A decade+ trusted in strategy/leadership development for education CEOs & execs. We run national CEO, COO & Education Exec Networks & the
#BeingTheCEO
programme
We've received excellent feedback this year from members of our CEO, COO and Education Executives' networks.
Value, quality, and credibility are crucial when looking to
#InvestInYourLeadership
.
Are you a
#TrustLeaders
member yet? Find out more ⬇️
Schools won’t be closed. They’ll be teaching remotely, teaching vulnerable and key workers on site, and still preparing for testing etc. Leaders & teachers everywhere will now be working harder, not closing! Let’s not use the word ‘closed’ any longer.
“We call on DfE to postpone the KS2 SATs in May, with a view to these taking place later in the term, if at all this year. We also ask for contingency plans around GCSE and A-levels to be made clear before the Easter break and abolition of league tables in 2020.” Michael Pain.
Congratulations to those designated as teaching school hubs. You now have a great opportunity & responsibility to shape the future of school leader & teacher development.
Important also to acknowledge the legacy of former teaching schools & their work over the last 10 yrs. 🙏
Quiet leadership is enough. Quiet leadership is making the difference. Doing what is possible, within your circle of influence & competence, is all you can do. Then rest, stay positive, and show others it’s OK not to be a hero. A healthy leader is a present leader.
#TrustLeaders
6 tips for CEOs
1. Get some rest!
2. Consider what you can control & what you can’t; avoid what you can’t
3. Ignore the ‘noise’
4. Focus on what’s next; the big picture
5. Stay positive &ask for help
6. Tell this to your team!
#BeingTheCEO
#TrustLeaders
“Around 150 Ofsted inspectors have offered to house vulnerable children unable to stay in foster homes because they are at risk of contracting coronavirus. The watchdog is working with local authorities to help match qualified personnel with children...” Well done
@Ofstednews
👏
A big day for Forum Strategy news
We're pleased to share that Sir Steve Lancashire
@stevereach2
will Chair the
@ForumStrategyUK
National
#TrustLeaders
CEO network from May 2022.
Sir Steve will join initially on secondment from REAch2, becoming a Forum Associate from September.
MEMBERS' RESOURCE
"We can't let ourselves off the hook because DfE says this, Ofsted says that... we need to think beyond it"
Our latest
#CEOsInConversation
features an extensive interview with
@JonnyUttley
, CEO
@TEAL_Trust
. It'll be shared (in full) with our members on Friday
Let us be amongst the first to congratulate
@LeoraCruddas
on her OBE, which reflects the commitment and service she and CST have given to the system in recent years, especially for trusts and trust leaders. Many congratulations, Leora. Well deserved!
“Today’s news on schools potentially reopening in early March is information to be aware of; nothing more, nothing less. Try to observe these developments, but not to be consumed by or fixed on them. Stay focused on what is known and what’s inside your circle of control.” MP
Many of you will not have had a proper break since Boxing Day. It’s been a demanding time.
Much of what you’ve done as CEOs & COOs is behind the scenes & without recognition. That’s leadership!
So, as you will be busy thanking your teams today, we want to say THANK YOU, to you!
“There is a moment, after all the discussion is had and advice given, when it all comes down to intuition or ‘gut’. This is the moment when leadership truly happens and decisions finally made, for good or ill. These are defining moments, and they come to all CEOs.”
#BeingTheCEO
A wonderful opportunity to celebrate a great leader. Our founder Michael Pain takes an opportunity to thank
@JayneFosterEth1
as she receives this year's
#TrustLeaders
Special Recognition Award.
Jayne was also one of the very first CEOs to take part in the
#BeingTheCEO
programme.
"I'm hearing great stuff today about how many trusts & central teams are supporting their heads during uncertain times. With little guidance, trusts are supporting one another, & drawing on central expertise -HR, estates, health & safety, tech- to support schools." Michael Pain👏
“Today we’re writing to the Department to request that the SoS pulls together a board of trust CEOs - to feedback and advise on trusts’ and schools’ needs in the coming weeks. This needs to be a representative group and not the usual suspects. Let’s draw on their expertise!.” MP
We’ve been capturing how
#TrustLeaders
are putting their trusts right at the heart of their communities, inspiring & reflecting the new narrative.
