11 November 2025 at the Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre
The success of the education system hinges on adults who are well-rested, valued, supported, and championed by society. Workforce resilience and wellbeing require a positive working culture for all staff that promotes collaboration, aspiration, support and a recognition that the flourishing of adults is essential for the overall success of our schools.
This conference will explore how culture can be intentionally crafted to foster belonging and collective identity, enhanced team cohesion and, ultimately, better performance. We, as educators and leaders, are the custodians of growth and opportunity, ensuring positive experiences for those in our care.
Our aim is to cultivate environments where adults flourish, fostering opportunities for children to thrive. 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 People and culture 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.
Bestselling author of True North: A story of racism, resilience and resisting systems of denial
Sal Naseem is the former Regional Director for London at the Independent Office for Police Conduct, where he spent the best part of a decade working in the police accountability framework in England and Wales. Sal is currently Assistant Director of Insight, Policy & Strategy at Birmingham City Council, and an independent panel member at the National Fire Chiefs Council, supporting its work on culture and inclusion. Sal has worked on some of the most high profile misconduct cases featuring the Metropolitan Police Service in recent years. As the strategic lead on discrimination, his work focused on stop and search, racism, misogyny, and police culture. Sal sat on the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Police Race Action Plan Board, and the NPCC National Diversity Equality and Inclusion Board as an independent member. Sal has a law degree from the University of Glasgow and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is the winner of the national Equality Diversity and Inclusion Award from the FDA Union in 2023 and was named as one of the top 50 UK changemakers in the Diversity PowerList in 2024.
Chief Executive Officer, Education Support
Sinéad Mc Brearty is CEO at Education Support, the mental health and wellbeing charity for the education workforce across the UK. She advocates for a systemic approach to wellbeing for the education workforce, attending to the individual, the workplace and the wider policy environment. Sinéad began her career at KPMG before moving to leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector. She has worked as an organisational development consultant and a lecturer and has been a trustee at a number of charities including Kaleidoscope Trust and Groundswell. She is a currently a governor of a south London primary school.
The CST People and Culture Conference is on 11 November 2025, at the The Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre.
We recommend using public transport wherever possible to attend.
Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre
53 Edgbaston Park Road
Birmingham
B15 2RS
The conference takes place on 11 November 2025.
Delegate registration begins at 08:30 with the main programme running from 09:15 to approximately 15:45.
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.
Accommodation can be booked at the venue at preferential rates for delegates wishing to arrive the night before.
Please email reservations@edgbastonparkhotel.com or calling 0121 414 8888 (followed by option 1) and quote the promotional code: CST25.
The event programme is provisional and subject to change. Booking terms and conditions apply.
Imagery is from past events and may not reflect future programmes.
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 167-169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor, London, England, W1W 5PF