19 June 2025 at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre
Over the last few years, we have encountered the first signs of a wave of powerful, fast-proliferating new technology which is forcing us to rethink our approach to data collection and insight, information governance, and our software and data eco-systems. This year’s conference will bring together trust leaders in the fields of data management and school improvement along with expert providers to explore these areas of change as well as the opportunities for trusts to collaborate on how to respond. We will discuss the opportunities and risks of AI, taking into consideration the different levels of data maturity across the sector: understanding strategies that are being adopted to establish the crucial foundations, and to advance data management and governance capabilities; and sharing practical examples of good practice. We will also discuss the impact of an evolving landscape in the approach to measuring and evaluating school performance, and how trusts are responding to the broader and more widely available data sets that support the accountability and assessment of schools.
By joining this conference, you will have the opportunity to:
Hear from some of today's leading educational thinkers
Give you and your leadership team time to re-think how your trust works
Connect with colleagues from school trusts across the country
Engage with innovative providers to the school trust sector
This conference is an extension of the CST Data and insights professional community - a unique space for school trust staff to network, share, and learn, all year round. Community membership is an integral part of CST membership.
Strategy and Communications, Microsoft AI, and Co-author, The Coming Wave: AI, Power and the 21st Century's Greatest Dilemma
Michael Bhaskar works on strategy and communications at Microsoft AI. Previously, he was staff writer at Inflection AI and is a co-founder of fast-growing publishing company Canelo – he also was writer in residence at Google DeepMind. Michael is the co-author of a major book about AI and the future, the New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller ‘The Coming Wave: AI, Power and the 21st Century’s Greatest Dilemma’ with entrepreneur Mustafa Suleyman. He has also written a landmark exploration of the state of our most radical ideas, ‘Human Frontiers: The Future of Big Ideas in an Age of Small Thinking’, a prize-winning monograph, ‘The Content Machine’, an argument about why the word curation became such a buzzword, ‘Curation: The Power of Selection in a World of Excess’ and is also co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Publishing. His books have been translated into thirty languages. He has written and talked extensively about AI, technology, publishing and the future of media in many lead publications. He has worked as a digital publisher, an economics researcher, a book reviewer, a technology writer and founded several web initiatives. He is the publisher of hundreds of books, and produced a number of digital firsts including the first ebooks on the iPhone and the first choose your own adventure app. He has worked with organisations including Alphabet, Arts Council England, The Economist, New Scientist, the National Trust and the Wellcome Trust.
Chief Transformation Officer, United Learning Trust
Lauren is the Chief Transformation Officer at United Learning, the largest trust in England. She leads the trust’s work on digital strategy, data and insights, curriculum and assessment, as well as the programme of transformation projects across the organisation. Prior to this, Lauren was the Director of Standards & Performance and Director of Strategy at Ark Schools. Earlier in her career Lauren led a secondary free school to its first good from Ofsted as principal, has taught computer science and IT in a range of schools, and was a research director for a thinktank in Westminster. Lauren holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, a master’s degree in ICT in Education, she has sat on the DfE Ed Tech Advisory Board and Workload Review Panel, and is a serving Ofsted inspector. During the academic year 2024-25, Lauren is Chair of the CST Data and insights professional community.
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.
Athlete and campaigner
Sir Mo Farah CBE is a multiple Olympic, World and European Champion athlete. For many he is Britain’s greatest ever athlete having accumulated 10 global titles which includes the ‘double double’ of gold medals over 5,000m and 10,000m at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. He holds numerous European and British Records and has the World Best for the One Hour Run (21,330m).
His achievements are a far cry from his humble beginnings in Somaliland, arriving in London at the age of eight and speaking very little English. Mo grew up in West London and began running at school when spotted by his PE teacher, who saw potential in his young student.
Sir Mo is passionate about philanthropic work and is a Save the Children Ambassador and the first ever global Goodwill Ambassador of the International Organisation for Migration.
At the start of 2024 he became the National School Sport Champion for the Youth Sport Trust, embarking on ‘Mo’s Mission’ to encourage young people to be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.
Children’s Commissioner for England
Dame Rachel is a nationally recognised educator and advocate for improving the life chances of disadvantaged children. Before her appointment as Children’s Commissioner, she led two schools from failing to outstanding, before founding and leading the Inspiration Trust, a family of fourteen schools in East Anglia. The trust was twice ranked as the nation’s top group of comprehensive schools based on pupil progress at GCSE. She was made a dame in 2014 for services to education.
Dame Rachel was appointed Children’s Commissioner in 2021. In this role she has unique legislative powers, is an advocate for children across the country, and represents children’s needs across Government. In role, Dame Rachel has completed the two largest-ever surveys of children ‘The Big Ask’ with over half-a-million responses and most recently, The Big Ambition. Dame Rachel is now building on the over a million voices she has captured directly, to present young people’s ideas to politicians and policy makers about how to make their lives better.
Scientist and broadcaster
Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a scientist and broadcaster.
She is the presenter of the The Sky at Night, has fronted a number of space documentaries, and regularly appears on science and non-science programmes.
From a modest background and diagnosed with dyslexia, Maggie overcame the naysayers to study at Imperial College where she obtained her degree in Physics and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. After her studies, she toured the UK speaking to inner-city schools about what scientists do, why they do it, and how to be one with the aim of inspiring the next generation of physicists.
Since then, she has spent her career making novel, bespoke instrumentation in both the industrial and academic environments, ranging from hand-held land mine detectors to an optical subsystem for the James Webb Space Telescope. She has worked for the MoD on missile warning systems, and for aerospace giant EADS on projects to monitor the earth’s atmosphere.
Maggie is a research fellow and an Honorary Research Associate at University College London, and continues to work to engage the public with science. She was made an MBE for services to science and science education.
For details about commercial tickets, please contact conference@cstuk.org.uk.
CST members only: Full conference access including keynotes, workshops, lunch, and resources
Book your place£402 inc VAT at 20%
Non-CST member place for conference including keynotes, workshops, and lunch
Available soon£474 inc VAT at 20%
Our conference takes place at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre, a short walk from Birmingham New Street train station.
We recommend using public transport wherever possible to attend. The venue is within Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone and there may be additional fees for driving to the venue.
Birmingham Conference and Events Centre
Hill Street
Birmingham
B5 4EW
The conference takes place on 19 June 2025.
The full programme will published nearer to the event date, but delegate registration is expected to begin at around 08:30 with main programme running approximately 09:30 to 16:00.
Delegate places include full access to conference main sessions, workshops, and exhibition, plus refreshments, and lunch during the day.
Overnight accommodation is not included and delegates are responsible for their own travel arrangements.
The event programme is provisional and subject to change. Booking terms and conditions apply.
Imagery is from past events and may not reflect the 2025 programme.
Confederation of School Trusts · Registered in England & Wales, company no: 05303883 · Charity no: 1107640.
CST Professional Development Ltd · Registered in England & Wales, company no: 10354936 · VAT Registration Number 270 0880 18
Registered offices both at Suite 1, Whiteley Mill, 39 Nottingham Road, Stapleford, Nottingham, NG9 8AD.