Last week, CEO Kate Brunt and Director of Finance Susanna Taylor were invited to join a Roundtable event with Baroness Barran, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System.

 

The virtual roundtable discussion on trust financial operating models, was an opportunity for invited trusts to inform the government on ways in which strong trusts create efficiencies/savings which can be reinvested in pupil outcomes. Input and findings from the roundtable event will help shape how government work with the education sector and support other trusts.

 

Kate and Susanna gave a presentation on ‘efficiencies made and how these have benefitted pupils. Their case study demonstrated a 36% saving on non-educational spend per pupil, for schools joining the MAT. This efficiency saving was achieved through the centralisation of core functions, removing duplication and collective purchasing.

 

This saving has been reinvested in the purchasing of digital technology, developing the curriculum and purchasing resources to support the enhanced curriculum delivery.

 

Later in the week, Kate was again presenting at a national event, alongside Baroness Barran, this time on trust governance and the proposed new governance structure.

 

The two-day conference: Academy Governance Summit: Dynamic governance in policy and practice organised by the Chartered Governance Institute was attended by governance professionals in trusts and aimed to explore dynamic governance.

 

Nationally, multi-academy trusts are recognising that trust governance needs to evolve as trusts develop and grow and many are now looking to implement new governance structures. Rivers is committed to being a leader and champion of innovative and sector-leading governance practice. 

 

 

Sharing our ‘inspiring’ curriculum

 

In another recent opportunity to present to prominent education professionals, Kate Brunt alongside Kerry Rochester and Emily Calvert gave a virtual presentation to Professor Dame Alison Margaret Peacock, CEO of The Chartered College of Teaching.

Alison, best known originator of the Learning Without Limits approach to education, was interested to hear about our curriculum.

 

Following the presentation, Alison invited the team to present the ‘inspiring’ Rivers curriculum at one of the Chartered Colleges ethical leadership webinars.