Read how
@WayneNorrie
&
@GreenwoodAcad
ensured their cross-regional trust placed the emphasis on community:
“If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.” We urge parents & carers to think carefully about whether children need to be in school. The fewer children making the journey to school, & the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk..
Nothing to see yet. We advise all
#TrustLeaders
to wait for the official announcements. 48 hours is a long time in politics right now. Please enjoy your break and avoid the noise!
#rest
#recharge
#reenergise
Our warmest wishes Sir Steve
@stevereach2
on your birthday. The original
#TrustLeader
who showed what was possible where so many thought it wasn’t. 👏🎉👏
“David has undoubtedly left a hugely positive legacy to school leaders, teachers and pupils across his city and it is only right that we mark this outstanding contribution to our education system”
@DavidHorn15
receives our Special Recognition Award 2021
Tonight sees another Education Secretary leave post. This at a time of great upheaval around policy and direction for trusts, given the white paper and uncertain changes to the schools bill. We will always advocate for more independence & consistency in our sector, less politics.
"We turn up to the opening of an envelope"
@unleashing_me
talks about the importance of knowing the community, identifying the key partnerships, finding the employees of the future, and forging the opportunities to generate social mobility.
A truly inspiring final presentation!
We're now moving to the final principle of
#ThrivingTrusts
- academy trusts at the heart of their communities
@AJRAllModCons
&
@unleashing_me
reflect on the leadership required - 'you must walk the places the children walk, see the parks, go in the shops. 'Be' in that community'
We’re excited to confirm that Steve Murrells, CEO of The Co-op Group, will be speaking at our next National
#TrustLeaders
CEO Network meeting on 17 March.
Steve will speak on ‘Being the CEO: leadership through crisis; shaping our organisations to build back better and different’
Thank you so much to everyone who attended and contributed to today's National
#TrustLeaders
Symposium 2024.
As
@sirstevelanc
said, it has been a day where we affirmed that so many answers and solutions lie in professional networks and professional generosity.
#ThrivingTrusts
“A sad outcome. Sir Kevan has demonstrated principled leadership. He’s spoken truth to power - a rare quality in the upper-echelons of our education system. Let’s hope the PM hears his authoritative & informed view & considers it; getting this right is so important.” Michael Pain
Very sorry to hear that Sir Kevan Collins has resigned from his post as Recovery Commissioner. A good man who has tried his best to convince government that our children & young people’s futures are worthy of investment
@CharteredColl
We are delighted to announce our fifth annual conference will take place this year on 29 September, with the theme: 'Redefining leadership: Being the CEO in the post-pandemic era'. Please save the date.
Bookings will open in early June.
Find out more:
We have commissioned a report into Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion amongst CEOs in the academy trust sector.
The project - announced today - will explore the current diversity of
#Trustleaders
, and scale of the challenge to ensure proper representation:
“Trusts and schools have risen to the massive challenge of full return - I don’t know any exceptions. Thousands of people gave up much of their summer, when they most needed a rest, to make this full return work. Government needs to deliver its end of the bargain on testing.” MP
This year’s National
#TrustLeaders
CEO Conference comes to an end.
What a fantastic day of inspiration and connection, as CEOs plan to guide their trusts, schools and communities with hope and optimism in this new academic year
What has been your big ‘take away’ from the day?
There’s just a few weeks now until we welcome Sir Steve Lancashire
@stevereach2
as Chair of the National
#TrustLeaders
CEO network and Forum Strategy Associate.
