School and trust leaders make decisions every day about resources, people, systems and organisational priorities. Those decisions shape the conditions in which teaching and learning take place.
Yet many trusts are facing increasingly complex challenges:
- Are we spending too much time proving compliance and not enough time driving improvement?
- What does excellence in trust finance and operations actually look like?
- How can trusts become more resilient and future-ready?
- How do schools and trusts prepare for sustainable growth?
- How can data, technology and AI unlock better performance?
These are some of the questions the Centre for Education Operational Excellence (CEOE) will bring to the Schools & Academies Show Birmingham, taking place at the NEC on 18–19 November 2026.
CEOE exists to strengthen the operational leadership, culture, people and systems that enable educational organisations to thrive and underpin educational success.
As an official partner and sponsor of the Business & Finance Theatre, we've brought together trust leaders, governance voices and operational specialists for five conversations on 19 November, exploring some of the most pressing challenges facing the sector through the experiences of those leading change across education.
10:00–10:45
Beyond Box-Ticking: Is Accountability Driving Improvement or Holding Trusts Back?
As accountability expectations continue to evolve through trust-wide inspection, additional MAT Handbook requirements and wider system reform, trust leaders face increasing demands on their time and attention.
Chaired by Stephen Morales, Dr Robin Bevan, Rob Peters and Paula Jones will examine whether current approaches to accountability are driving meaningful improvement or creating barriers to innovation.
The discussion will explore how trusts can balance assurance with improvement, and whether leaders are spending too much time proving effectiveness and not enough time delivering it.
11:35–12:20
Measuring What Matters: Defining Excellence in Trust Finance and Operations
Luci Jones, Steve Howell, Matt McIver and Mark Bilney join chair Stephen Morales to explore one of the sector's most important questions: how do we move beyond measuring compliance and start measuring excellence?
As expectations around accountability and trust inspection evolve, the panel will discuss the characteristics, behaviours and operational practices that underpin high-performing trusts, and how leaders can recognise, measure and sustain excellence in finance and operations.
13:10–13:40
Ready to Pivot? Building the Foundations for System Change
Policy may create change, but operational readiness determines success.
In this fireside discussion, Pippa Dodgshon and Dr Carl Ward will explore whether trusts have the leadership capacity, workforce capability and organisational foundations needed for the system that is emerging.
The conversation will examine how trusts can build resilience, respond confidently to change and deliver strategic priorities without losing sight of educational outcomes.
13:55–14:25
Growth Without Strain: Testing Your Trust’s Readiness for Sustainable Growth
Growth is not a strategy. Growth is a capability.
Lana Stoyles, Gail Brown and Matt Crawford will explore how trusts can test their readiness for sustainable expansion, examining the leadership capacity, operational resilience and financial sustainability needed to support growth successfully. Challenging the assumption that bigger is always better, the discussion will focus on how boards can determine whether their organisation is truly built to grow without stretching resources, compromising performance or increasing risk.
Connected by Design: Unlocking the Power of Data Across Trust Operations
14:45–15:30
Technology alone doesn't improve organisational performance. Better decisions do.
David Wright, Lauren Thorpe and James Browning, chaired by Stephen Morales, will explore how trusts can unlock greater value from the systems they already have by improving connectivity, data quality and insight.
The session will examine how organisations can move beyond retrospective reporting to create the operational intelligence needed to release capacity, support stronger decision-making and drive continuous improvement across trust operations.
Together, these conversations explore a simple but important question: what does it take to build a high-performing, resilient and future-ready trust?
Join CEOE in the Business & Finance Theatre
Strong educational outcomes depend on strong organisations. Across five conversations, we'll examine how trusts can strengthen the operational foundations that underpin long-term success, from accountability and organisational resilience to sustainable growth and operational intelligence.
Whether you are responsible for finance, governance, people, operations or technology, join us to hear from leaders shaping the future of trust performance.
Thursday 19 November 2026
Business & Finance Theatre, NEC Birmingham
Register for the Schools & Academies Show Birmingham
Learn more about CEOE’s work with schools and trusts at ceoe.org.uk.
