Trust Matters: Lessons in Leadership

In this episode, we're joined by Stephen Higgins, Director of Product for Data and AI at Arbor, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming education, what it means for the future of schools, and how leaders can harness its potential responsibly.
A former teacher turned technology leader, Stephen's journey into EdTech began when he taught himself to code to solve a problem in his own school. Frustrated by the time staff spent managing spreadsheets and pulling together information, he developed a system to make everyday processes more efficient. That experience eventually led him to join Arbor in its early days, where he has helped develop technology designed to make life easier for schools.
In this conversation, Stephen reflects on how quickly AI has evolved, why schools are only beginning to scratch the surface of what's possible, and how the next generation of AI tools could fundamentally change the way schools and multi-academy trusts operate.
We explore the practical opportunities for reducing teacher and leader workload, from automating administrative tasks and bringing together information across different systems to supporting lesson planning, compliance and school trips. Stephen explains why the biggest opportunity isn't simply using AI to complete existing tasks more quickly, but rethinking how those tasks are carried out altogether.
We also discuss some of the biggest concerns surrounding AI in education, including data protection, safeguarding, job security, assessment and the risk of pupils becoming overly reliant on technology. Stephen shares his perspective on how schools can introduce AI safely, build staff confidence and ensure that professional judgement and human connection remain central to education.
Looking to the future, Stephen offers a fascinating insight into the rise of AI agents, how technology could reshape collaboration across schools and trusts, and why he believes automation could ultimately give educators more time to focus on what matters most: teaching, supporting young people and improving outcomes.
We explore:
Stephen's journey from classroom teacher to Director of Product for Data and AI at Arbor, and how his experience in schools shaped his approach to technology
How AI has evolved in recent years, and why its potential goes far beyond drafting emails, summarising documents and planning lessons
The difference between traditional AI tools and AI agents, and how autonomous technology could transform everyday school processes
Where AI could have the greatest impact on teacher and school leader workload, particularly when it comes to administrative tasks and reporting
Five practical areas where AI could save schools time, including information gathering, lesson differentiation, connecting systems, compliance and planning school trips
How AI could help teachers, headteachers and school business managers access accurate information without spending hours navigating different systems
Why professional judgement, pastoral support and human relationships must remain at the heart of education
How schools and trusts can introduce AI effectively, including the value of small working groups and staff-led training
The importance of having a clear AI policy, protecting sensitive information and understanding how data is used by AI providers
Why keeping a human involved in reviewing and approving AI-generated work is essential to responsible implementation
How AI could change the structure of multi-academy trusts, enabling greater collaboration, centralised reporting and more efficient ways of working
Whether increasing automation could lead to job losses in education, and why Stephen believes AI should free staff to spend more time working directly with pupils
How schools can balance the benefits of AI with the need to protect pupils' independent thinking, creativity and depth of understanding
What AI means for the future of assessment, coursework and the curriculum, and why learning must remain about more than producing the right answer
The importance of teaching young people to use AI critically, safely and responsibly
The wider ethical questions surrounding AI, including regulation, misinformation, environmental impact and the responsibilities of technology companies
Why schools need time and space to experiment with AI, and how EdTech providers can help make new technology accessible to busy educators
How AI agents could transform school administration, from organising educational visits and CPD to managing compliance and analysing trust-wide data
Stephen's predictions for the next five to ten years, including how AI could change the way we interact with technology altogether
Why the future of AI in education should ultimately be about strengthening human connection rather than replacing it
This is a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation for trust leaders, school leaders, teachers and anyone interested in the future of education. It offers practical insight into how schools can begin using AI more effectively today, while exploring the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
Above all, it's a reminder that the real potential of AI isn't to replace educators, but to give them more time and freedom to focus on the human relationships, creativity and professional expertise that make education so valuable.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust.
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters.
Find out more about Arbor.
