National Governance Conference for Schools and Trusts
Governance is the force behind school success, accountability, and lasting change. Join NGA’s flagship event for a powerful day of learning, inspiration, and connection with those driving improvement across schools and trusts.Â
Keynote and guest speakers include:Â
- Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, OfstedÂ
- Catherine McKinnell MP, Minister for School StandardsÂ
- Casey Bailey, Birmingham Poet Laureate 2020–2022 and Greater Birmingham Future Face of Arts & Culture 2020Â
- Sinead McBrearty, CEO, Education SupportÂ
- Jon Howlin, CEO, The Key
Who should attend?Â
- Governors, trustees, and governance professionalsÂ
- School and trust leadersÂ
- Educators passionate about effective leadership
Why attend? Â
- Gain expert insights and practical strategies tailored to your role
- Connect with peers committed to strengthening governance across education
- Be inspired by keynotes, workshops, and discussions designed to empower you
Expert insights and strategies
Gain insights from education experts, keynotes, and workshops.
Networking Opportunities
Connect with governors, trustees, and education leaders and expand your professional network.
Practical takeaways
Gain practical strategies and resources to strengthen your governance.
Get tailored strategies and guidance for your governance role.
Programme
Registration opens and refreshments are served.
Refreshments: Pastries, fruits & hot drinks – water will also be available.
Local Associations and Governance Professionals networks will meet in the syndicate rooms.
Opening remarks by the conference compere, Casey Bailey, the headline sponsor, and NGA's Chair of trustees, Lawayne Jefferson.Â
Casey Bailey is the Birmingham Poet Laureate 2020 – 2022 and the Greater Birmingham Future Face of Arts and Culture 2020. Â
If you are interested in becoming our headline sponsor, please contact events@nga.org.uk.
Keynote panel session on being accountable to those with a stake in the organisation with Sinead McBrearty, CEO, Education Support and Jon Howlin, CEO, The Key.Â
Five workshop sessions to choose from.
- Getting the best out of your leader (for MATs)
Drawing on their extensive experience, Rosemary Lovatt and Paul Aber, NGA’s Head of Consultancy and Head of Training respectively, will explore how using the power of good governance empowers leaders to build and use the skills required for trust leadership. This session will explore how strategic governance and trust leadership are bound together in the pursuit of driving organisational success and sustainability, trust wide school improvement, civic leadership, community engagement and securing a healthy and happy workforce. - Browne Jacobson legal update
This workshop will enable delegates to stay ahead of all the critical and relevant legal changes affecting school and trust governance with expert insights from Browne Jacobson – NGA’s legal partners and leading sector legal voice. This is an essential session for governance professionals and those that want to equip themselves with the latest legal knowledge to ensure your governance practices remain compliant in today's evolving educational landscape. - Keeping pace with safeguarding in a shifting educational landscape
Addressing safeguarding can often feel like chasing a moving target. Constant changes to the challenges that our children and young people face means that governing boards must remain agile to ensure children and young people are protected effectively. This session will explore how governing boards can strengthen safeguarding oversight by setting the right culture, interrogating data, understanding safeguarding in your local context and cultivating strategic partnerships beyond their own settings. - Governing with and through rapid technological acceleration
This workshop will explore the potentially transformative power of emerging technologies on the world of education including its direct impact on governance. Assessing the tech that we need to embrace, including AI, against both responsible frameworks and intended outcomes, this workshop will help you leverage technological advancements appropriately while addressing governance implications. - Real and responsive accountability in Single Schools
In a year that has seen major consultations from both the DfE and Ofsted on accountability and its frameworks, this workshop addresses the role of governance in single schools as a primary form of accountability in the quest for better, more intelligent forms of accountability. Â Discussions will explore how the governance community can work within the accountability system, leading the way as it takes its place on the front line of driving answerability, transparency, improvement and sustainability.
Refreshments: fruits, biscuits and hot drinks.
Sir Martyn Oliver, HMCI Ofsted delivers a keynote address, followed by a Q&A session.
We will update the lunch selection on this page closer to the event. Make sure to let us know your dietary requirements when making the booking so we can ensure these are adhered to.Â
Catherine McKinnell MP presents a keynote session with Q&A.
Leading Governance Certificate Presentation.
Refreshments: fruits, biscuits and hot drinks.
Five workshop sessions to choose from.
- Good with equitable features
Class 13 believe that education can be a space of possibility, of freedom. Imagine a school system where every young person, teacher and parents’ wellbeing is prioritised, and they feel heard, supported and valued. Where exclusion is a rarity, teachers no longer count down to the next holiday, and equity becomes the foundation of every decision schools make. This vision isn’t just possible – it’s essential. And they have a plan to make it a reality.Join this session to find out how governing boards can play a pivotal role in transforming schools into equitable spaces. We’ll discuss the governance levers that can reduce exclusion, support staff retention, and ensure that equity is not an afterthought but the foundation of school leadership and strategy.
