This edition of Trust, our journal for Executive and Governance leaders, is a special conference edition. Our authors reflect on their experiences of conference and on some of the key policy issues facing us today.
Read moreWelcome to this December edition of Trust, which is the final edition of 2020. In some ways it would be nice to describe this as a bookend to what has...
Read moreIn the introduction to this edition of Trust, I want to make the case for ‘robust’ policy. Robustness can be defined as "a system’s ability to maintain...
Read moreThe Secretary of State for Education set out the Government’s ambition for every school to be part of a family of schools in a strong multi-academy Trust...
Read moreAt CST’s recent Annual Conference, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson promoted Trust Partnerships, an opportunity for schools to have an informal relationship...
Read moreGavin Williamson has a clear vision of the future of the state-funded school system and that is for every school to be part of a family of schools in a...
Read moreWith schools having welcomed all pupils back to the classroom, there is a sense of optimism as we see young people once again enjoying the benefits of...
Read more‘The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.’ Stephen Covey
Read moreThe Dasgupta Review, an independent review into The Economics of Biodiversity commissioned by the HM Treasury, was published on 2nd February 2021.
Read moreIt was my pleasure to host a panel discussion at CST’s annual conference on the issue of regulation. We were joined by an esteemed group of panellists,...
Read moreIt’s a privilege to welcome you to this latest version of Trust Journal. As you will see, once again we have another edition packed full of thoughtful...
Read moreMany in the education commentariat are talking and writing about the future of schooling in England. These arguments, situated in the context of the global...
Read moreIn his 2020 Association of School and College Leaders speech, the Secretary of State for Education set out a significant package of reforms to the teacher...
Read moreAs we near the end of this calendar year, I don’t suppose many of us will be too sad to bid 2020 farewell. It’s been a year with many challenges for...
Read moreIn the wake of the pandemic, wellbeing has become something of a buzzword. This may seem paradoxical given the circumstances seem to be shrinking the possibility...
Read moreGovernance of any organisation is hugely important; schools are no different.
Read more40 years ago, I received an A-grade for my Y5 school holiday project on "The Solar System”, which reflected my early promise as a knowledge-rich analyst...
Read moreFor trainee and early careers teachers, COVID-19 had the potential to completely upend their budding career development and aspirations. Whilst it will...
Read moreIn the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, having to divert precious staff time away from operations to deal with a personal data breach isn’t good news....
Read moreWhen we opened Reach Academy Feltham in 2012 it was with the conviction that we would deliver a life of choice and opportunity for our pupils only if we...
Read moreAs we near the end of an extraordinary academic year, I thought it might be worth reflecting on the strategic challenges that next year will bring. I think...
Read moreIt can be too easy to be critical of the fragmented, sometimes fractious state of English education and take our children’s right to universal state...
Read moreOrchard Hill College and Academy Trust (OHC&AT;) exists to support, enable and champion the talents, skills and rights of the most complex and vulnerable...
Read moreSteve Hodsman, Chair of Trustees of the Delta Academies Trust and National Leader of Governance, shares his thoughts about what makes trustees effective,...
Read moreFor those of you who were not able to attend the CST Virtual Conference last month, one of the many powerful keynote contributions was about the Tham Lung...
Read moreThis has been a year like no other for children. The sacrifices they have made are enormous, like not seeing friends and family, having to learn remotely,...
Read moreCovid-19 times have shown us more clearly than ever the importance of education and why we need to protect it. We have not only seen how hard it is when...
Read moreWith increasing pressures on budgets, and staff absences increasing due to COVID, Nick Hurn discusses how we can support our schools with an ethical staff...
Read moreAt the recent CST virtual conference, we were delighted to co-present a Masterclass session with Renaissance, one of our key suppliers. In this session,...
Read moreThere is no escaping the fact that the pandemic has caused significant disruption to the education of all of our pupils but particularly to the most vulnerable...
Read moreThis article sets out some personal thoughts in relation to possible approaches to delivering effective questioning and challenge at Trust Board meeti...
Read moreAmongst the devastating impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic were several societal shifts that many people are likely interested in maintaining. For some families,...
Read moreWith a more ‘normal’ schedule of Ofsted inspections expected to resume in the Autumn term, let’s take a bit of time to remind ourselves of key school...