AI in Action: how four educational leaders are building operational excellence in AI
AI Guidebook: Templates, advice and AI principles to help schools and trusts embed AI effectively
All views expressed in this episode are the guest's own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest's recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

In this episode, we're joined by Sarah Knight, co-founder of The Allergy Team, an organisation dedicated to helping families and schools manage allergies safely and confidently.
After a successful career in television production, Sarah's experience of raising 2 children with severe food allergies led her to recognise the lack of practical support available to families. What began as a desire to make life easier for parents has since developed into a mission to improve allergy awareness, safety and inclusion in schools across the country.
In this conversation, Sarah reflects on the challenges her family faced when navigating the education system, including having a preschool place withdrawn because of concerns about her son's allergies. She explains why the inconsistency in how schools manage allergies has left too many families feeling anxious and excluded, and why a more consistent approach is so important.
We also explore the introduction of Benedict's Law, following the tragic death of five-year-old Benedict Blythe from an allergic reaction at school. Sarah shares how she worked alongside Benedict's mother, Helen Blythe, and the Benedict Blythe Foundation to campaign for stronger protections, and what the new requirements mean for school and trust leaders.
From staff training and emergency procedures to school trips, dining halls and everyday classroom activities, Sarah offers practical advice on how schools can move beyond simply meeting statutory requirements to create a culture where allergy safety is everyone's responsibility.
We explore:
What inspired Sarah to leave her career in television and co-found The Allergy Team
The emotional impact of raising children with severe food allergies, and why families can feel isolated and overwhelmed
How common childhood allergies are, and the misconceptions surrounding their causes and management
Sarah's experience of having a preschool place withdrawn because of her son's allergies, and what it revealed about inconsistencies between schools
The story of Benedict Blythe and how his mother's campaign led to the introduction of Benedict's Law
What Benedict's Law means for schools, including allergy policies, staff training, spare adrenaline devices and designated allergy leads
Why strong leadership and a whole-school approach are essential to effective allergy management
How schools can recognise the warning signs of anaphylaxis and respond quickly and confidently in an emergency
The difference between meeting statutory requirements and embedding genuine best practice in allergy safety
Why being a 'nut-free school' doesn't necessarily mean pupils with allergies are safe
What schools can learn from allergic reactions and near-misses, and how reviewing incidents can reveal wider gaps in procedures
How to educate pupils about allergies without creating unnecessary fear or anxiety
How schools can balance allergy safety with inclusion, ensuring pupils aren't singled out or excluded because of their medical conditions
Why allergy risks extend far beyond the dining hall, from school trips and science experiments to everyday classroom activities
Practical changes school leaders can make to improve allergy safety and inclusion without creating unnecessary additional workload
How emerging treatments and technology could transform the lives of children and families living with allergies
What successful implementation of Benedict's Law could mean for the future of allergy management in schools
This is an important and practical conversation for trust leaders, school leaders and anyone responsible for pupil safety and wellbeing. It offers valuable insight into how schools can approach allergy management with confidence, strengthen their systems and create environments where every child feels safe, included and able to thrive.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: https://key.sc/trustsupport
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: https://key.sc/trustmatters
Find out more about The Allergy Team: https://www.theallergyteam.com/
All views expressed in this episode are the guest's own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest's recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching and one of the UK’s leading voices on teacher expertise, professional trust and the future of teaching.
Across her career as a teacher, headteacher, researcher and system leader, Alison has consistently argued that teaching is not simply a job of delivery or compliance, but a deeply skilled, intellectually demanding profession. From her work on Learning Without Limits to her leadership of the Chartered College, she has spent years championing teachers as experts and challenging the systems, assumptions and accountability pressures that can stop the profession from being treated that way.
In this conversation, Alison reflects on her career journey so far and why she believes teaching must be recognised as an expert profession if we want schools to thrive. She shares what still needs to change for teachers to feel genuinely respected and trusted, why professional growth and intellectual stimulation matter so much for retention, and what society still misunderstands about the complexity of great teaching.
We also explore what teacher voice should look like in policymaking, how accountability pressures can narrow both professional autonomy and children’s opportunities, and why inclusive teaching and high expectations should sit at the heart of an ambitious school system. Along the way, Alison discusses SEND, evidence-informed practice, AI, and what gives her hope for the next generation entering the profession.
