Collect your badge and join us in Hall 3 for refreshments and networking.
A musical performance by students from Shireland CBSO Academy’s Music Aptitude Ensemble, accompanied by professional musicians from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO). This performance showcases music developed throughout the academic year as part of the school’s unique partnership with the CBSO. Combining the academic strength of Shireland CBSO Academy with the world-class musical expertise of the orchestra, the partnership offers pupils not only performance and masterclass opportunities with top musicians, but also hands-on experience in the wider music industry, from sound engineering and logistics to events planning and management.
Opening remarks from Sir Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive, Star Academies and Chair of CST.
Chief Executive, Star Academies
Sir Hamid is Chief Executive of Star Academies. He has led the trust since its inception. Sir Hamid is passionate about the highest of ambition for children and young people from the most disadvantaged communities across the country, and this vision has guided the philosophy of the trust and his work in particular.
Sir Hamid is a member of several national and international strategic educational and policy forums. In this role, he has contributed to the development of strategies and programmes as diverse as teacher training, leadership development, community cohesion, curriculum reform and social mobility. He is committed to the development of a strong and world-class academy sector, and actively works to improve its reputation.
In recognition of his service to education, Sir Hamid was made a CBE in 2015 and awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021.
Sir Hamid is Chair of the Confederation of School Trusts.
A keynote address from Leora Cruddas CBE, Chief Executive, CST.
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.
A keynote address from Secretary of State for Education, Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP.
Secretary of State for Education
Bridget Phillipson was appointed Secretary of State for Education on 5 July 2024 and Minister for Women and Equalities on 8 July 2024.
She was elected as the Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in May 2010.
Join us in Hall 3 for refreshments and a chance to connect with colleagues and leading suppliers to the school trust sector.
Choose from a range of workshops delivered by trust leaders and sector experts. Browse our workshops.
Join us in Hall 3 for lunch, kindly sponsored by Edwin.
Choose from a range of workshops delivered by trust leaders and sector experts. Browse our workshops.
Join us in Hall 3 for refreshments and a chance to connect with colleagues and leading suppliers to the school trust sector.
Baroness Sue Campbell is celebrated for redefining the limits of what’s possible—on the field, in the boardroom, and across systems of power. Drawing on insights from her own remarkable journey from teaching PE to becoming a transformational force in British sport, Sue explores the leadership mindset and behaviours that enable individuals and organisations to flourish. With a focus on women's leadership, Sue will then speak to Dawn Haywood, Chief Executive at Windsor Academy Trust, and share powerful stories that will inspire us to be bold, values-driven change makers for the children and families in our communities.
Chair, England Netball, and former Director of Women’s Football, The FA, Former Chair of UK Sport, and Author of The Game Changer
Baroness Sue Campbell is a leading figure in the world of sports. In 2003, Sue became the Chairman of UK Sport, working in the role for two terms and overseeing the successful performance of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. In 2016, Sue was made the Head of Women’s Football for The Football Association and later made the Director of Women’s Football. In recognition of her services to sports, Sue has been appointed MBE, CBE and DBE, as well as becoming the Baroness Campbell of Loughborough in the County of Leicestershire, sitting on the crossbenches of the House of Lords.
CEO, Windsor Academy Trust
Dawn is Chief Executive Officer of Windsor Academy Trust, with 15 schools across five local authorities in priority and education investment areas across the West Midlands. Dawn became CEO in January 2022 having previously served as Deputy CEO and Education Director. Dawn sits on two DfE Priority Education Investment Area Local Partnership Boards. Dawn’s career has included her being the founder and Chief Executive of the Student Engagement Trust. She also spent 10 years at the Youth Sport Trust where she led two strands of the government’s Physical Education and School Sport Strategy for Young People. Dawn established the Youth Board for the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Many boys, and white working-class boys in particular, are not achieving their potential. Richard invites us to consider the evidence and explore what it means to make our schools truly inclusive. Richard's vision is not about doing less for women and girls - far from it. He believes that girls cannot flourish if boys are floundering, and that a world where men and boys of all backgrounds can thrive in their families and communities is possible.
Author, Of Boys and Men, Chair of the Board, Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys and President of the AIBM
Richard V. Reeves is the founding president of the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM). Before founding AIBM in 2023, Reeves was a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. While at Brookings, he focused on policies related to economic inequality, racial justice, social mobility, and boys and men.
Reeves is the author of several books, including Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters, and What to do About It and Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That is a Problem, and What to do About It.
Inspired by his own experiences as a father and policy expert, Richard founded AIBM to bring awareness to the challenges facing boys and men today and to develop evidence-based solutions.
CST's Deputy Chief Executive, Steve Rollett, reflects on the day's learnings before our drinks reception in Hall 3.
