Welcome remarks from CST's Finance and operations professional community Chairs: Catherine Hughes, Director of Finance/CFO, Creative Education Trust, and Ben March, Chief Finance and Operations Officer, STEP Academy Trust.
Director of Finance/CFO, Creative Education Trust
Catherine is Community Chair for CST's Finance professional community and is excited to help trust colleagues benefit from the collaboration and support provided by the community.
Catherine is passionate about providing an excellent education for children and developing strong teams to deliver a high-quality financial service for schools. An experienced chartered accountant and member of the executive team, Catherine is Chief Financial Officer for Creative Education Trust.
Chief Finance and Operations Officer, STEP Academy Trust
Ben has worked at senior positions with the public sector for many years and was part of a pilot programme for aspiring business managers run by the National College, achieving an Advanced Diploma in 2013. Ben joined STEP in 2014, and since that time has embedded a business strategy which has facilitated STEP’s growth from four schools in Croydon to 20 across London and the south east, as well as ensuring consistently strong outcomes for pupils. Currently, Ben’s remit includes oversight of the STEP Ahead Teaching School Hub, as well as all functions that support the education offer of the trust.
As part of Ben’s commitment to the education sector, he has been involved in shaping various pilots organised by the department, including the SRMA and mentoring CFO programmes. This is in addition to supporting the department on bespoke projects and undertaking trust reviews on behalf of regional directors as well as at the request of trust boards. Keen to support the sector in other ways, Ben also speaks at national conferences and has been commissioned by Ambition Institute and Fig Tree International to present on their executive programmes.
Ben is a qualified accountant and recently completed his NPQH. Ben is a Fellow of the Institute of School Business Leaders and past Trustee of the Institute.
This keynote marks the publication of the 14th Annual Kreston UK Academies Benchmarking Report 2026, based on the financial data of over 260 trusts. The lead authors of the report will discuss the benchmarks that form the financial and operational baselines in school trusts for the next wave of education reforms and highlight the key trends that indicate our sector’s health, resilience and capacity for change.
Audit Partner and Head of Academies, Bishop Fleming
With 25 years’ audit experience, Kevin has specialised in the academy sector for the past 15 years, supporting a diverse portfolio of academy trusts, including some of the largest school trusts in the country. He is particularly experienced in advising trusts in financial difficulty, working with the DfE, and guiding trusts on matters of regularity, governance and trading subsidiaries.
As one of the key authors of the Kreston Academy Benchmarking Report, Kevin brings first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. His contribution to the report is backed by his reputation as a sector expert – recognised by regulators and trusted to provide input into DfE guidance. Kevin combines deep technical expertise with a relationship-driven approach, sharing benchmarking insights to help trusts strengthen their financial sustainability and strategic decision-making.
Executive Author and Head of the Charities and Not-for-Profit Sector, Bishop Fleming LLP
David has been at the heart of the education sector for nearly 20 years, working with academy trusts since the academies act and guiding clients through conversions, MAT setups, mergers and growth. He is also Bishop Fleming’s lead partner for charities and not for profits.
David is the executive author and editor of the Kreston Academy Benchmarking Report, a role he has held since the second edition in 2014. This long-standing involvement gives him a unique, in-depth understanding of the financial trends shaping the academy sector. His work ensures the report provides relevant, evidence-based insights that trust leaders can apply to both compliance and strategic planning.
Through his benchmarking expertise and hands-on client experience, David offers practical, pragmatic advice that helps trusts and charities alike navigate the challenges of governance, financial sustainability, and long-term planning.
Audit Director and Responsible Individual, Bishop Fleming LLP
Chris has worked with the academy sector since its creation in 2010 and now leads academy operations at Bishop Fleming, overseeing training, development, and an annual programme of sector events. He has worked with more than 40 trusts, advising on growth and helping school trusts shape their strategic journey.
Chris is a contributor to the Kreston Academy Benchmarking Report, leading the data analysis that underpins its insights. Each year, he and his team sift through vast amounts of financial information to identify trends and deliver clarity, enabling trust leaders to benchmark effectively and make informed decisions.