Sir Steve’s arrival brings in a new era for
@ForumStrategyUK
and an exciting agenda of events & support in 2022/23
A framework for MAT CEO role, as set out in
#BeingTheCEO
-2018. It’s underpinned the development of many dozens of CEOs since. No surprise new frameworks are v similar as wide research +lit review underpins this model. Read alongside ever changing governance h/book for legal bits
A CEO’s success is down to 3 things. Luck, strategy & organisational habits. CEOs must therefore spend time on what they can control -seeking contextual wisdom to make good choices (strategy) & generating the systems & culture in the organisation to deliver (habits).
#BeingTheCEO
We're delighted that
@steve_munby
will open the National
#TrustLeaders
Symposium 2024, setting the scene for a unique day of system leadership & peer to peer learning at scale
Steve will also join CEO network Chair
@sirstevelanc
& CEO
@AliceGregson3
in guiding us through the day
SAVE THE DATE!
We're pleased to confirm the third annual National
#TrustLeaders
Symposium will take place on 12 June 2024.
The theme this year will be '
#ThrivingTrusts
- By you, for you' -a huge event of collaboration & sharing of practice across our membership
More to follow!
The
@FlyingHighTrust
is a partnership of 22 schools across the East Midlands. Last year, its school improvement model was highlighted in Parliament as one of the system's most impressive. You can read our 'in-depth' case study (from 2017), here:
A big thank you to everyone who made this year's National
#TrustLeaders
Symposium possible and such a vibrant day of learning, reflection & collaboration.
We look forward to welcoming members of our National CEO network back to Nottingham in September
⬇️
A book (Outsiders) studying the 8 highest performing US CEOs found:
- All were ‘first time’ CEOs
- Only two had MBAs
- They worked out of ‘bare bones’ offices
- they rarely gave ‘keynotes’ or featured in the press
- they had a mix of humility & boldness
Food for thought!
Thank you to all our CEO members, associates, partners, and speakers who joined us at today's 7th annual National
#TrustLeaders
Conference.
It's been a day to reflect on, and to generate,
#contextualwisdom
- together, as a network of CEOs.
It is a privilege to work with you.
It's been a day of rich inputs, insights, discussion, and looking ahead with strategic intent.
What is your next step following today's National
#TrustLeaders
CEO Conference?
#ThrivingTogether
#ThrivingTrusts
Today we celebrate
@ForumStrategyUK
's tenth birthday!
Thank you to all our
#TrustLeaders
networks members, clients, partners, associates and our wonderful team for all your support over the last decade.
We're looking forward to what comes next...
Tonight is another evening where CEOs, central teams, & heads will be digesting more guidance, considering implications, and preparing to support implementation. The demands are huge, but your staff & communities will know & appreciate how hard you are working on their behalf. 🙏
We've just completed the final residential of the
#BeingTheCEO
programme with cohort 9
Thank you to all our participants and contributors, including those who joined us in the Derbyshire sunshine today. We look forward to seeing your next steps, and both you & your trusts thrive
A huge thank you to long-standing members of our National
#TrustLeaders
CEO network,
@LizAndersonz
and
@SimonTBramwell
, for their huge contributions to the education system
It was pleasure to recognise their work & legacy with this year's
#TrustLeaders
Special Recognition Awards
Thank you to the dream team who made this week’s National
#TrustLeaders
CEO Conference actually happen, in the face of hurdle after hurdle. You delivered, and then some! Never was a day of reflection, inspiration, and connection so needed - the feedback says it all. Michael 🙏🙏
Excellent to hear
@rachaelgacs
’s overview of what academy trust CEOs are prioritising and planning ahead for, taken from her report :
#BeingTheCEO
2020. Unrivalled insights for the national
#TrustLeaders
network.
You can read the report summary here:
.
@markrusselluk
, CEO
@childrensociety
returned to the National
#TrustLeaders
CEO conference this week, emphasising the scale of the challenge around young people's mental health & how things can be improved.
CS committed to working with the trust sector & CEOs.
#WeLeadAsOne
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Sarah Ray as our National CEO Networks Director
@ForumStrategyUK
Sarah is an expert in leadership programme development and a National Leader of Governance. We look forward to Sarah joining us in March.
