadership and has undertaken a wide range of roles across the sector from Peer Support to Quality Assurance of National Leadership Programmes and NPQEL Programme Delivery & Development. He has led & facilitated a number of TSIO projects in the sector set and has undertaken a wide range of mentoring activities for new CEOs and school leaders.
Nick is Founding Trustee of North East Wellbeing, a charity dedicated to building emotionally healthy school communities thorough high quality services. He is also a member of HMP Independent Monitoring Board and volunteers as an advocate for local refugee families.
Phil Latham
CEO, Endeavour Academies Trust
Phil is the Chief Executive of Endeavour Academies. He has worked in education for 27 years and was Principal of Macmillan Academy for 10 years. He holds a National Professional Qualification for both headship (NPQH) and executive leadership (NPQEL). He has worked as a National Leader of Education (NLE) and currently sits the advisory board for Schools North East, Campus School Teaching Alliance (CSTA) and is a governor of XP Gateshead.
Glenn Sanderson
Chief Standards Officer, Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust
Glenn is A Chief Standards Officer for Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust which is Multi Academy Trust of 30 schools (5 secondary, 25 primary). With 27 years in education, Glenn's career began as a science teacher, advancing through diverse leadership roles that paved the way to headship. He served as a Headteacher for five years and later as an Executive Headteacher for two of the Trust's largest schools. Known for his focus on transformational change, Glenn brings expertise in strategic planning, curriculum development, and data-driven insights. Currently, he works across all phases of education within the Trust, dedicated to enhancing education quality and driving strong academic outcomes.
Dr Kimberley Hardcastle
Assistant Professor, Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University
Kimberley is an Assistant Professor in Marketing at Newcastle Business School (AACSB), Northumbria University, leading one of the largest Business & Marketing degree programmes in the North of England. Prior to entering academia, she has worked in various marketing and business management roles in the F & B service sector. She has a PhD in Marketing and is a researcher, writer, speaker & advisor in branding, sustainable consumer behaviour, AI, algorithms & platforms.
In particular, she is keen to understand how brands can use successfully proven influential buyer strategies to help consumers create good sustainable habits, her research also extends to examining the societal implications of emerging technologies. Her work has been published at several international conferences and in peer reviewed journals. Whilst working at the Newcastle Business School (AACSB), Kimberley has directly supported and trained many SMEs through European Regional Development Funding. As part of her leadership roles, Kimberley is Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Business and Marketing and leads on the Branding module on the MSc Marketing Programme & the Digital Campaign Management & Media module on the MSc Digital Marketing.
Kimberley is an external examiner at Bournemouth University for Programmes MSc Marketing Management & MSc Marketing and User Experience. She is also a reviewer for the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Journal of Marketing Management and the Academy of Marketing Science. Kimberley has been awarded Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and has been a nominated finalist for the Student Led Teaching Awards numerous times. Kimberley is on the judging panel for the prestigious Effie Awards UK, The Prolific North Marketing Awards & The North East Marketing Awards. Her current projects include The Responsible Development of AI and the societal implications of this in the North East.
Kimberley is working with North East partners to understand how we can adopt a citizen well-being approach to safeguarding and upskilling the region to ensure the NE is not left behind with emerging technology. Kimberley initiated such discussions after organising and delivering the first 'The North East AI Safety Summit' October 2023, which aimed to articulate a regional voice on the opportunities & threats of AI, & the responsible development of AI for NE industries, businesses & individuals with the intention of informing policy and the first Global Summit. Kimberley's business and marketing expertise resonate beyond academia as she is also a contributor at the World Advertising Research Centre (WARC).
Iona Jackson
Director of Stategy, Edurio
Iona leads on turning Edurio’s national datasets into useful and impactful insights for trust and school leaders, helping the sector listen to its stakeholders and gain clarity on the things that matter most. Last year, Iona and her team reviewed data collected by 175,000 pupils, parents and staff members, supplemented by interviews with school and trust leaders, to create a 360-degree view of the experience in English schools.