In addition to his benchmarking work, Chris represents the profession in national forums, including the DfE’s Academy Accounts Direction working group and the counter-fraud working group, and has helped shape sector reporting through DfE good practice guides. His focus on data-driven insight ensures his benchmarking contributions are both rigorous and practical for trust leaders.
Sam will share the big picture of sector finances, cost pressures across the piece and consider what this means for the operational and strategic planning for school trusts.
Senior Fellow, Institute for Government
Sam Freedman is a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and writes regularly on politics and policy for Prospect, New Statesman, TES, FT, Guardian and Sunday Times. Sam and his father, Lawrence Freedman, co-author their popular Substack newsletter ‘Comment is Freed’ which has over 33,000 subscribers. Previously he was CEO of Education Partnerships Group, which supports governments in sub-Saharan Africa to develop education policy and was an executive director at Teach First. He worked at the Department for Education as a senior policy adviser to Michael Gove between 2010 and 2013. Sam is also a senior adviser to the education charity Ark; Vice-Chair of Ambition Institute; and a trustee of the Holocaust Educational Trust.
An overview of the need for and direction of SEND reform, exploring the tilt of funding towards mainstream inclusive schools and the implications for trusts.
Director, Isos Partnership
Natalie Parish is a founding partner at Isos Partnership, a research and advisory organisation that specialises in providing support to public sector and charitable organisations working in the fields of education and services for children and families. As a Director at Isos Partnership, Natalie Parish has led on several national research projects that have had a significant impact on policy-making and thinking, particularly in the areas of SEND and inclusion. Recent publications include "Towards an effective and sustainable approach to send in England" and "The missing piece – understanding mainstream school spending on supporting children and young people with SEND". Prior to founding Isos Partnership, Natalie worked as a senior policy officer in the Department for Education and as an assistant director in a London local authority.
Leora Cruddas puts your questions to our funding speakers.
Chief Executive, CST
Leora Cruddas is the founding Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts – the national organisation and sector body for school trusts in England. She has advised successive governments and sits on several Department for Education advisory bodies. She was recently the vice chair of the Head Teacher Standards Review Group, a member of the external advisory group for the Schools White Paper, SEND National Implementation Board and the Regulatory and Commissioning Review.
Prior to founding CST, she was Director of Policy and Public Relations for the Association of School and College Leaders. Leora has six years of experience as a director of education in two London local authorities. She is a visiting professor at UCL Institute of Education. Leora was made a CBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours.
Senior Fellow, Institute for Government
Sam Freedman is a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and writes regularly on politics and policy for Prospect, New Statesman, TES, FT, Guardian and Sunday Times. Sam and his father, Lawrence Freedman, co-author their popular Substack newsletter ‘Comment is Freed’ which has over 33,000 subscribers. Previously he was CEO of Education Partnerships Group, which supports governments in sub-Saharan Africa to develop education policy and was an executive director at Teach First. He worked at the Department for Education as a senior policy adviser to Michael Gove between 2010 and 2013. Sam is also a senior adviser to the education charity Ark; Vice-Chair of Ambition Institute; and a trustee of the Holocaust Educational Trust.
Director, Isos Partnership
Natalie Parish is a founding partner at Isos Partnership, a research and advisory organisation that specialises in providing support to public sector and charitable organisations working in the fields of education and services for children and families. As a Director at Isos Partnership, Natalie Parish has led on several national research projects that have had a significant impact on policy-making and thinking, particularly in the areas of SEND and inclusion. Recent publications include "Towards an effective and sustainable approach to send in England" and "The missing piece – understanding mainstream school spending on supporting children and young people with SEND". Prior to founding Isos Partnership, Natalie worked as a senior policy officer in the Department for Education and as an assistant director in a London local authority.
How the Regions Group are supporting trust growth and improving standards.