#TrustLeaders
#BeingTheCEO
“Thank you to all who joined the National
#TrustLeaders
conference today. We were determined it went ahead now - the time was right for CEOs to reconnect, reflect & look ahead. Thanks also to the speakers & brilliant Forum team. Let’s make this the year of Purpose & People.” MP
We’re pleased to share a template academy trust CEO role job description; published & endorsed by the National Governance Association, & based on the
#BeingTheCEO
framework
We hope it’s a useful starting point alongside other resources available
#NGAConf
"Trusts are increasingly taking on more responsibility for the design & delivery of CPD, and it's essential that we help to inform them about cutting-edge and evidence-based practice"
We're delighted to welcome
@TeacherDevTrust
as a
#TrustLeaders
partner
Please share this important message far and wide. It is ESSENTIAL to the safety of children and staff in our schools in the coming weeks. This requires a national effort, which we are all responsible for
⬇️⬇️⬇️
#TrustLeaders
You should only send your child to school on Monday if you have to, because your work is critical to our COVID-19 response.
If you are able to keep your child at home, you should.
#StayHomeSaveLives
We were very proud to receive a mention at the House of Commons
@CommonsEd
Select Committee this week for our support to the trust sector, & exec leaders in particular. It is a privilege to do what we do. Thank you to all those who participate in, contribute to & support our work
Rt. Hon. Tony Blair pays tribute to Ros McMullen as she receives
@ForumStrategyUK
’s
#TrustLeaders
Special Recognition Award.
“Ros’ legacy to a generation of pupils is assured. She represents the creative, aspirational & community-focused leadership the academy system depends on“
Do not miss tonight's
#TeachingAwards
on BBC TV. Benjamin Adlard's story is nothing short of incredible and we have it on good authority that the footage tonight captures the sheer emotion, joy and fun that comes with working with children & young people.
#AmbitiousForChildren
Congratulations to
@Benjamin_Adlard
and all the Gold Award winners announced at the Pearson
#TeachingAwards
Watch the awards broadcast as Britain’s Classroom Heroes, on Sunday 28th at 6pm (7pm in Wales) on BBC2.
#ClassroomHeroes
Forum Strategy makes no apology for maintaining focus on strategy. Neither should CEOs. We’re committed to helping our CEOs anticipate & navigate trends & developments that will outlast COVID19. Young ppl have a lifetime ahead of them. Great CEOs understand strategy still matters
Good morning!
We are ready for today's National
#TrustLeaders
CEO Conference 2023.
Are you joining us? What are you looking forward to most?
It's where CEOs set their agenda
MEMBERS' RESOURCE
"Our definition of growth is to grow the positive impact we have on more lives"
Here's another clip from our latest episode of
#CEOsInConversation
- an extensive interview with
@JonnyUttley
, CEO
@TEAL_Trust
It'll be shared (in full) with our members on Friday
Look out for the first edition of
#TrustLeaders
magazine, which will be in our members’ inboxes tomorrow!
The theme is ‘academy trusts at the heart of their communities’, with thanks to
@ChilternLT
@JohnCam72037614
@WellspringAT
and others for being featured in this edition.
When you see CEOs retweeting other CEOs who they are ‘up against’ in the RSC advisory board elections, even when the others are announcing their candidacy. Now that’s class and sends a really important message 👏👏
#CollaborationWins
#TrustLeaders
#SectorCultureSetters
We're delighted Baroness Estelle Morris is to chair a number of complimentary policy roundtables for our members.
The 3 autumn roundtables will focus on
- accountability reform
- retention & recruitment, &
- curriculum;
and will seek to gather ideas for the sector & government
A time for servant leadership: academy trusts at the heart of their communities
@RosMcM
writes on how many trusts have demonstrated their value this past year - not least in ensuring headteachers have had access to expert advice & support.