Deputy Chief Executive, CST
Steve Rollett is Deputy Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), the national organisation and sector body for school trusts in England. Before joining CST, he was Curriculum and Inspection Specialist for the Association of School and College Leaders. Steve has sat on a range of advisory bodies, including Ofsted’s curriculum advisory group. Most recently he has supported Oak National Academy and the Department for Education’s remote learning advisory group. Originally trained as a history teacher, Steve was a vice principal of one of England’s most improved secondary schools before moving into a career in education policy.
Join us in Hall 3 for a drinks reception, kindly sponsored by RM. The drinks reception will close at 18:15.
Join us in Hall 4 for our Annual Conference dinner, kindly sponsored by Magma Maths. The evening will open with a performance by students of Windsor Academy Trust. Note: The conference dinner is available only to delegates who booked a dinner package.
Join us in Hall 3 for refreshments and networking.
A keynote address from Steve Rollett, Deputy Chief Executive, CST.
Deputy Chief Executive, CST
Steve Rollett is Deputy Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), the national organisation and sector body for school trusts in England. Before joining CST, he was Curriculum and Inspection Specialist for the Association of School and College Leaders. Steve has sat on a range of advisory bodies, including Ofsted’s curriculum advisory group. Most recently he has supported Oak National Academy and the Department for Education’s remote learning advisory group. Originally trained as a history teacher, Steve was a vice principal of one of England’s most improved secondary schools before moving into a career in education policy.
A keynote address from Sir Martyn Oliver, HMCI, Ofsted.
HM Chief Inspector, Ofsted
Sir Martyn Oliver started as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector at the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills in January 2024. He has worked in education since 1995 starting as a teacher and joined Outwood Grange Academies Trust in 2009 where he became Principal of Outwood Grange Academy and then a National Leader of Education. In 2016, Sir Martyn was appointed Chief Executive and Accounting Officer for Outwood, a role he held until he started as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector. Sir Martyn has also previously held Trustee positions for the Office for Students, Education Endowment Foundation, Confederation of Schools Trusts and for the David Ross Education Trust, was a board member of the Department for Education’s Opportunity North East and has advised both the government and the DfE on a number of groups.
A keynote address from Professor Becky Francis CBE, Chair of the Curriculum and Assessment Review.
Chair of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, Department for Education
Professor Becky Francis CBE is presently leading the Government’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, seconded from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) where she has been CEO since January 2020. Before this, Becky was Director of the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), which is ranked #1 in the world for education in the international QS rankings. Her prior roles include Professor of Education and Social Justice at King’s College London and Standing Advisor to the Parliamentary Education Select Committee.
Throughout her career, Becky has sought to maximise the impact of academic research by working closely with teachers and policymakers. She has spearheaded high-profile research programmes assessing the impact of major reforms in the English school system on educational inequalities and is sought out internationally as an advisor to Governments on education policy.
Becky was the inaugural Charles Yidan Global Fellow at Harvard University. Her academic expertise and extensive publications centre on social identities and inequalities in educational contexts. She is best known for her body of research on social identities and educational attainment, including gender, race and social class.
Join us in Hall 3 for refreshments and a chance to connect with colleagues and leading suppliers to the school trust sector.
Choose from a range of workshops delivered by trust leaders and sector experts. Browse our workshops.
Join us in Hall 3 for lunch, kindly sponsored by Edwin.
Choose from a range of workshops delivered by trust leaders and sector experts. Browse our workshops.
Jaz shares her powerful journey of resilience and triumph over adversity — from surviving an abusive family home and enduring homelessness, to becoming a respected advisor on education policy and a successful comedian. Her story inspires audiences to reconnect with their sense of purpose, reflect on their personal mindset and embrace the transformative power of human connection.
CEO, Be Human First Limited
As CEO of Be Human First Limited, Jaz helps leaders who want to influence, inspire and motivate their teams with greater engagement in order to grow their businesses and leave a lifelong legacy.
Jaz combines lessons learned from a challenging and often brutal childhood with those from her rise to TV presenter, TEDx Speaker, stand-up comedian and reality TV star. Her authentic honesty and humour consistently empower people to think differently about leading themselves and others.
Closing reflections from Steve Rollett.
Deputy Chief Executive, CST
Steve Rollett is Deputy Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), the national organisation and sector body for school trusts in England. Before joining CST, he was Curriculum and Inspection Specialist for the Association of School and College Leaders. Steve has sat on a range of advisory bodies, including Ofsted’s curriculum advisory group. Most recently he has supported Oak National Academy and the Department for Education’s remote learning advisory group. Originally trained as a history teacher, Steve was a vice principal of one of England’s most improved secondary schools before moving into a career in education policy.