Director General, Regions Group, DfE
Dr Tim Coulson started his role as Director General, Regions Group at the Department for Education on 8 September 2025.
Before his appointment he was Chief Executive of Unity Schools Partnership – a trust of 40 primary, secondary and special schools.
Earlier in his career Tim served as: director of education at Essex County Council, regional schools commissioner for east of England and north east London, headteacher at William Tyndale Primary School, leader of an education action zone in Lambeth, and national director of the national numeracy strategy.
This session will explore how Integrated Curriculum and Financial Planning (ICFP) supports trusts to plan confidently through uncertainty. It will share the real challenges trusts are facing, the role of ICFP in long term sustainability, and practical approaches that leaders can take. Join us for an insight into Oasis Community Learning’s ICFP journey and open Q&A that will provide a balanced mix of insight, lived experience and practical guidance
Co-Founder, IMP Software
Will Jordan FCCA has worked with academies and multi academy trusts since the first ‘phase two’ academies opened in September 2010. As a qualified accountant and financial technology specialist, Will now works with established multi academy trusts to strengthen their financial planning and reporting processes by replacing legacy software with multi academy trust-specific, agile tools.
CFO, Oasis Community Learning
Sarah Howells is an accomplished finance executive with extensive experience in financial management, strategic planning, and operational leadership. Beginning her career in accountancy, Sarah built a strong foundation in auditing and compliance before transitioning to the education sector in 2013.
She joined Oasis Academy Hobmoor as Finance Business Manager, where she successfully managed budgets and supported long-term financial planning. Her expertise and leadership quickly led to her appointment as Oasis’s first Regional Finance Manager, overseeing financial operations across multiple academies and ensuring regulatory compliance and sustainability.
Sarah’s proven ability to deliver results and shape financial strategy earned her a place on the National Finance Leadership Team. In her current role as Chief Finance Officer, she leads the Oasis’s financial strategy, driving initiatives that enhance sustainability, optimise resources, and support educational excellence across the trust.
How do school trusts connect their catering and educational provision, and what's the business case and operating framework for making change? In this session we'll consider how school trusts can centralise the management of catering services whilst empowering local teams to perform. You'll hear the latest trends on catering insourcing and outsourcing from across the sector from The Litmus Partnership, and gain insight into Asset Education trust's decision to insource catering across its 15 primary schools to forge a deep connection between food, the curriculum and pupil well-being. A connection that gives chefs and heads agency with a central trust framework, which can save money whilst delivering a better service, and which aims to have a lasting impact on pupils for learning and for life.
Education Consultancy Director, The Litmus Partnership Ltd
Joe is Education Consultancy Director at The Litmus Partnership Ltd, a leading provider of catering and facilities management consultancy to schools and universities across the UK. He joined Litmus in 2012 and has worked extensively across all education sectors as a consultant since 2008. Before that he managed student residences in London and worked for a global facilities company.
Joe specialises in helping schools get best value from their catering and cleaning services through benchmarking, strategic reviews, tendering and performance management for many prestigious clients across the sector.
CEO, Asset Education
Jacqueline's role involves high level strategic leadership and management across all aspects of the ASSET Education's activities, ensuring the trust provides high quality education for all its pupils through the effective and efficient use of resources and people. As a system leader, Jacqueline represents the trust with a wide range of stakeholders and partners, enabling the trust to fulfil its civic responsibilities.
Effective estates leadership is fundamental to your trust's ability to provide a good education. This workshop invites estates leaders to take a holistic look at the strategic function of estates and consider both the performance data and the wider intelligence that you need for effective stewardship of your trust's assets. We will look at how you can take a long view of sustainability, education provision and sufficiency to ensure that the working and learning environments of your schools play a key role in their success.
Head of Estates & Assets, TOVE Learning Trust
Jim has worked in estates and facilities management for over 15 years in the education and commercial sector. Originally from an electrical background, Jim also has a strong background in health and safety and facilities management. He currently manages multiple sites within Tove Learning Trust, as well as running a support service for academy schools ‘EDU FM’ offering support in estates, health & safety and compliance. He is passionate about sustainability, asset management, health and safety and CAFM systems, with the focus on delivering excellent service of FM within the education environment and professionalising the industry standard in the sector.
