Colleagues gather for day of connection and collaboration at annual Trust Conference

Now in its third year, the day-long event saw the Trust's whole staff body - spanning 21 academies and associated support teams – gather across two sites, Trent Conference Centre in Nottingham and Pride Park Stadium in Derby.

Colleagues in both teaching and operational roles came together for the conference, themed around 'Duty’ and encompassing more than 40 separate CPD sessions led by experts in their fields.

Sessions included:

• Building positive behaviour and strong community cultures in our Trust schools
• Building strong foundations for every child
• Fostering belonging: creating a culture of connectedness for pupils and parents 
• The reading advantage: powerful strategies for every classroom
• Creating a positive learning culture in cover lessons
• AI in the classroom 

Most sessions were led by our own experienced and knowledgeable staff. Some were hosted by external partners including: IXL, Arbor and Train Together.

The event’s itinerary also included a wide variety of networking sessions offering valuable opportunities for our staff to connect with colleagues, share ideas and build connections between specialities and areas of practice across the sector.

Networks included: data and exams, catering, HR & recruitment, catering, facilities, finance, librarians and technicians (science, art & design). 

The conference schedule was opened and closed by keynote speakers; Andrew Burns (Redhill Trust Chief Executive) and very special guest, Major Scotty Mills.

Scotty has led a life that he could never have dreamt of. From the backstreets of South London, he went on to serve his country and became the highest-ranking black officer in the history of the Royal Marines, leading Britain’s Commandos around the world.

He engaged and entertained the conference audience, sharing lessons in leadership and resilience, having also worked as a performance coach in the world of elite sport and business.

Scotty’s inspirational insights gave food for thought on the conference theme of ‘Duty’, drawing parallels between the Commando Ethos and the qualities needed to succeed in a school setting; excellence, integrity, courage, determination, unselfishness and the ability to remain cheerful – especially in the face of adversity!

His compelling story was filled with exceptional examples of the power of human inspiration, lessons on how to achieve impossible results and what makes a winning team.

Redhill Trust Chief Executive, Andrew Burns OBE, asked audiences to think about their duty to the young people in our schools. He framed it as a responsibility; a selfless act at the heart of our Trust mission:

He also gave updates on developments within the Trust including welcoming academies that have recently joined. Mr Burns also spoke about community partnerships, investment in buildings and technology, new CPD leadership programmes and impressive achievement and attendance markers.

Many thanks to everyone who supported the event and to our sponsors: IXL, allmanhall, Arbor, and Caterlink.