Leading trusts shape the future of admissions

EdCity, London | 12 December 2025

We welcomed six pioneering multi-academy trusts to the official beta launch of MAT Management+ - marking a significant milestone in how trusts will manage admissions at scale.

Who joined us

Representatives from Learning In Harmony Trust, 5 Dimensions Trust, Leigh Academies Trust, Scholars Education Trust, ALET and Endeavour MAT came together to be the first to experience MAT Management+ in action and help shape its development.

What we unveiled

MAT Management+ gives trust leaders what they've been asking for: genuine strategic control across their entire admissions estate. The platform centres on three core pillars:

• Insights – Live visibility of admissions performance, engagement metrics and trend analysis across all schools
• Usage tracking – Understanding how well teams are following processes and meeting SLAs
• Future planning – Strategic oversight of capacity, forecasting, and estate-wide coordination

The conversations that matter

The session moved quickly from product demo to genuine strategic dialogue. MAT leaders shared their current challenges around:

• Central communication and forms: How to maintain consistency without stifling school autonomy. The group explored templates, approval workflows and the balance between standardisation and flexibility.
• Parent and Event management: Tracking conversations across schools, managing interest before applications are submitted and coordinating outreach at trust level.
• Application journey control: The mechanics of pushing updates to specific schools, locking certain form sections while allowing local edits and handling schools with legitimately different requirements.

What became clear: trusts aren't just looking for software - they're looking for operating models, benchmarks and guidance on how to structure central admissions teams effectively.

What next?

This is just the beginning; since the launch another 10 innovative MATs have joined the beta to share their valuable feedback and help shape the roadmap. Our partners will meet regularly throughout the spring and summer:

• January – First feedback session
• February – Midlands launch event - book here
• March – Second feedback session
• May – Third feedback round
• July – Final feedback before full release

Each session will refine the platform based on real-world usage, ensuring MAT Management+ solves the problems that matter most to trust leaders.

Beyond the platform

The conversations on the day reinforced something important: centralisation is about more than technology. It's about compliance, efficiency, and creating sustainable admissions operations that work for trusts managing 6, 10 or 20+ schools.

That's why we're also developing:

• Training on Admissions Code compliance
• Guidance on central admissions team structures
• Case studies of successful MAT operating models

Join the next wave

Our next beta launch event is taking place in the Midlands on 3 February 2025 at The Village Hotel, Solihull. If you're a MAT leader who'd like to see MAT Management+ in action, meet other trusts navigating centralisation, and help shape the platform's development, book here. Can't make the  event? Get in touch - we'd still love to hear from you.