Should you be considering joining a multi-academy trust?

Do you want to explore what this means and how trusts work?

Would you like to know more about the benefits of joining a trust?

Are you unsure about how to choose the right Trust for your school?

Are you exploring how decisions are made in Trusts?

Would you like to know more about what being in a Trust means for your governors, leaders and staff?

Evidence shows that schools, staff, pupils and their communities benefit greatly from working together in a collaborative Trust.

However, joining a Trust is a strategic, long term decision that needs navigating carefully by both school leaders and governors.

Not only that, all Trusts offer different things.

So knowing how to start, and understanding the implications of such a change for your school can seem overwhelming.

We will explore the key issues involved, using three different Trusts that serve the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire areas (Advantage; HEART and the Diocese of St Albans Multi Academy Trust) to exemplify how Trust operate, but also how they can be different.

Across the four sessions we will focus on:

Joining Trusts - An Overview - Introduced by RSC Dame Kate Dethridge.

Education visioning, support and school improvement within Trusts.

School business management within Trusts.

By the end of the sessions attendees will:

Understand the implications of academisation.

Be clear on the benefits of joining a Trust.

Have explored the myths and realities of joining a Trust.

Understand how and why Trusts operate in different ways.

Be able to identify key questions to ask Trusts prior to joining.

Understand more about the practical implications of joining a Trust.

Webinar 1: Joining Trusts – an overview – Introduced by RSC Dame
Kate Dethridge

Carole Bennett, CEO at Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust

Chris Dellar, Headteacher of Bedford Academy

Ali Brabner, Chair of Governors of Manshead CE Academy and Regional Hub Board Member of DSAMAT

Webinar 2: Education visioning, support & school improvement with trusts

Sallie Stanton, Director of Education at Advantage Schools,

Tim Blake, Principal of Bedford Free School,

Anna Crawte, School Improvement Director at HEART,

Gemma Barber, Education Director at Dioceses of St Albans MAT

Judith Apps, Headteacher of Cauldwell School

Webinar 3: School business management within Trusts

Simon Campbell, Chief Operating Officer at Advantage Schools

Jenny Hill, Chief Financial Officer at Advantage Schools

Paul Edmond, Financial Director at Heart Academies Trust

Natalie Dalvarez ,Deputy CEO: Operations Lead at Diocese of St Albans MAT

Natalie Barford, Business Lead at Diocese of St Albans MAT

Dr Ian Campbell, Chair of Advantage Schools

Leora Cruddas, CEO of Confederation of School Trusts

Stuart Lock, Chief Executive of Advantage Schools

David Morris, CEO of HEART Academies Trust

David Hoare, Chair of HEART Academies Trust

Ali Brabner, Chair of Manshead CoE Academy

Carole Bennett, CEO of Diocese of St Albans MAT

You are welcome to attend one or all of the sessions as individuals or as part of a school group. All of those registered to attend a webinar will also receive a recording of the session.

Myths and facts about MATs: a strategic overview for governors and school leaders