Ed Cooper
Head of Operations, Central Region Schools Trust
Ed Cooper is the Head of Operations at Central Region Schools Trust, a 13-school trust serving communities across the West Midlands. Since joining in 2022, Ed has led its digital strategy, overseeing IT service delivery, central data operations, cyber-security, and data governance. Ed has worked in education since 2012 and has a strong track record of driving digital transformation.
Ed is passionate about harnessing technology and data to improve student outcomes and operational efficiency. His work focuses on system and process integration, strategic data use, and building high-performing, collaborative teams that deliver meaningful impact. A key area of interest for Ed is strengthening data governance in an increasingly digital and AI-driven landscape - ensuring data is secure, well-managed, and ethically used.
1 Workshop series one
Governance to support AI: Putting the safeguards in place
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, with insights from Ark Schools, Central Region Schools Trust, and Dixons Academies Trust, sharing their respective approaches to implementing effective data and AI governance.