Chief Operating Officer, Aldridge Education
Bryony is Chief Operating Officer of Aldridge Education and oversees the trust's operational activities. She is also a co-ordinator for The Trust Network, the DfE supported network for estates professionals. She has extensive experience in the education sector having been project manager and then director of corporate services for the Cabot Learning Federation, and as a consultant project manager, managing a number of academy conversion projects on behalf of the Department for Education. Bryony spent 10 years working and training as an engineer and project manager with the Ministry of Defence before moving into the education sector.
Redeveloping a school site is much more than a building project. It's a wider opportunity to rethink how the school estate can deliver more value as a community asset. This session shares the emerging and innovative thinking between a school trust and a youth centre (part of a national movement) to make the case for the design and build of new schools with purpose-built facilities for the delivery of youth services outside school hours. You'll get an insight into the vision that is driving this discussion to improve the life chances of young people, the practicalities of shared facilities design and co-location of services and take away ideas and inspiration for developing civic partnerships.
CEO, Invictus Education
Edward is the Chief Executive Officer of Invictus Education Trust. He is the former deputy chief executive of Bright Futures Educational Trust, where he oversaw governance and corporate services.
Since qualifying as a chartered certified accountant at the end of 1999, Edward has held various lead finance and corporate service executive roles in the charity, public and private sectors, where he specialised in transformational change management in education, health and social care. He has held non-executive positions in education, health and social care almost 20 years and is currently the Vice Chair of a North West based school trust.
Edward is a former national leader of governance (NLG) designated by the DFE. He has a history of carrying out corporate governance reviews including reviews of charities in parts of West Africa, South Africa and Germany as well as the UK. Edward recently stepped down as a non-executive director of an NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust in Greater Manchester where he was also the audit committee chair. He was the chair the Greater Manchester CAMHS lead provider collaborative commissioning committee January 2020 to December 2023.
He is a former non-executive director of an NHS clinical commissioning group in the North West where he was the audit committee chair, commissioning board chair and joint chair of a North West based city council’s public health and wellbeing board. He has a strong commitment to improving life chances demonstrated throughout his career with a focus on education, supporting those facing disadvantage, health and social care.
Head of Youth Work and Partnerships, The Way Youth Zone
Rebecca is a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and community transformation and has been in the youth sector for 12 years. She leads innovative projects that combine safeguarding, employability, and creativity to help young people thrive. Rebecca has pioneered dynamic safeguarding toolkits for staff and designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), tackling critical issues like exploitation and online safety in Wolverhampton and the West Midlands. As well as this, Rebecca sits on on a number of working groups looking to tackle exploitation and serious youth violence in the area.
Known for her collaborative spirit, Rebecca partners with organisations to build safe, inclusive spaces where young people can dream big and achieve more.
She is particularly passionate about how the youth sector acts as a safe third space for young people, and supports schools to provide extra-curricular activity, pastoral care and investment, the burden of which falls heavily on schools.
The finance function is evolving fast - no longer just about balancing the books, but about driving strategic decisions, shaping growth, and enabling value and growth. In this interactive session will present new research exploring the evolving role of the finance function within Trusts - from core transactional delivery to strategic enabler of value and growth. Drawing on IMP Software’s benchmarking data from trusts of varying sizes, the session will examine how financial service delivery is distributed across Trusts, the relationship between cost and value, and what defines a truly strategic finance function. Through discussion and peer reflection, leaders will consider how their function can maximise strategic impact and strengthen the overall value they bring to their Trusts.
