Danielle Lewis-Egonu

CEO, Cygnus Academies Trust

Danielle Lewis-Egonu is the CEO of Cygnus Academies Trust. She has worked in school improvement and leadership development for over 20 years, supporting schools, leaders and local authorities. She is a published author writing about education and leadership and has recently co-authored a chapter in Outstanding School Leadership published by Bloomsbury Education. The book highlights the positive impact of leaders across the UK and globally.

Workforce

1 Breakout sessions: Series three

BeReady: An untapped opportunity? Unlocking the Growth and Skills Levy

Many trusts are looking for ways to strengthen workforce capacity without placing further pressure on already stretched budgets. This interactive session explores how the Growth and Skills Levy can support retention, talent development and inclusive provision, drawing on practical examples from trust leaders in both mainstream and special education settings. We will examine common misconceptions, practical implementation approaches and how funded development opportunities can be used to develop teaching assistants, create career progression opportunities and support staff into qualified teacher roles. Ideal for CEOs, COOs, and HR leads.

Debate

1 Breakout sessions: Series one

What leadership does education need now – and by 2036?

In the first of our three conference debate sessions, the BBC’s Education and Family Editor Branwen Jeffreys will be joined by a panel of leaders from across the sector to ask what they – and their successors – need to do help trusts continue to improve over the next 10 years. Who are the leaders of the future? How do we find and develop them?

12:20

1 Main programme

Keynote: Stewardship, culture and coherence at scale: How School Improvement holds

How can we realistically enact stewardship at scale? Danielle Lewis-Egonu will share her experience of engaging with the practical realities of human-centred stewardship. Through focusing on trust-wide culture and belonging, and supported by concrete examples and research, this session will offer guidance to those seeking alignment and coherence at the heart of school improvement.