On 30th April 2024, Sadie Wiles (CFO), Lorraine Greco (OWN Trust CEO from September 2024), and Fiona Schneider (Marketing and Communications Officer) attended the Multi Academy Trust Association Mat Growth Conference 2024 in London.

Over 100 MAT leaders attended, and it was a fantastic opportunity to network with colleagues from around the country and learn more about their experiences. A series of interesting and knowledgeable speakers gave insights into preparing for and implementing plans for growth within a multi-academy trust.

Key topics discussed included:

• A trust's impact on children in terms of school improvement and life-enhancing experiences
• Aligning a Trust's vision, values, and strategy with the DfE Trust Quality Descriptors
• Identifying a Trust dividend and what a Trust stands for
• Networking internally and externally to develop powerful partnerships
• Planning capacity, capability, and scalability for growth
• Establishing growth principles 
• Ensuring that all stakeholders feel part of the trust community and that core values and identity are not lost as a trust grows
• Importance of marketing and communications to differentiate a trust and boost or sustain admissions

Sadie, Lorraine, and Fiona also attended a lunchtime roundtable discussion hosted by EPM on the subject of growth in which CEOs and colleagues were able to share their thoughts on a range of themes including politics, funding, trade unions, and stakeholder engagement.

The day offered a comprehensive overview of the MAT landscape, was full of inspiring and useful information, and provided an opportunity to build new links with other trusts. Thank you to everyone involved in organising it.