The Future of Academies Show and Exhibition 2026
CorpAcq Stadium, Greater Manchester 25 March 2026, 9:00am - 4:00pm
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8:30am
Delegate Registration and Networking
9:30am
Chair’s Welcome Address
9:35am
Opening Keynote: Building Resilient Schools in a Time of Uncertainty - The Strategic Challenges Ahead
- How demographic shifts, funding pressures and national workforce shortages are reshaping the operating reality for academies
- The long-tail impact of COVID on attendance, behaviour and pupil wellbeing — and what resilient school cultures look like now
- The growing influence of technology, social media and AI on learning, safeguarding and school strategy
- What academy leaders need to prioritise in the next 3–5 years to remain stable, future-focused and able to thrive in continued uncertainty
Ben March, Chief Finance and Operations Officer, STEP Academy Trust
10:05am
Industry Case Study
Global School Alliance
10:25am
Panel Discussion: Legislation at a Turning Point - What the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Means for Academies
- How the Bill reshapes academy freedoms, accountability and local authority involvement
- Implications for MAT governance, oversight and future consolidation
- What new expectations around wellbeing, behaviour and safeguarding mean for leaders
- Risks and opportunities: will the Bill strengthen or constrain the academy model?
- What trusts should be doing now to prepare for implementation
10:50am
Break and Networking
11:20am
Industry Case Study
Telex
11:40am
Panel Discussion: Surviving the Squeeze - How Trusts Can Navigate Demographic and Financial Pressures
- Impact of falling pupil numbers on per-pupil funding models and long-term MAT/academy viability
- Practical cost-saving strategies: curriculum planning, staffing models, shared services and estate optimisation
- Building efficiency: energy management, smarter procurement, and leveraging technology to reduce overheads
- Alternative income streams: partnerships, commercial opportunities, grants and community-based revenue
- How to plan for resilience — scenario planning, financial risk management and trust-level strategic decision-making
12:10pm
Industry Case Study
SGF20
12:30pm
Lunch And Networking
1:30pm
Industry Case Study
Jigsaw Education Group
1:50pm
Case Study: Phone-Free Schools – Lesson from Implementing a Whole-School Mobile Phone Ban at Birchwood High School
- Why the school introduced a phone ban
- The rollout: policy design, parental engagement, staff training and practical enforcement
- Understanding and monitoring early outcomes
- Challenges faced - and how they were addressed
- What other schools and MATs should consider when evaluating phone-free policies, and how this aligns with emerging national guidance
Emma Mills, Headteacher at Birchwood High School and Director of Education at One Community Trust
2:10pm
Panel: Creating Conditions for Success - Behaviour, Wellbeing and Engagement in Modern Schools
- Understanding the interconnected drivers behind behaviour, mental health, attendance and engagement - and what today’s pupils need from school culture
- The impact of social media, anxiety, and post-COVID pressures on pupil wellbeing and classroom behaviour
- Whole-school strategies that build consistency, connection and emotional safety - from routines to relational practice
- How academies can strengthen pastoral systems, early intervention and family engagement to improve attendance and motivation
- Empowering staff with the right tools, training and support to manage behaviour effectively and model positive, resilient culture
2:40pm
Questions And Answers Session
2:50pm
Break and Networking
3:20pm
Supporting the Backbone of Our Schools - Understanding and Addressing Teacher Challenges in 2025
- The reality of teacher workload, increasing complexity of needs in classrooms, and the emotional toll on staff wellbeing
- Recruitment and retention pressures: why teachers are leaving and what motivates them to stay
- Practical strategies for reducing workload and improving professional satisfaction across academies and MATs
- The role of AI and technology: how intelligent tools can streamline administration, support lesson planning, improve assessment, and free teachers to focus on teaching
- Building a culture of support, growth and recognition to create sustainable, thriving teaching teams
3:40pm
Curriculum for a New Era: Preparing Pupils for a Changing World
- The implications of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and what this means for autonomy, innovation and trust-level curriculum strategy
- Balancing core knowledge with skills for wellbeing, critical thinking and digital citizenship
- Preparing pupils for AI-driven workplaces
- Strategies for implementing change at pace - supporting teachers, aligning assessment, and maintaining quality and equity
4:00pm
Chair’s Summary And Close