Tracey Field
Director of Strategy and Projects, James Carson Construction Group
Tracey is currently employed Director of Strategy and Projects, James Carson Construction Group. Tracey's previous employment includes Estates Manager for Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust where she managed a portfolio of 30 schools, ensuring they remained safe, operational and fit for purpose to serve their young people and the communities they serve. Tracey has over 20 years of experience in the UK and overseas, holding leadership roles in organisations such as LADOL in Nigeria, Interserve Defence in The Falkland Islands, The Royal Household, The Bedford Estates and other local authority sectors where she successfully led and executed complex projects, managed teams, optimised operational efficiency and implemented innovative solutions and strategic initiatives.
Tracey has a degree in Construction Management, a Chartered Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Building (FCIOB), achieved the IEMA Foundation Certificate in environmental management and the NEBOSH General Certificate in health and safety. She is passionate about fostering collaborative relationships, appreciating that there is always something to learn that supports improvements.
Warren Porter
Head of Education Strategy, IMP Software
Warren Porter is IMP Software’s Head of Education Strategy. Warren gained his chartered accountancy qualification whilst working at a 20+ school primary MAT, before moving on to become CFO at a Special/AP Trust in Derbyshire.
In his role at IMP, he analyses sector developments and trends, and works closely with customers to ensures that IMP’s financial management tools continually evolve to support smarter MAT finance.
Graham Vials
Head of Education Law & Partner, Ward Hadaway
Graham is a Partner at Ward Hadaway and Head of Education Law at the firm, specialising in advising schools, academies, multi-academy trusts, independent schools, and colleges. He is recognised nationally for his expertise in this sector, evidenced by him being ranked in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, independently praised for being "an expert in his field", "supportive and proactive", "extremely capable and easy to deal with" and "highly recommended". He regularly advises on a wide variety of legal issues affecting education clients, including admissions and pupil exclusions, independent review panel hearings, employment and HR issues, KCSIE and Prevent, SEND Tribunal and student discrimination claims and complaints.
Chris Zarraga
Director, Schools North East
Chris has been part of the Schools North East team since its inception in 2007 and in 2019 he was appointed Director.
Chris works with other leaders across the North East, the education sector and charity sector to represent the voice of North East schools, and lobby policy makers to ensure that the North East is not left behind when it comes to education policy. Chris has overseen the launch of the Ednorth evidence-based excellence programme, as well as the partnership with SHINE bringing over £500,000 worth of funding to North East schools.
Under Chris, Schools North East has moved to a greater focus on lobbying around education policy, with the launch of the Manifesto for North East Education in December 2019. As well as being a trustee of a local MAT, Chris sits on various boards including the board for Opportunity North East. Prior to joining Schools North East, Chris worked with over 165 schools in the North East and various education organisations including local authorities, Excellence Partnerships, 14-19 Groups, the Specialist Schools & Academies Trust, and School Improvement Officers. He led a large scale culture change project in education across the North East and was the development consultant for the LEGI funded Wansbeck Enterprise Education Network.
Accommodation
For anyone wishing to stay at the venue either the night before or the night of the event, we have agreed a reduced rate with the Grand Hotel. The cost is £60 bed & breakfast for a single occupancy, double bedroom.
To book, please contact the hotel sales team and let them know you are attending the Schools North East Academies Conference:
events760@theelitevenueselection.co.uk | 0191 236 4111
Transports
Newcastle Racecourse bus station is located a 3 minutes walk from the venue.
Arriva Buses 43,44 & 45 and Go North East bus 116 stop there
The nearest metro station is Regent Centre, Buses 43, 44 & 45 leave from the station to the Newcastle Racecourse stop outside the venue
Parking
Parking is available on site and is free to hotel guests and Academies Conference attendees
You MUST input your car registration number at one of the screens either at the hotel main reception desk or at the event registration desks. Failure to do so may result in a parking fine
Arrival
Please head to the conference foyer and register your arrival at the registration desk
WIFI
Elite Venue WiFi
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Grandstand Gosforth Free WiFi
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