Browse the programme for our Data and Insights Conference 2025 – hear from sector experts, trust practitioners, and providers and partners across our main programme and workshops.
Programme details are subject to change.
Opening remarks from Lauren Thorpe, Chief Transformation Officer, United Learning Trust and Chair of CST Data and insights professional community and Steve Rollett, Deputy Chief Executive, CST.
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.
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.
Michael Bhaskar, Strategy and Communication, Microsoft AI, and Co-author, The Coming Wave: AI, Power and Our Future in conversation with Lauren Thorpe, Chief Transformation Officer, United Learning Trust.
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.
Guided networking discussion co-facilitated by Lauren Thorpe and Jonny Wathen, TransforMATive.
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.
CIO and Founding Director, TransforMATive
An experienced multi academy trust executive, Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Data Protection Officer (DPO) who has successfully delivered a trust-wide digital transformation in a large, complex and rapidly growing trust.
Jonny has completed an Executive MBA programme achieving Chartered Manager status via the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). His innovative applied research project explored the potential for digital transformation through business model innovation within multi academy trusts.
As an active CIO Net member, Jonny networks with ambitious digital leaders and businesses from across the globe. A recognised thought leader on digital transformation, Jonny also speaks at conferences and shares insights via roundtables and panel discussions both within and beyond the education sector. As a former teacher and head of learning, Jonny has a passion for technology enhanced learning approaches. He has contributed to a range of further and higher education digital projects including an online massive online open course (MOOC), ‘Blended Learning Essentials’, in collaboration with UCL and the University of Leeds. Other projects included contributing to programmes such as the Technology Exemplar Network (BECTA), MoleNet (LSN), Regional Sustainability Event and Resource Utilisation Network (LSIS).
Choose from a selection of workshops led by trust leaders and sector experts, exploring how school trusts are strengthening data and AI governance, building internal capability through innovative approaches, and improving data quality to support effective, ethical decision-making.
Keynote address from Lorna Howarth, Deputy Director School Accountability, Schools Group, Department for Education.
Deputy Director School Accountability, Schools Group, Department for Education
Keynote address from Alex Jones, Director of Insights and Research, Ofsted.
Director, Insights and Research, Ofsted
Alex Jones was appointed as Ofsted’s Director, Insights and Research in March 2022. He was previously Head of Evidence and Transformation at 10 Downing Street from 2020 to 2022, following 10 years working at the Department for International Development in roles in the UK, Asia, and Africa. Before that Alex worked across a number roles in central and local government, including for Devon Social Services, supporting children and young adults with disabilities to live independently.
Guided networking discussion co-facilitated by Steve Rollett, Deputy Chief Executive, CST, and Lauren Thorpe.
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.
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.
Choose from a range of insightful workshops led by trust leaders and sector experts. Topics include harnessing AI and expanded datasets to strengthen trust-level decision-making, unlocking the potential of school data to inform teacher development and policy, and navigating the evolving landscape of progress measures through collaborative discussion and contextual insight.
This interactive session invites delegates to share common frustrations and recurring challenges they face in their work. Whether it’s unclear strategy, siloed systems, or pressure to deliver insights without sufficient support, no topic is off the table. Contribute your own experiences or listen in as peers identify the issues that they would consign to Room 101.
Data and information governance is more critical than ever to ensure that individuals’ data is protected, and that data is used ethically and responsibly, by people and, increasingly, by AI. This panel explores best practice policies and processes that trusts should have in place, alongside case studies from Dixons Academies Trust and Ark Schools, sharing their respective approaches to implementing effective data and AI governance.
Legal Director, Browne Jacobson LLP
Claire is a legal director at Browne Jacobson LLP, specialising in data protection, AI, information governance, and freedom of information for education clients. Her extensive experience leading a data protection officer service as well as experience working as a school business manager and as a local academy board governor equips her with a profound understanding of school challenges. Claire received the European Picasso 'Champion' Award for her ability to support and promote a positive information governance culture within schools, and the important work done by school staff to protect children's personal data. Claire is also a co-author of the IRMS Records Management Toolkit for Schools and Academies and is known for her effective public speaking and advocacy for data protection importance in education. Additionally, Claire's expertise extends to AI governance and EdTech. This experience and knowledge makes her an invaluable resource for educational institutions.
School and College Trust Leader, Dixons Academies Trust
Robyn Ellis joined Dixons Academies Trust in March 2022, to lead on Dixons OpenSource, onsite, insight and external partnerships. Robyn now looks after communications, projects and the office of the school and college trust leaders.
