Will Jordan
1 Series four
GAG pooling: Driving fairness, resilience, and strategic impact
With rising costs and tightening budgets, some trusts are exploring GAG pooling as a way to build financial resilience and ensure equity across their academies. In this session, trust leaders will share their respective approaches – from equalising pension rates and centralising services, to using pooled reserves to support vulnerable schools and invest in shared priorities. We’ll discuss practical insights into how it works for them, the benefits it has the potential to unlock, and how to manage the cultural and leadership challenges along the way. Whether you are considering GAG pooling or looking to refine your existing approach, this session will help you think strategically and act confidently.
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 Workshop series one
Real world ICFP: A CFO’s playbook for sustainable planning in uncertain times
This session will explore how Integrated Curriculum and Financial Planning (ICFP) supports trusts to plan confidently through uncertainty. It will share the real challenges trusts are facing, the role of ICFP in long term sustainability, and practical approaches that leaders can take. Join us for an insight into Oasis Community Learning’s ICFP journey and open Q&A that will provide a balanced mix of insight, lived experience and practical guidance