CEO Summit 2026: Unlocking The Partnership Dividend: How to build place-based leadership

The CST CEO Summit provides something increasingly rare in education leadership: the time and space to step back, reflect and think deeply. Alongside insightful keynote speakers and thought-provoking discussions, the greatest value comes from connecting with colleagues across the sector, sharing challenges and learning from one another. I left inspired, reassured and better equipped for the opportunities and challenges ahead. A huge thank you to the CST team for bringing together such a high-quality event.

The perfect opportunity to pause, listen, talk, think and reflect deeply on the opportunities and challenges of more relational approach to leadership across and beyond our trusts.

I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and felt energised by a number of the presentations/conversations. I have reframed my thinking around how to tackle development priorities for my trust moving forward through a few simple reminders from some inspirational people about values and purpose, coupled with insights into some very complex issues.

The CST CEO Summit in Birmingham was a truly outstanding event. The venue and facilities were excellent, providing the perfect setting for a highly inspiring couple of days. The speakers were incredibly thoughtful and engaging, but the networking opportunities were just as valuable. It was fantastic to reconnect with old friends and forge new connections with colleagues both regionally and nationally. Most importantly, the summit challenged my thinking. It made me reflect deeply on how I can prioritise connection over transaction in my leadership going forward. It also prompted me to evaluate how place-based our trust currently is, and how we can better mobilise this in our communities. It was a thoroughly inspiring experience.