Full Article:
Thank you to everyone who kept our trusts & schools open & serving their communities over the last few months. You faced the biggest test of your careers, & have risen to the challenge.
With values, positivity, generosity, ambition, & care, you proved anything is possible!
🙏
As we prepare for a new cohort of the
#BeingTheCEO
programme to begin, here are Sir Steve Lancashire’s
@stevereach2
reflections on the job & growing a trust sustainably to scale over 10 years
There’s no one more expert on MAT leadership. Video in link:
What a week!
All the team
@ForumStrategyUK
wish our
#TrustLeaders
members, their teams, and everyone in education who has worked so hard for young people and their families, a restful and enjoyable weekend.
Thank you for all you have done and continue to do. 🙏
Embarking on recovery: how one trust is putting reconnection & resilience at the heart of its plans.
In this latest article from this Summer's
#TrustLeaders
magazine,
#WellbeingSummer
,
@rachaelgacs
talks to the team
@embarkfed
. An inspiring Friday read!
We’re delighted
@AliceGregson3
is stepping up to lead Forum Strategy day to day. Her passion, commitment & expertise means she is the right person to lead us into the next phase.
⬇️
We are delighted to confirm that Alice Gregson will be joining
@ForumStrategyUK
as our Chief Operating Officer from January.
Alice’s operational roles have included overseeing Civil Service Fast Stream programmes and leadership & recruitment provision at the College of Policing.
6 tips for CEOs
1. Get some rest!
2. Consider what you can control & what you can’t; avoid what you can’t
3. Ignore the ‘noise’
4. Focus on what’s next; the big picture
5. Stay positive &ask for help
6. Tell this to your team!
#BeingTheCEO
#TrustLeaders
Super to see the
@LEOacademies
People Strategy in print today. A privilege for
@ForumStrategyUK
to have advised and supported on this, working with a trust that’s already making such headway. What a powerful opening statement ⬇️
"When CEOs exercise
#contextualwisdom
, the impact on children, staff and communities can be profound"
Our CEO,
@AliceGregson3
has given her keynote speech to this year's National
#TrustLeaders
CEO Conference
You can read the full text of the speech here:
“A trust’s size is not its quality. In my view, growth should be a much deeper concept than a space race to bigger numbers. Its meaning should be defined in partnership with communities & be about quality of solutions for young people & staff, not simply quantity of schools.” MP
"It’s time for CEOs & boards to reconceptualise what we mean by trust ‘growth’"
Michael Pain on why talking about trust growth simply in terms of 'more schools' won't cut it in a post-pandemic world. Time to work with communities to redefine 'growth':
Thank you to
@RealGeoffBarton
and
@PaulWhiteman6
for their advocacy on behalf of school leadership professionals over the last 24 hours. Timely, honest and much needed. You are terrific representatives of your profession.
'Children's wellbeing is about feeling safe, having hope for the future, and knowing that they're loved. Together we can make sure that children are heard, and are provided with the basic foundations to achieve wellbeing in their lives' - Mark Russell
#TrustLeaders
Our warmest congratulations to National
#TrustLeaders
CEO network members
@KarenBramwell
and
@RivermeadCEO
on receiving their OBEs in the Kings' Birthday Honours.
This recognition of your services to education is thoroughly deserved.
"Our language is not incidental. It must be intentional. An opportunity to be ambitious and inclusive. The language of 'thriving' means something individually and collectively"
@AliceGregson3
opens the National
#TrustLeaders
Symposium, considering the language of
#ThrivingTrusts
Michael Pain and Leora Cruddas
@LeoraCruddas
are presenting this morning to CEOs / CSELs from across the country.
Both in agreement we should be talking about trusts, ‘not the ugly term: MAT’. Trust is a word that matters & communities can relate to it better than an acronym.
6 big themes for
#CEOs
to bear in mind in the coming months
- Workforce & people ✅
- Leadership capacity ✅
- Technology ✅
- Less looking upwards, more looking outwards ✅
- Sustainability ✅
- Staying in the circle of control ⬇️
#BeingTheCEO
We'd like to wish our followers, members, and
#BeingTheCEO
participants a happy & restful Christmas. Our final briefings of 2020 will be with members tomorrow.
