Case Studies

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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?    

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.