Director, CJK Associates
When funding is neither guaranteed nor sufficient and when data is never perfect, how can trust and estates leaders take strategic action whilst dealing with the day-to-day pressures of keeping our school buildings open and safe? This interactive session explores the realities of strategic estates leadership — balancing long-term planning with the courage to act when the conditions are less than ideal. Our speakers will draw on case studies to share lessons on how effective estate strategy isn’t just about buildings and budgets — it’s about leadership, influence, and culture. We’ll debate how the most effective leaders take the long view by acting strategically, not reactively. Participants will be invited reflect on what their organisation is currently “waiting on” — and how to move from caution to confident, evidence-informed action.
Director, Tracey Field Consulting Ltd
Tracey Field is an estates consultant and author of 'Leading & Managing an Education Estate'. With a career spanning local authority, private estates, and international projects, she has managed diverse portfolios including schools, heritage sites, and complex public sector estates. Tracey now runs Tracey Field Consulting Ltd, supporting schools and trusts to strengthen estate strategy, compliance, and project delivery. Tracey is a trustee for Ascent Multi Academy Trust and a thought leader for School Business Managers UK. Her work combines hands-on experience with clear, practical guidance for education leaders.
Associate Partner, Barker Associates
Matt Isherwood is an Associate Partner at Barker following 14 years at Brooke Weston Trust as Director of Estates. He has been a long-standing and strong advocate for best practice on good estates management, energy, sustainability, and use of data-driven decision making. Matt has enormous knowledge and experience of estates management from the client side and is now working with Barker to promote this knowledge to the wider education sector.
This session is for colleagues in trusts who are curious about the why, how. and what of setting up a charity. Join us for an overview of our experience over the last 3 years, the good, the bad and what we’ve learned along the way. We’ll share why Maritime chose to set up our charity back in 2023. We will then walk you through the steps we took to set it up - in simple terms, with key learnings along the way. Then we will reflect on what we have learned from just over one year of running the registered charity and the impact that we have had so far.
COO, Maritime Academy Trust
Susan is Chief Operating Officer at Maritime Academy Trust and CEO of the new Maritime Children’s Foundation. She joined Maritime in January 2018 from the Department for Education.
Her career started in the government economics fast stream in 2001, where she served at the Department for International Development before moving to HM Treasury in 2004. She spent a decade there, culminating in leading 2012 spending review negotiations for the education team. In 2014 she moved to DfE, where she headed the implementation group, led the central capital unit through the 2015 capital settlement, and then became deputy director to the south west regional schools commissioner, overseeing over 1,000 academies. At Maritime, she leads finance, HR, estates, marketing, IT, and strategic projects. She also founded and now leads the Maritime Children’s Foundation.
CFO, Maritime Academy Trust
Louise brings extensive financial expertise to her role as CFO at Maritime. She entered the education sector in 2015 after a career in financial services, beginning as an admin assistant at Barnsole Primary School. Over the next decade, she progressed through roles including finance officer, office manager, and finance manager. When Barnsole Primary Trust merged with Maritime in 2020, Louise joined the organisation and was appointed CFO in 2021.
As CFO, she has led major developments across Maritime’s finance function, strengthening service delivery to schools and improving financial operations. She ensures schools receive high-quality financial support and strategic guidance. In 2024, Louise qualified as a Chartered Accountant, further enhancing her ability to drive financial excellence.
Under her leadership, Maritime has introduced a robust investment strategy to generate additional income and maintain strong support for schools. Louise remains committed to continuous improvement and making a positive impact across the trust.
As the growth of school trusts continues in a tight fiscal climate, many finance and operations leaders are considering the role that commercial leadership can play in their schools’ sustainability and success. Our panel will share what commercial leadership means in their trusts, reflecting on the strategies that they are taking and their learnings along the way. This discussion will give insights into the scope of commercial leadership for trusts, the risks to be mitigated, and the potential benefits and opportunities for trusts in sustaining operations and increasing impact for children and young people.