Prior to working at Dixons, Robyn was the global head of leadership development and manager enablement for Booking.com, a leading digital travel company. She has held a number of roles in change, communications, programme management, strategy, talent development and leadership.
Robyn started her career in education, consistently working with leaders in schools in the most challenged areas and is deeply committed to our mission of challenging educational and social disadvantage in the north of England.
Head of IT and Data, Central Region Schools Trust
There is a scarcity of data capability in the schools sector, but trust leaders are exploring innovative initiatives to close this gap and develop data expertise. The panel will discuss how the Open Education AI platform and community of practice, alongside new models for data apprenticeships, are rapidly increasing data capability across three trusts: Greenwood Academies Trust, Beckfoot Trust and Discovery Schools Trust.
Founder and CEO, Open Education AI
As data professional and PhD candidate in the field of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Education, Matthew has helped education institutions leverage value from their investments in technology over many years. Through his work with Microsoft in the UK and internationally, Matthew understands that schooling systems are often data rich but information poor. Matthew has founded companies specifically addressing how technology can support more effective decision making at all levels to improve outcomes, but also importantly in today’s economic climate to be able to ‘do more, with less’.
Matthew is currently Founder and CEO of Open Education AI, a not for profit community interest company supporting all education organisations across the public and private sectors in the UK and internationally. As a Microsoft Partner he has led engagements with Education Ministries in Malta, Russia and Kazakhstan, has been a Local Leader of Governance and Chair in Surrey and has a prior background of 25 years in technology applications and consulting in Europe and the US.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Greenwood Academies Trust
Graham has spent the past 30 years working across a number of large public sector bodies and organisations in senior management and director positions, the past 20 of these being within the childrens’ services and education sectors.
He has led large unitary authorities’ planning and implementation of 100’s of million pounds of revenue and capital budgets and programmes. As a Director in Children’s Services, he ran a £250 million Building Schools for the Future Programme, developing strategy and delivering a once in a generation programme of change. He has led large teams, having authority-wide responsibility for school reorganisations, estates, health and safety, admissions and professional and operational services to over 120 schools.
Head of Data and Systems, Beckfoot Trust
Chris Burland is Head of Data and Systems for Beckfoot Trust, a 10 school multi academy trust based in Bradford. Chris works in the central team supporting schools and operational teams with data analysis and management of information systems. Chris has worked for Beckfoot Trust since 2006 in a variety of teaching and operational support roles giving him a breadth of experience and a real understanding of what it takes to make a difference to young people and support our mission of creating remarkable schools where no child is left behind.
PedTech Lead, Discovery Schools Trust
Jo Stone is the PedTech Lead at Discovery Schools Trust, where she has been a dedicated member since 2011. Throughout her career, Jo has held various roles including class teacher, KS1 and KS2 phase leader, assistant headteacher, and headteacher. A few years ago she was the lead for the DfE EdTech demonstrator programme for the trust, where Jo supported schools nationally. Her current role embraces pedagogy, EdTech, and AI, enabling her to support all the schools within the trust as well as other schools and school trusts on their PedTech journey. Jo is also a mentor, coach, digital trainer, and speaker at conferences such as BETT. She holds numerous qualifications including NPQSL, NPQH, Microsoft Certified Coach, Microsoft Certified Educator, MIEE, and is a Microsoft Showcase Fellow. Through this role, Jo aims to create limitless learning opportunities for all.
This session explores the hows and whys of high-quality data for effective predictive and prescriptive analytics in school trusts. We’ll identify which datasets require the most rigorous quality standards and discuss practical steps to improve data accuracy and reliability across trust systems. With a focus on the principle of “junk in, junk out,” attendees will gain insights into building a stronger foundation for data-driven decision-making.
Director & Education Consultant, SMID Report
Anthony McBride is a seasoned education consultant at SMID Report, specialising in data-driven strategies for academic institutions and educational policy development. With over a decade of experience in the education sector, Anthony has guided schools and trusts in leveraging analytics to improve student outcomes and operational efficiency. His work bridges the gap between complex data systems and practical, actionable insights for educators and decision-makers. At the intersection of education and data science, he is committed to fostering innovation and informed policy through clear, impactful analysis.
Director & Education Consultant, SMID Report
Steve Howse is a visionary leader in data analytics and artificial intelligence, serving as CEO and Founder of SMID Report and CEO of Verbilly. He and his team launched SMID Report in 2015, delivering reporting tools that empower educators with actionable insights. Early in his career, he applied advanced analytics to large datasets, quickly earning a reputation for developing innovative, data-driven solutions. Alongside SMID Report, he co-founded ventures including Myphizz, Edcover and Baselinetests, each addressing diverse educational challenges and improving outcomes.
