Liz Robinson
1 Series one
The 2025 MAT Financial Benchmarking Report: Exploring sector-wide trends
Discover sector-wide insights from IMP Software’s 2025 MAT Financial Benchmarking Report, published in partnership with CST. Created from the budget assumptions of 274 trusts and 3,300+ schools, this session will examine key trends in the report. IMP Software’s Chief Executive Will Jordan will also explore the varied approaches trusts are taking to navigate budget challenges over the medium and long term, including staffing ratios, GAG and reserves pooling, and special schools, with a deep dive into the size and shape of multi-academy trust finance functions.
1 Series one
Scaling voice and oracy work: A case study from Cabot Learning Federation
Fluency in speech and oracy underpins learning, confidence, and agency – but how can their development be embedded across a whole trust? Georgina Cook from Renaissance will frame the national challenge, sharing findings from their recent research. Leaders from the Cabot Learning Federation will then share how they have embedded a framework that has evolved in the last three years from 22 to 36 schools of diverse contexts, culminating in a case study from a primary Centre of Excellence. Attendees will benefit from an exploration of what works, where challenges lie, and how to sustain improvement.
1 Series one
AI governance gone wild: Lessons from mismanagement
<span data-contrast="auto">Whilst many trusts instinctively reach for policies as their first line of defence in governance, this session explores how over-prescriptive, rule-based approaches may fail for risk-aware innovation like AI. </span><span data-contrast="auto">Through a compelling pre-mortem scenario, you'll be challenged to think critically about intelligent AI adoption, emphasising the necessity of building trust and engaging stakeholders from the start. Nick and Claire will guide you through six steps towards effective AI governance to help your trust flourish instead of flounder.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span>
1 Series one
Pupil outcomes: Learning from American 'cradle to career' place-based approaches
How can trusts and their schools establish themselves as civic anchors in their communities? In this session we will learn about Strive Together’s ‘cradle to career’ model which has improved outcomes for young people across the US. With decades of experience in working with communities to apply the model, it has been adapted over time and continues to do so to meet pupil and family needs. Strive Together brings together a range of partners to address complex challenges, supported by a local team. Together we’ll explore learnings from the model and how it can be applied within trusts of all sizes.
1 Series one
Leading a culture of cybersecurity in your trust
Organisations need to be safe and secure in order to flourish and, in a year of high-profile cyber-attacks, the need to protect school and trust data has never been more critical. In this session we’ll learn about today's cybersecurity landscape and hear from a trust leader on real-world experience of managing a significant trust cyber-attack, offering candid insights and key lessons learned. You’ll leave with practical strategies to strengthen your cyber defences and protocols on tight budgets. Achieving bank-level security with school-level resources may feel like mission impossible, but it’s far from it. Where: Hall 10a