We are grateful to our three sponsors for their generous support in making this event possible. 

John Camp, CEO of our Trust, opened the conference with a powerful keynote on Clarity and Coherence, emphasising the importance of aligned leadership and strategic focus across our schools. 

Sam Freedman, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and regular contributor to The Observer and Financial Times, provided a thought-provoking analysis of the national education landscape. Key insights included: 

• A 40% real-time rise in mainstream school costs. 

• Increased funding directed towards EHCPs, with SEND absorbing much of the spending uplift. 

• Schools facing an effective 1% funding cut per year over the next three years. 

Sam also discussed a shift from government on school improvement strategy with a focus back to support-based interventions (RISE Teams) over structural changes like Trust sponsorship. He previewed the upcoming White Paper, which is expected to address: 

• SEND reform and persistent disadvantage. 

• The rise in EHCPs—now affecting over 5.3% of children. 

• The need for a coherent policy narrative to support vulnerable groups, including white working-class boys. 

Challenges ahead include limited transformation funding (£760m), parental trust in the system, and balancing inclusion with accountability. 

James Townsend, Executive Director at The Reach Foundation, led a compelling session on Relational Trust. James, who oversees the Cradle to Career Partnership and leadership programmes for aspiring Headteachers and Trust CEOs, encouraged us to rethink our approach: 

• Prioritising relational over purely technical solutions. 

• Recognising that 90% of schools are rated good or outstanding, yet systemic issues persist. 

• Addressing the 4.2 million children living in poverty and the 1 million in destitution. 

James highlighted the importance of relationships in driving outcomes, referencing: 

• David Robinson’s Relationships Project—“relationships should be the first mile, not the extra mile.” 

• Atul Gawande’s Checklist Manifesto—simple human connection can reduce complications in surgery by 35%. 

• Professor Aldrich’s research on community resilience. 

He challenged us to build staff capacity for meaningful engagement with families and to harness relational state capacity in pursuit of shared goals. 

The conference was hugely successful; I have included some feedback below from the Headteachers. 

‘Thank you so much for organising such a fantastic few days. Was really good to see everybody and the speakers have given us lots to think about........lots of reflection in the car on the way back.’ 

‘I just wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you for organising such an inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable conference. The entire event was beautifully put together, and it was a real pleasure to be part of it. 

All of the keynote speakers were excellent in their own individual way — thought-provoking, insightful, and incredibly engaging. Their talks sparked meaningful conversations and left me with plenty to reflect on...Thank you again for all the hard work and care you clearly put into making the event such a success. It was a privilege to attend.’ 

‘I just wanted to say thank you so much for a fantastic conference over the last few days; I found it so stimulating, invigorating and nourishing for the year ahead.  I know how much work must have gone into arranging everything, so thank you for this!’ 

Thank you again Archer Building Consultancy Ltd, SES Mechanical Services Ltd and Hopkins Young Electrical Ltd for sponsoring the event.