Event ~ The MAT Growth and Merger Conference 2021

The MAT Growth and Merger Conference 2021

The MAT Growth & Merger Conference will aim to provide MAT Leaders with tangible guidance, case-studies and address challenges on how to drive growth within your trust, with also a look ahead to how mergers will play a key part in the coming years.

On April 28th 2021, Government detailed a renewed vision for all schools to be a part of a Multi-Academy Trust. Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary states: “We want to go further because strong multi-academy trusts are the best structure to enable schools and teachers to deliver consistently good outcomes for all their pupils.”

Through the next phase of the Trust Capacity Fund, the Government will release up to £24m over the 2021-22 financial year to help trusts to grow. This is to “support strong trusts, and strong schools forming trusts so that they are better able to take on underperforming schools in areas of high need.”

The rate of growth of MATs was also emphasised as a key concern by the Education Committee’s report in 2017, since then, there has been a huge shortage of information and guidance for MAT Leaders to deliver sustainable growth. Unfortunately, there is also a severe lack of advice, guidance and public information around MAT mergers.

Fast-forward 4 years and the UK now has over 1,100 Multi-Academy Trusts, ranging in size from 2-40+ schools. The majority of MATs (600+) have five or fewer schools, this provides an unparalleled opportunity for growth for the sector.

Join us at The MAT Growth and Merger Conference 2021, which will provide a timely platform for MAT leaders to listen, learn and engage with some of the UK’s leading academy trust experts in the country.

Multi-academy trusts leaders, your pass provides access to 10 live and interactive speaker presentations, online polls and workshops, live online networking + much more.

Key Subjects

Sessions delivered on the day will be topics around:

How to build and develop into an effective trust leadership team that can deliver sustainable growth.
Discussing why trust mergers are predicted to be a key vehicle of growth in the coming years.
Lessons learnt surrounding trust growth beyond a single geographical location.
Where to start with mergers? What are the benefits and challenges of going through the merging process?
How COVID has affected MAT Growth, and how to move forward post-COVID?
Centralising financial and back-office processes to increase your efficiencies as a trust.
The importance of marketing through stages of growth, facing challenges of parental and staff engagements.
What should procurement look like through onboarding new schools and merging trusts?