We explore:
Alison’s career journey so far, from classroom teacher to Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching
Why she believes teaching must be treated as an expert profession and what people outside education still misunderstand about the job
What practical changes would genuinely make teachers feel more respected, professionally trusted and valued
Why teacher retention is about more than pay and workload and how professional growth, agency and intellectual stimulation all shape whether teachers stay
What teachers might change first if they had more influence over education policy
How accountability culture and performance pressures can constrain teachers and narrow what education becomes
Why Alison believes schools need the space to prioritise both academic achievement and children’s wider flourishing
What genuinely inclusive teaching looks like in practice, and why SEND and inclusion have become such difficult policy issues
The core ideas behind Learning Without Limits and why Alison has spent so much of her career challenging fixed ability labels
How schools can maintain high expectations without narrowing success to a single definition
What role evidence-informed practice should play in everyday teaching  and how to stop it becoming another education buzzword
Why Alison believes AI should support teaching, not diminish the uniquely human parts of it
What gives her optimism about the future of teaching and the next generation entering the profession
This is a thoughtful and timely conversation for trust leaders, school leaders and teachers interested in teacher professionalism, retention, evidence-informed practice and what it will take to build a school system that genuinely values teaching as an expert profession.
LINKS
Teacher Agency: https://chartered.college/research-and-policy/policy-and-advocacy/teacher-agency-working-group/ 
Chartered Status: https://my.chartered.college/store/ 
Safe and Effective AI in Education: https://chartered.college/safe-and-effective-use-of-ai-in-education/ 
Early Years: https://my.chartered.college/early-childhood-hub/
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupport 
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmatters 
Connect with Dame Alison on LinkedIn. 
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

In this episode, we’re joined by Steve Chalke MBE, founder of Oasis and one of the UK’s most influential voices on community, inclusion and tackling disadvantage.
Across decades of work in education, housing, anti-trafficking, youth work and community leadership, Steve has focused on one central idea: if we want children and young people to thrive, we have to go beyond isolated interventions and start building communities where people feel they belong.
In this conversation, Steve reflects on the experiences that first shaped his vision for Oasis, from growing up in poverty and experiencing racism to realising, as a teenager, that schools, homes, healthcare and community all shape opportunity in interconnected ways. He explains why Oasis was never just about starting schools, but about creating a more holistic response to disadvantage – one rooted in dignity, belonging, opportunity and long-term flourishing.
We also explore the Oasis Hub model, what it means to build genuinely inclusive communities around children and families, and why schools are increasingly being asked to respond to challenges they cannot solve alone. Along the way, Steve shares his thoughts on attendance, Ofsted, teacher retention, social fragmentation, and the kind of hopeful, courageous leadership communities need now.
We explore:
What first drove Steve to found Oasis, and how his own childhood experiences shaped that vision
Why lasting change in communities has to tackle the root causes of disadvantage, not just the symptoms
Why Oasis has always focused on schools, housing, youth work, healthcare and community together, rather than in isolation
How Steve’s own experience of school shaped his view of what education should feel like for children
What it takes to scale a mission-led organisation like Oasis without losing sight of its core values
What the Oasis Hub model looks like in practice, and why local partnership matters so much
Why schools are being placed in an “impossible situation” as more and more social responsibilities are pushed onto them
Where Steve thinks the limits of schools’ responsibilities should lie – and what needs to sit alongside them instead
What true inclusion means in practice, and why it has to be about belonging, not just attendance
Why schools serving disadvantaged communities can be penalised for being more inclusive
What it will take to keep great teachers and leaders in the profession, especially in the most challenging communities
Why community, volunteering and human connection matter more than ever in an increasingly fragmented society
What Steve means when he talks about hope as action, strategy and collective responsibility – not just optimism
What still gives him hope after decades of working in some of the country’s most disadvantaged communities
This is a powerful and deeply human conversation for trust leaders, school leaders and anyone interested in what it really takes to build communities where children, families and staff feel they truly belong.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupport 
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmatters 
Connect with Steve on LinkedIn. 
