MATPN South West 2026 Agenda

SEND provision is one of the most complex and high-risk challenges facing senior leaders in MATs. Rising numbers of pupils with SEND, delays in EHCPs, and limited local authority capacity mean trusts increasingly need to design inclusive systems from the outset. Government policy signals a shift towards mainstream inclusion, supported by substantial investment, yet school leaders remain concerned about funding sustainability and clarity over future SEND provision. This keynote panel will explore what true inclusion looks like in practice and how trust-wide cultural and systematic shifts can be achieved. What does mainstream inclusion look like beyond rhetoric, for example: in staffing, curriculum, environment, and leadership culture? How can trusts embed inclusion across leadership, teacher development, and workforce planning amid training and workload pressures? How can trusts maintain high outcomes while expanding inclusion? What frameworks or partnerships can enable this? How should leaders balance funding realities with the ethical imperative to provide equitable education for all learners?

Our signature ‘Dragons’ Den’ session provides each solution provider with an opportunity to deliver a 60 second pitch, explaining why they are here and how their services can help tackle some of the sector’s ongoing challenges.

Collaboration between MATs remains aspirational in many areas, particularly in secondary education, where competition and growth strategies create tension. This session unpacks the challenges of partnerships, trust mergers, and inclusion coordination, exploring how to balance cooperative approaches with market realities. Leaders will share practical solutions, highlighting where regional cooperation succeeds and where it fails. When does collaboration add value for MATs, and when does competition or growth strategy get in the way?

Recent research highlights low engagement and attainment among disadvantaged pupils, particularly white, male working-class students. As trusts grapple with rising expectations and equity goals, building a strong sense of belonging and reducing disengagement are central to improving outcomes. This session will focus on strategies that foster belonging, reduce disengagement, and embed equity across schools. Leaders will share actionable examples of interventions that improve outcomes while maintaining high expectations. 

Developing a diverse and representative leadership pipeline is central to sustainable MAT growth, especially for trusts serving varied communities. Yet systematic barriers persist in recruitment, retention, and progression. Delegates will learn how trusts are nurturing inclusive leadership, overcoming systemic bias, and ensuring succession pathways reflect the communities they serve. Participants will hear practical examples of workforce planning and culture change from leaders actively transforming their trusts.

These roundtable discussions give trust leaders the chance to share real-world challenges and solutions with peers facing similar issues. Delegates will submit topics ahead of the event, which will then be used to shape each roundtable around pre-defined themes with guiding questions. Attendees will choose the table most relevant to their priorities and engage in peer-to-peer conversations on approaches, lessons learned, and strategies to apply going forward. CEOs and senior leaders will conclude by distilling the insights into an Action Manifesto: a practical set of commitments to guide leadership and decision-making over the year ahead.

As regulatory frameworks evolve, trust leaders face heightened scrutiny at trust and school level. The new Ofsted inspection approach, alongside increasing intervention and regional variation, is prompting concerns that more schools may fall below expected standards and that recovery will become a defining leadership challenge. Leaders must prepare for sustained improvement journeys and manage stretched internal capacity. This discussion will examine how MATs can navigate the shifting accountability landscape, build effective partnerships with Ofsted and regional teams, and respond decisively when inspections do not go to plan. How can leaders secure support and maintain morale during periods of intense pressure? What strategies help build productive relationships with Ofsted and regional teams? What does effective post-inspection recovery look like, and how can improvement plans be sustained? Who supports the trust when capacity is stretched?