This is the growth specific daytime conference hosted by MATA, the sessions throughout the day will combine keynotes and workshops from a mix of Trust leaders and industry experts, everything relating back to Growing your MAT.
This is a free to attend event, with the tickets including breakfast, refreshments and lunch.
The MAT Growth Conference 2025
Events For Education
08:00 am
30 Apr, 2025
15Hatfields Conference Centre, London SE1 8DJ
The MAT Growth Conference 2025
Events For Education
08:00 am
30 Apr, 2025
15Hatfields Conference Centre, London SE1 8DJ
Speakers
Cori Bateman
Pioneer Learning Trust
CEO
Jordan Stebbings
Education Mutual
Membership Advocate
Julie Carson
Woodland Academy Trust
Director of Education
Kays Eagle
HR Manager
Woodland Academy Trust
Martha Currie
Clinical Director
Co-Founder
Rebecca Cramer
Reach Schools
CEO
Sponsors & Partners
The programme
08:00
Registration, Breakfast & Networking, Chairs Welcoming Address
Registration, Breakfast & Networking, Chairs Welcoming Address
08:55
Chairs Opening Address
Chairs Opening Address
09:00
Growth, capacity and looking after what you already have…
Garry Ratcliffe
CEO
The Golden Thread Alliance
Balancing ambition with security. Garry Ratcliffe, CEO of The Golden Thread Alliance, a MAT of nine schools in North Kent, talks about the benefits of a larger Central Team function, with the challenges that making these decisions present. Garry will talk about the journey that Golden Thread has been on over the last few years, and the decisions he has made in order to keep the Trust secure, whilst striving for growth.
09:25
Embedding wellbeing into the heart of your Trust’s People Strategy
Jordan Stebbings
Membership Advocate
Education Mutual
In this session, Jordan Stebbings will present key findings from Education Mutual’s School Business Leader Wellbeing Index 2025, with a specific focus on Multi-Academy Trusts. This year marks the first time Education Mutual has released a MAT-focused version of the survey, following feedback and requests from member trusts.
Back in November 2024, Education Mutual opened the survey to the trust sector and MATA members, inviting contributions from SBLs within MATs, as well as MAT leaders, Trust CFOs, and COOs. Jordan will explore how the findings highlight key issues, particularly in relation to wellbeing, and reveal importance of embedding a wellbeing-focused approach into a Trust’s people strategy to address these challenges and foster staff retention, engagement, and overall staff absenteeism.
09:50
Culture and Growth
Sarah Whiteley
Deputy CEO
Horizon Academy Trust
Culture and Growth
10:15
Keynote Session
Reserved for Iplicit
10:40
Morning Networking, Refreshments & Breakout
Morning Networking, Refreshments & Breakout
11:20
AI in Trust Operations: Driving Efficiency & Innovation
Julie Carson
Director of Education
Woodland Academy Trust
Kays Eagle
Woodland Academy Trust
HR Manager
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the education sector, and our Trusts must be ready to embrace its potential. This workshop explores how AI can streamline operations, from HR and recruitment to compliance and cybersecurity.
Through hands-on demonstrations and practical discussions, participants will gain insights into real-world AI applications and develop a roadmap for integrating AI into their own Trusts. With a focus on ethical considerations and overcoming implementation challenges, this session equips leaders with the knowledge and tools to make AI work for them.
11:45
Seeing the Bigger Picture: Trust-Wide Strategies for SEN and Wellbeing
Martha Currie
Co-Founder
Clinical Director
Hosted by Mable Therapy
By the end of the session, MAT leaders will:
- Understand the value of centralised data for SEN and wellbeing across multiple schools—and how it can drive strategic planning, funding decisions, and targeted interventions.
- Explore scalable approaches to early identification and intervention that work across diverse school settings within a trust.
- Identify ways to increase consistency in SEND provision and pastoral support while still allowing schools to retain autonomy.
- See examples of how other MATs are successfully coordinating their SEN and mental health offer using digital tools and dashboards to improve outcomes and monitor impact.
- Reflect on their current approach and consider practical next steps for strengthening SEN and wellbeing systems trust-wide.
12:10
Scale your impact: finding opportunities for growth through partnerships
Rebecca Cramer
CEO
Reach Schools
The recent change in government has beckoned a shift in the landscape for trusts looking to scale their impact. With cuts to DfE capacity funding and a diminished appetite from central government to encourage schools to join trusts, opportunities for smaller trusts to extend their charitable mission through growth are increasingly scarce. Rebecca Cramer, CEO of Reach Schools, discusses how the trust is leveraging partnerships and innovation to achieve its vision of giving more young people in Hounslow and beyond a life of choice and opportunity.
12:35
Lunch Networking, Refreshments & Breakout
Lunch Networking, Refreshments & Breakout
13:15
Artificial Intelligence, Real Impact: Lessons from Singapore for UK Trusts
Nick Osborne
Chief Executive
Maritime Academy Trust
Artificial Intelligence, Real Impact: Lessons from Singapore for UK Trusts
13:40
Project management at the heart of a smooth MAT merger
Speakers:
- Sue Collins, Dep CEO (Finance), Kings Group Academies
- Geoff Walls, Dep CEO (Edu), Kings Group Academies
In 2024 a five school multi-academy trust joined King's Group Academies. This presentation will explore how effective project management and an effective communications strategy are pivotal to a harmonious merger, which has yielded an improvement in standards.
14:05
Growing from 3 to 7 schools in 12 months
Cori Bateman
CEO
Pioneer Learning Trust
In this session, Cori will be sharing what the Trust did to achieve growing from 3 schools to 7 in the space of 12 months - whilst also reflecting on the lessons learnt from this journey.
14:30
Chairs Closing Address
Chairs Closing Address
14:35
Conference Close
Conference Close
Book tickets
Ticket
Price
Quantity
Education Leader
£0.00 excl VAT
Limited places
Limited places
0
Private Sector (LIMITED)
£407.99 excl VAT
Limited places
Limited places
0
