.png)
On 9 July, we brought MAT leaders together at EDcity London for the Applicaa MAT Management+ Leaders Day. The theme was one many trusts will recognise: being asked to control more, with the same central team. More schools, falling rolls in some and growth in others, tighter compliance and a higher cost of getting it wrong, all held together by a central office that has not grown to match. The day was about how the trusts handling this well are working differently: one team, one view, one source of truth.
Some of The highlights from 9th July
Why it mattered
The pressure is not easing. Year 7 places across Inner London are forecast to fall 7.6% by 2029/30, with a further 115,000 lost nationally by 2030 (DfE, April 2026), and the NAO projects over £1bn in lost primary funding across 2027 to 2029. The trusts managing this best have one real-time view across every school - pupil numbers, admissions and compliance in one place, rather than stitched together from three systems.
The line-up
Amanda Grainger, our Director of Customer Success, opened the day on building a MAT network and Applicaa's MAT Beta programme. From there, the room heard a genuinely rich mix of trust leaders and sector experts speaking on the day:
- Catherine Hulme, Leadership Edge - rethinking leadership in MATs, moving from control to capacity-building
- Chris Jones, SMARTcurriculum - MAT curriculum and ICFP with a cross-phase focus
- Lisa Shearing, White Horse Federation - implementing Applicaa across a 30-school MAT
- Matt Stringer, The Education Showroom - how MATs are already saving millions this year
- Claire Rennison, Education South West - data analysis across the trust, and where Applicaa fits
- Scott Thorne, CSSC - sustainable approaches to wellbeing and morale across the trust
- James England, Data Protection Education - from SARs to oversight, the five data protection pressure points in MATs
- Ed Arthur, Lift Schools - capturing every Pupil Premium pound, and what it unlocks at trust level
- Daniel Neeld, Medical Tracker - healthcare and first aid management across a MAT
In their words
The response afterwards said it best. James England of Data Protection Education called it "a lovely event", adding that it was "a really fascinating group of speakers too, all willing to freely share some useful insights. Glad to have been a small part of it." The team at Data Protection Education also shared that there were "a few lightbulb moments", and that it was "great to understand the real challenges that MAT and school leaders face (plus a very good water bottle!)."
The presentations
We are pulling together a page with every presentation from the day, so you can revisit the sessions and share them with colleagues. It is coming soon - check back shortly.
Thank you
Thank you to our speakers and to every trust leader who joined us. Days like this only work because of the people in the room, and the honesty they bring. Here is to the next one.
Comments