08:00
-
Registration Desk
09:05
-
Main Room
)
09:10
-
- Strategy & Leadership
- Finance & Sustainability
Main RoomWhat will the next three years mean for MAT finance leadership? In this keynote, Chris Kirk, Directo ...
)
09:30
-
- Finance & Sustainability
- Outcomes & Impact
Main RoomAs pupil numbers decline and financial pressures intensify, many trusts are questioning whether trad ...
)
09:55
-
Main Room
)
In September 2026, 34 multi-academy trusts switched to IMP Finance on the same day. This session shares what three waves of go-live taught us, including the one issue we got wrong and how we fixed it. We then turn to the question every trust faces: switch on 1 September or in-year? We set out the six factors that decide how an implementation goes, none of them about the software, from opening balances and audit timing to legacy access and team capacity. Expect a candid view of the risks, practical advice for your own trust, and a look at budget-led finance.
)
10:20
-
Main RoomOur 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.
11:00
-
Networking and business meetingsNetworking Area10 minute meetings with suppliers who are offering solutions most relevant to your challenges. Please check the schedule on the back of your delegate pass for your meeting timings.
12:00
-
- Strategy & Leadership
- Finance & Sustainability
Main RoomAs more MATs explore GAG pooling to address funding inequity and financial pressure, many are discov ...
)
)
12:30
-
Main Room
)
Energy costs are an ongoing pressure for organisations, but could that spend be put to better use? This presentation explores how energy-efficiency improvements can turn rising bills into long-term financial savings. Discover how LED lighting and controls, solar PV, battery storage and EV charging can reduce operating costs and unlock value across building estates. We’ll also explore how funded upgrades and Energy-as-a-Service models can overcome upfront investment barriers, helping organisations improve their buildings while protecting budgets. Through practical examples and real-world results, discover how smarter energy management can strengthen cashflow, improve resilience and support better long-term financial outcomes.
)
12:50
-
Networking lunchNetworking AreaAn opportunity to connect with your peers and suppliers to talk over the learnings from the event. Lunch is served buffet style and a range of options are available to cater for different dietary requirements.
13:45
-
- Strategy & Leadership
- Finance & Sustainability
Main RoomWith reserve levels under pressure and fewer trusts confident about future expansion, many MATs are ...
)
)
)
14:20
-
Breakout Room 1
)
Everyone is talking about AI. Far fewer are talking about what trust finance teams need in place first.
Month-end still means chasing schools, wrestling spreadsheets and debating whose numbers are right, leaving little time for the insight trustees need. With millions in public money at stake, numbers you can’t fully trust are a risk.
The order matters. One trusted version of the data. Rules running the routine: intercompany, prepayments, accruals, approvals. AI surfacing what needs your attention, while you own the decision.
We’ll show it working, and where your trust should start.
The job hasn’t changed. The way you do it has. -
Breakout Room 2
)
The question is no longer whether organisations should invest in AI, but how to do so effectively. This presentation provides a roadmap for finance leaders to harness AI as a driver of efficiency, productivity, and strategic growth. By combining robust governance with a clear focus on outcomes, it shows how AI can streamline operations, release valuable capacity, and deliver meaningful returns. The result is a compelling case for turning AI ambition into tangible organisational impact.
)
)
)
)
14:40
-
Breakout Room 1
)
School trusts are being asked to deliver more with increasingly stretched resources. How can finance become a stronger foundation for better educational outcomes? Join ION to explore how a connected approach to technology, people and processes can help trusts strengthen financial oversight, reduce administrative pressure and make more informed decisions. Drawing on our experience working with education organisations, we’ll share our perspective on what effective support looks like as trusts grow and their needs evolve. Discover how the right partnership can help your trust move forward with greater confidence, freeing up time and resources for the things that matter most. -
Breakout Room 2
)
)
15:00
-
Main Room
)
Every trust is being asked to do more with less. Yet consolidating budgets, reacting to changing assumptions and producing reports can still take hours of manual work.
In this fireside conversation, Ewan Deeley from Anago will be joined by Keith Cocks, Finance Director at WLT, to explore how a simpler, more flexible approach to budgeting and forecasting can overcome these challenges. Hear firsthand why Wandle Learning Trust decided to modernise its financial planning, what mattered when choosing a platform and how trusts can reduce manual work, improve visibility and make faster, more confident decisions.
)
)
15:20
-
Networking and business meetingsNetworking Area10 minute meetings with suppliers who are offering solutions most relevant to your challenges. Please check the schedule on the back of your delegate pass for your meeting timings.
16:15
-
- Strategy & Leadership
- Finance & Sustainability
Case study – Making money work harder: Using investment income to drive innovation across your trustMain RoomWith rising costs, uncertain funding settlements, and increasing pressure on already stretched budge ... -
- Strategy & Leadership
- Finance & Sustainability
Breakout Room 1Plenty of schools and trusts are making hard decisions right now. The difference is whether those d ... -
- Finance & Sustainability
- Operations & Service Delivery
Breakout Room 2As capital funding pressures continue to grow, MAT leaders are increasingly challenged to make diffi ...
)
)
)
16:35
-
- Strategy & Leadership
- Finance & Sustainability
- Operations & Service Delivery
Main RoomFunding pressure is real — but “there’s not enough money” can become a default narrative that masks ...
)
17:15
-
Main Room
17:20
-
Networking Area