Deputy CEO, L.E.A.D Academy Trust
Bobby became Deputy Chief Executive of the L.E.A.D. Academy Trust in February 2016, after joining as Business Director in January 2013. He is responsible for strategic financial management, systems, operations, and the commercial aspects of the organisation. His background includes consultancy and senior management, where he has overseen large-scale projects, led on business transformation, and implemented effective systems to support sustainable development. He has also held senior finance roles with the Audit Commission, Derbyshire Police Authority, and several non-executive positions.
Chief Financial Officer, Truro & Penwith Academy Trust
Sam Davis is the Chief Financial Officer of the Truro and Penwith Academy Trust - a 35-school trust covering the length and breadth of Cornwall with a mix of primary and secondary schools. He has a range of experience across commercial and strategic finance, alongside hands on project and programme management delivery gained within the emergency services and NHS. Sam is a member of the Cornwall Schools Forum and sits on the Cornwall LGPS Board.
Taking a strategic approach to procurement can have a significant positive impact on your trusts' finances and support improved operations. Creating the conditions for successful procurement practice often requires a new mindset and skillset, different tools and clear governance and oversight. If you are wondering how to start building a more strategic and impactful procurement function or grappling with barriers to transforming your trust's current procurement, join up to 24 other trust leaders for our round table discussion. Led by specialists from Value Match in a format that is part clinic, part open mic, this is an opportunity to share your questions and challenges and explore practical solutions. Please note this workshop requires advance registration and has a maximum capacity of 25 participants.
CEO, Value Match
David created Value Match over 10 years ago as a specialist procurement services and consultancy company. Previously, David has held senior positions in the cabinet office, HM treasury and recently as director of procurement, sustainability and social impact at NHS SBS. Through extensive experience in ensuring procurement aligns to an organisations strategy and purpose, David believes that procurement can play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change while delivery positive social vale impact and improving broader organisational outcomes.
This session will explore how trusts can make strategic use of the apprenticeship levy to upskill teaching assistants and support staff into qualified teacher roles, while minimising costs. The levy is widely underutilised, often due to misconceptions about its relevance and complexity. This workshop will address myths surrounding the levy, share best practice, and offer a clear, operationally focused overview of how trusts can leverage the levy to create great career pathways. Attendees will hear directly from trust leaders who have used the levy to access the first TA to teacher pathway, without the need for a traditional degree. Join us to explore how integrated teaching apprenticeships can transform your workforce and talent development strategies.
CEO, The Great Schools Trust
Shane Ierston was a successful academy principal for nine years before taking up his post as CEO at the Great Schools Trust. In 2012, he became the founding Principal of King’s Leadership Academy Warrington, which was later judged outstanding under his leadership. King’s Warrington was the first academy in the trust and performs in the top four percent of state schools nationally for progress. Shane’s career spans 26 years across a range of settings, his portfolio includes school transformation and cross trust improvement work for the DfE. Shane is a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and served as an Inspector at Ofsted for six years.
Chief Operating Officer, Manor Hall Academy Trust
Kate Staples is the Chief Operating Officer of Manor Hall Academy Trust, a school trust dedicated to creating inclusive, thriving school communities where every student can succeed. Since her appointment in January 2020, she has played a central role in shaping the trust’s operational strategy and supporting its mission to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and young people.
As COO, Kate leads on all aspects of business operations, including human resources, estates, procurement, health and safety, data protection, and policy development. She works closely with schools to ensure the right systems and structures are in place, enabling staff to focus on what matters most - students.
Kate studied Performance and Visual Arts at the University of Birmingham and later completed a postgraduate qualification in Charity and Social Enterprise Management at Anglia Ruskin University.
Education Leadership Mentor, Advisor, and Public Speaker
Director of Strategic Partnerships, BeReady Group
As Head of Partnerships at Be Ready, Dan is passionate about inclusion focused staff development for education that enables organisations and individuals to flourish. He has led the provision of fully funded professional development programmes for wellbeing and SEND for over 300 school trusts and thousands of schools across the country. Dan continues to champion and demystify how school trusts can access over £4billion of apprenticeship funding available to the education sector as part of staff development and retention strategies in a challenging fiscal environment.
