CEOs and Education Directors - Conference 2

We are pleased to invite you to our next Inspiring Leaders CEO & Education Director Conference, taking place on Thursday 15 January 2026. This event brings together trust leaders from across our partnership to share strategic insight, challenge thinking, and shape collective action in response to the opportunities and pressures currently facing the sector. 

The day will build on relevant themes effecting our partners currently and is planned as follows: 

Agenda

09:00 – 09:30 Arrival, Refreshments & Networking 

09:30 – 10:00  Welcome and Partnership Updates – James Brown will set the tone for the day, including partnership wide updates. 

10:00 – 10:30  International Learning – Summary of our agreed inquiry themes and the three-year strategic roadmap, with early reflections from trusts and details of new links overseas. 

10:30 – 11:00 Professional Break 

11:00 – 12:30 Ofsted in Practice: What Are We Learning? – A chaired panel session featuring early reflections from:  
Claire Stirland (Flying High Trust), Wes Davies (The Two Counties Trust), Janine Dix & Karen Hayes (Esteem Academy Trust) and others. We will explore how pilot and early inspections are shaping QA, inclusion, and leadership strategy. Followed by Q&A and table reflection. 

12:30 – 13:15  Lunch and Informal Networking 

13:15 – 14:05 SEND Planning: Building Collective Action – Report back from the working Inspiring Leaders steering group, thematic table discussions will take place on our key focus areas with the aim of resource sharing, local action, and identifying exemplars of effective inclusive practice. 

14:10 – 15:00 Curriculum Futures: Responding to the National Curriculum Review Findings – Summary of Becky Francis’s Curriculum Review and implications for MATs, followed by trust-led reflections and phased table discussions on curriculum leadership, inclusion, and strategic direction. 

15:00 Event Close