- Cybersecurity for schools
Led by NGA’s partner Secure Schools, industry experts with extensive experience in educational cyber security, this workshop will cover key areas such as understanding cyber risks, identifying vulnerabilities, and responding effectively to security breaches. Participants will gain insights into the latest trends in cyber threats, including phishing, ransomware, and data breaches and practical strategies for strengthening school security will be shared. - Driving innovation and inspiration through tiers of MAT governance
This session aims to unlock the full potential of the multi-tiered MAT governance structure. Leaning on sector insights including NGA’s own research, we ask the question – do we need to seek greater levels of innovation, or look to expose and utilise the conclusive lessons from the last 15 years of the MAT governance system. - Breaking through barriers - Redefining SEND leadership
This session will address directly the reality of today's SEND crisis head-on, through the power of transformative governance strategies that can, if done well, drive meaningful change despite the crisis around SEND support gripping the system. Learn how to develop strategic solutions that enhance SEND provision while navigating resource constraints, helping your board become powerful advocates for inclusive education. - Real and responsive accountability in MATs
In a year that has seen major consultations from both the DfE and Ofsted on accountability and its frameworks, this workshop addresses the role of governance as a primary form of accountability in MATs through the quest for better, more intelligent forms of accountability. Discussions will explore how the trust governance community can work within the accountability system, leading the way as it takes its place on the front line of driving answerability, transparency, improvement and sustainability.
Emma Balchin, NGA's Chief Executive keynote session and closing remarks of the conference.
Official opening of the drinks reception kindly sponsored by Browne Jacobson.
The drinks reception will be opened by Mark Blois of Browne Jacobson, after Casey Bailey's summary of the day. Â
This is event is £100 for non-members. If you are a member this event is FREE, please log in to fill out the member booking form. You will be contacted by our finance team shortly.
Conference speakers
Sir Martyn Oliver
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector at the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills
Sir Martyn Oliver started as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector at the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills in January 2024. He has worked in education since 1995 and in 2016, was appointed Chief Executive and Accounting Officer for OGAT.
Catherine McKinnell
Member of Parliament and Minister for School Standards, Department for Education
Catherine has been the Member of Parliament for the Newcastle North constituency since 2010. She also currently serves as the Minister for School Standards in the Department for Education.
Casey Bailey
Birmingham Poet Laureate 2020–2022 and Greater Birmingham Future Face of Arts & Culture 2020
Casey Bailey is the Birmingham Poet Laureate (2020–2022) and the Greater Birmingham Future Face of Arts and Culture 2020. His poetry collection Please Do Not Touch was published by Burning Eye in 2021. He wrote The Ballad Of The Peaky Blinders for the BBC, winning a Webby Award in 2020. He was named one of Birmingham Live’s “30 under 30” in 2018 and holds a fellowship from the University of Worcester and an honorary doctorate from Newman University (2021).
Sinéad Mc Brearty
CEO, Education Support
Sinéad Mc Brearty is CEO at Education Support, the mental health and wellbeing charity for the education workforce across the UK. She advocates for a systemic approach to wellbeing for the education workforce, attending to the individual, the workplace and the wider policy environment.
Emma Balchin
Chief Executive
Emma has over 25 years of experience in education, leadership and school improvement and in leading professional development services. Emma has also governed and chaired across maintained schools, academy trusts and local academy committees.
Sam Henson
Deputy Chief Executive
Sam oversees NGA’s policy, communications and research services, supporting NGA to achieve positive change in the policy of school governance. He is the policy lead for NGA’s work on the governance of multi academy trusts.
Charlotte Harding
Director of Professional Development
As Director of Professional Development, Charlotte overseas NGA's training and consultancy services including our leading e-learning platform, Learning Link.
Rob Peters
Director of Marketing and Communications
Rob is a marketing strategist blending expertise in IT and e-business. He leads NGA's marketing and communications directorate, overseeing marketing, web, communications, governance development, and customer service operations.
Paul Aber
Head of Training Development
Paul leads and manages NGA’s face-to-face training, e-learning and development programmes. This includes recruiting, training and managing NGA’s team of consultants and trainers. Paul has many years’ experience of governance, including in maintained schools and academy trusts.
Rosemary Lovatt
Head of Consultancy
Rosemary leads and manages NGA's consultancy services, bringing over 20 years of experience as a senior global leader in the corporate sector.
Fiona Fearon
Head of Policy and Research
Fiona Fearon leads NGA’s policy and research work, ensuring that the value and voice of governance are central to policy-making and represented in national education policy discussions.
Rani Kaur
Head of Advice
Rani oversees NGA’s Advice team and GOLDline service. She leads on the SEND and premises management policy areas and manages NGA’s work on equality, diversity and inclusion. She is co-chair of an infant and nursery school in Solihull.
Michael Barton
Head of Advocacy and External Affairs
Michael specialises in trust governance, co-ordinating NGA's work with multi-academy trusts and producing tailored resources. He also leads NGA's work in the West Midlands, working closely with the region's trusts and local authorities.
Fariha Choudhury
Senior Projects and Advocacy Officer
Fariha supports the development of NGA's policy and information outputs with a particular focus on multi academy trust governance. Alongside working at NGA, Fariha is undertaking a Masters in Education at the University of Birmingham.
Birmingham Conference and Events Centre
Hill St
Birmingham
B5 4EW
By train
Birmingham New Street Station is located just a 2 minute walk away from the venue. Moor Street station is a 10 minute walk away from the venue. Snow Hill station is a 12 minute walk away from the venue.
Parking
Britania Grand Central Station Car Park Located under New Street Station Hill Street, Queens Drive, Birmingham B5 4DQ. The discount code H4QPL5 is to be inputted at the kiosk for up to 10 hours parking at £5.50.
Event sponsors