We close our feed this year with a message from our Founder, Michael Pain, to all
#TrustLeaders
.
See you in 2021!
Thank you to
@ChilternLT
for hosting a brilliant day for some of our current
#BeingTheCEO
cohort. The study visit was focused on pillar 4 of the framework - 'enabling improvement at scale'.
Professional learning at its best!
Today’s National
#TrustLeaders
CEO Network is closed by Sir Tim Brighouse who reflects on the importance of optimism, hope, collaboration & ambition in leadership at this time.
Leaders must have unwarranted optimism, regard crisis & complexity as the norm, & find gaps in hedges!
“We not only need to ensure our people survive this situation & it’s collateral, but that they thrive.”
Our Founder, Michael Pain, has just given his annual keynote to the National
#TrustLeaders
Conference.
You can now read the speech in full, here:
Relive that incredibly powerful opening statement to today's National
#TrustLeaders
Conference.
"Purpose drives people. People drive purpose. Let's reconnect."
Thank you
@yusuf_yousuf
Today we hosted a
#TrustLeaders
roundtable on the cost pressures crisis. It was a supportive dialogue where CEOs & other trust leaders shared their challenges, experience & shared ideas and support. They also made recommendations
The key headlines were as follows:
Thread 🧵 1/
Take a read! 📖
"The number of academies in your trust, in itself, is not a measure of success. It’s really important that growth is clearly defined and understood by all, including the board"
A powerful interview with
@mickkay_
via our members' website:
A key element to the success of any CEO is the PA or executive assistant. In 2019/20, we're delighted to be working with
@EPAA_UK
to support our CEO members, considering what makes a really effective CEO/PA relationship and how CEOs can best invest in it for success
#TrustLeaders
"You can't be what you can't see."
What an honour it was to welcome
@saeedatcha
back to open the National
#TrustLeaders
CEO Conference, where he set out the context for young people
The full clip of Saeed's presentation will be shared with our members next week.
#WeLeadAsOne
What does it mean to be a
#systemleader
?
As our work in this area deepens this term, we asked
@DrHeery
what system leadership means to him.
We're looking forward to sharing Paul's full
#CEOsInConversation
interview with all our members next week.
SUMMARY:
What did CEOs discuss at the first CEO Strategy Group (pupil & staff wellbeing) on Tuesday? You can read the full summary by group Chair
@grwonline
here, with links & references to key documents from
@childrensociety
@SchoolsAdvisory
@NGAEmmaK
Today our
#TrustLeaders
Wellbeing Group with
@SchoolsAdvisory
met for the first time.
CEOs had the opportunity to share their concerns & approaches to supporting the workforce through
#COVID19
, as well as feeding back to
@educationgovuk
.
Full report:
“Having spoken with dozens of CEOs & senior education leaders over the last few days, I am all too aware how exhausting and draining this situation continues to be. Many are facing unprecedented uncertainty & stress. Ask for help and please talk. Free help below ⬇️” Michael Pain
Ahead of today’s National
#TrustLeaders
CEO Conference, we publish the first national research into equality, diversity and inclusion amongst Academy Trust CEOs. The report contains key findings & recommendations for the sector
Read it here:
#WeLeadAsOne
Let’s end the day by reliving that magical moment at the end of today’s National
#TrustLeaders
CEO conference. The standing ovation for
@sallybecker121
. As Maggie Farrar said, rarely do we see this at education conferences. Reflects how moving and impactful a speech it was. 👏
Tomorrow, we're at
@EmbarkFed
with
@CrawfordMatt77
& his team for the
#BeingTheCEO
Programme Study Visit 2023
We've been able to visit some fabulous trusts &
#trustleaders
over the years, & look forward to reflecting again on the '7 pillars of improvement at scale' - in practice