Read moreWhen Hannah Woodhouse (RSC for the South West) and I joined a CST masterclass on ‘joining, merging and growing’ Academy Trusts, the discussion with...
Read moreThe landscape of inter-school collaboration is complex, encompassing a wide range of different types of collaborative activity, both formal and informal...
Read moreThe UK leaving the EU in December 2020 raised questions this year on the impact of procurement within education and concerns about new legislation to consider...
Read moreIt is wonderful to be able to write this piece as CST’s Deputy Chief Executive. My only regret is that I’m not doing so in happier times. That said,...
Read moreThis is a significant moment in the history of education in England. The policy reforms that are about to be implemented will shift the strategic picture....
Read moreLast December I was fortunate to attend a webinar delivered by the leadership coach, Mitzi Wyman, entitled ‘The Lure of the Inner Ring’. Her content...
Read moreCatch-up. It’s the term on everyone’s lips. Gaps have widened. Commentators and think tanks alike put forward competing superlatives for the scale...
Read moreIt is often said that good governance is essential to a successful organisation. Consequently, governments, regulators, policy-makers and influencers have...
Read moreThe brief to the Headteacher Standards Review Group was to develop Headteachers’ Standards for leaders of single schools. The review group, however,...
Read moreThe pandemic, and successive lockdowns, will have impacted on children and young people’s mental health in a number of significant ways. They may have...
Read moreThe Compass Partnership is a group of seven schools; six primaries and one all-through special school. As a group, we have existed since 2011 and have...
Read moreThe mental health toll of interruptions to education on children requires urgent attention. Poor mental health may manifest itself in a variety of symptoms,...
Read moreWhen the history of this period of education is written, one of the things that will certainly stand out is the response of our school system to an unparalleled...
Read moreSchool Trusts have been working tirelessly during the pandemic to support their schools and communities. But has that been appreciated by staff working...
Read moreStarting a new leadership role is an exciting challenge at any time – but how does it feel to have taken up a new CEO role during lockdown and the subsequent...
Read moreThis edition of Trust is about building the future together.
Read moreThe capacity of people to look optimistically into the future, even when the present is deeply challenging, is perhaps one of the most remarkable and uplifting...
Read moreThe Early Career Framework (ECF) provides such an opportunity for new teachers and their mentors right across the system. It addresses that most critical...
Read more‘This school is not the million bricks, but the thousand hearts who carry more dreams than the night sky has stars.’ Anonna, Year 7, January 2021 taken...
Read more“May you live in interesting times” is, allegedly, an expression embraced by the English, taken from a Chinese curse. Before the COVID-19 pandemic...
Read moreOne of the many contradictions I have experienced over the past year since Covid-19 entered our lives, is that life can simultaneously feel like it is...
Read moreGratitude has been hugely important this year. During lockdown, the Clap for Carers provided a much-needed positive moment every week. NHS rainbows dotted...
Read morePerhaps one of the worst outcomes of the pandemic will be if the hard-won gains made by schools in closing the attainment gap were to be reversed or even...
Read more“I didn’t want my future to be shaped by how little money my parents had”. Words which were spoken during a catch up with one of our trainee solicitors....
Read moreWith schools focusing on keeping their pupils and staff safe, and minimising the disruptive impacts caused by the pandemic, fraudsters are ready to take...
Read moreRisk is very much currently at the forefront of our minds as schools work tirelessly to manage the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. However managing...
Read moreBack in February this year, I was physically present at a meeting with several HR colleagues from academy trusts. We were discussing the challenge of...
Read moreWhilst COVID-19 caused us all to pause and radically changed our lives, many people rediscovered the power of being outside in nature.
Read moreThe pandemic has shown us very clearly the value of human capital - our people. Let us hope that going forward this and successive governments invest in...
Read moreMarch 20th 2020 was the date UK schools closed and sadly they were to remain closed to all their pupils for some considerable time. Whilst this dark day...
Read moreDigital technologies have been a saviour for many Trusts and their schools throughout the pandemic. With lessons over Zoom, collaboration work via Google...
Read moreLeaders in education have more than proven their worth over the past few months, especially in multi-academy trusts. They’ve rolled out sweeping changes...
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