Driven by a passion for reducing teacher workload, Steve co-founded Verbilly, an AI-powered verbal feedback platform that uses voice recognition to streamline student feedback. Under his leadership, both companies formed strategic partnerships with educational trusts and earned acclaim for their positive impact on school performance and staff well-being. Howse remains dedicated to harnessing AI and analytics to transform data into meaningful results for learners and educators alike today.
Head of Data and Insight, United Learning Trust
Director of Technology & Insights, Archway Learning Trust
Ben Dobbs is the Director of Technology and Insights at Archway Learning Trust. After a decade teaching mathematics, he transitioned into a leadership role where data drives impact. Recognising that Archway was rich in data but faced challenges in harnessing it at scale, Ben spearheaded the development of a comprehensive data warehouse and reporting suite. This innovation simplified data collation and automated the analysis, enabling leaders to focus on transforming insights into improved student outcomes. As a result, visible transparent data has spurred robust conversations around the validity of our data, setting Archway on a journey towards a standardised curriculum and assessment approach that benefits all students.
This session will explore how expanding and enhancing data sets can deepen the insights available to trusts, leading to more informed decision making and action, and leveraging AI to unlock new perspectives. Two trusts that are making great strides in this work will present their experiences, sharing their approaches to integrating new data sources and AI tools into their practice. Workshop speakers to be confirmed.
CEO and Co-founder, Arbor Education
James is the CEO and co-founder of Arbor Education, a cloud-based management information system for schools and trusts.
Head of Data, Harbour Learning Trust
Tom Walch is a Senior Data & Delivery Lead and Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP®), contracted as Head of Data at Harbour Learning Trust. He leads major transformation projects focused on improving data visibility, governance, and learner outcomes across the education sector.
Tom brings broad experience from both public and private sectors, including strategic roles at British Gas and Apple. With a background in operational analytics, cloud infrastructure, and BI platform delivery, he specialises in turning complex data challenges into clear, actionable insights. Passionate about education, Tom uses data to inform decisions, and to ultimately empower people through data by combining technical expertise with a strong belief in the power of great storytelling.
Join us for this thought-provoking space for attendees to share insights and practice on key areas of the complex and evolving landscape for school and trust level data. We will discuss the current progress measure gaps within trusts, effectively complementing the new DfE and Ofsted measures, and the importance of contextualising data for valid assessment.
Head of Partnerships, FFT
Which teaching practices have the greatest impact on pupil outcomes? By analysing data already held by trusts, NIoT’s ground-breaking project, the Teacher-Education Dataset (TED), aims to inform classroom practice, enhance teacher development, and shape evidence-based policy. During the session we will share our approach to building the TED, as well as early research findings. We will then explore how trust leaders might apply these insights in their contexts. Attendees will be invited to reflect on how their own trusts might engage with TED and contribute to sector-wide improvement. Join us to understand the infrastructure required to support this work and discover actionable insights to drive positive change across your trust.
Executive Director of Research and Best Practice, National Institute of Teaching
Calum is the Executive Director for Research and Best Practice. He joined the National Institute of Teaching from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he focused on evaluations of complex interventions in health, disability-inclusion, and education. Calum also spent a year at the Education Endowment Foundation and remains a member of its Evaluation Advisory Group.
Director of Data, National Institute of Teaching
Shaun joined the National Institute of Teaching in 2023 as the Director of Data. He has more than 15 years of experience in the education sector, working with primary, secondary and multi-academy trusts to improve their data quality, analysis and reporting. He has also advised and supported numerous schools and trusts on how to develop and implement effective information governance policies and practices. Shaun is passionate about using data to enhance teaching and learning outcomes, and to drive evidence based innovation and excellence in the education system.
Head of Data and Information, Trinity Multi-Academy Trust
James has worked for Trinity Multi Academy Trust since 2011. His current role involves overseeing the progression of data systems throughout the trust and supporting colleagues within the 11 schools to develop and consume data in a useful way. Prior to his central trust role, James was a school data manager for nearly 10 years. After graduating from the University of Sheffield, James worked in intelligence and research roles before moving into the education sector.
National Lead of Research and Best Practice, Oasis Community Learning
Sara-Jayne is the National Lead of Research and Best Practice for Oasis Community Learning. Prior to that she was principal of a large primary school in Manchester and has also held a variety of school leadership roles in Birmingham and London. Sara-Jayne believes passionately that well translated research and evidence based approaches can transform teacher and leadership practices and in turn student outcomes, especially for our most vulnerable pupils.