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Becky Francis CBE, Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and one of the leading voices in England on educational inequality and the attainment gap.
Across her career in research, policy and education leadership, Becky has focused on one central question: why do educational outcomes remain so closely tied to disadvantage – and what would it actually take to change that?
In this conversation, Becky reflects on what first drew her to this work, why the attainment gap remains so stubborn, and what it would mean for the system to genuinely treat closing it as its “north star”. She explains why high-quality teaching remains the single biggest lever schools have to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, but also why schools cannot tackle educational inequality alone when poverty, attendance, language development and wider family hardship sit outside the school gates.
We also explore the Curriculum and Assessment Review that Becky chaired, including the idea of “high standards for all”, the challenge of curriculum overload, and why England needs an education system that offers both excellence and equity.
We explore:
What first drew Becky to the issue of educational inequality, and why it has remained central to her work
Why the attainment gap narrowed for a period, but has since stalled and widened again
What it would mean for closing the attainment gap to become the education system’s true “north star”
Why high-quality teaching has the biggest impact on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils
What great teaching looks like in practice – and the misconceptions schools need to avoid
Why disadvantaged schools face a “double penalty” when it comes to teacher recruitment and retention
What the evidence says about attracting and retaining excellent teachers in the schools that need them most
Why early language development and early intervention are so crucial in tackling inequality
How much schools can realistically do on their own when child poverty and wider disadvantage are driving educational outcomes
What Becky has learned about the relationship between research, policy and political decision-making
The key themes that emerged from the Curriculum and Assessment Review, including curriculum overload and the balance between breadth and depth
What Becky means by “high standards for all” – and why different routes for disadvantaged pupils can risk entrenching inequality
How the attainment gap grows from early years through to secondary school, and why acting early matters so much
Why attendance is such an important part of the picture for disadvantaged pupils
Looking ahead to 2035: what success would look like if England genuinely began to shift educational inequality
This is a thoughtful and timely conversation for trust leaders, school leaders and anyone interested in what the evidence really tells us about educational inequality and what it will take to build a system that delivers both excellence and equity for every child.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupport 
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmatters 
Connect with Becky on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

In this episode, we're joined by Michael Kane, Policy Manager at Public First and one of the lead researchers behind the Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools.
Drawing on new national research with pupils, parents and teachers, Michael explores the growing spread of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy beliefs among young people, and what this means for schools.
From deepfakes and AI-generated content to online conspiracy theories and extremist narratives, schools are increasingly finding themselves on the front line of a rapidly changing digital landscape. As smartphones become more common at younger ages and social media continues to shape how young people consume information, teachers are being asked to navigate complex conversations that many feel underprepared for.
Michael shares insights from the Commission's latest report, including the impact misinformation is having on classrooms, the challenges teachers face when responding to false or misleading content, and why media literacy is becoming an increasingly important part of education.
We explore:
Why young people are finding it harder than ever to tell what's real and fake online
The growing influence of AI-generated content, deepfakes and misinformation
What teachers are hearing from pupils in classrooms across the country
Why misinformation and conspiracy theories are becoming a bigger issue in schools
The impact smartphones and social media are having on younger children
Why many teachers feel underprepared to tackle these conversations
The challenges schools face around political impartiality and safeguarding
What the latest updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education mean for schools
The role parents play in helping young people navigate online information
Why media literacy needs to be a whole-school priority
What practical steps leaders can take to better support staff and pupils
This is a timely and thought-provoking conversation for trust leaders, school leaders and anyone interested in helping young people navigate an increasingly complex digital world.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupport 
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmatters 
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

In this episode, we're joined by John Yarham, Chief Executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, the national organisation working to help every young person access high-quality careers education, employer experiences and pathways into future employment.
With more than 25 years' experience across education, skills and careers, John shares his perspective on one of the biggest challenges facing schools today: preparing young people for a future of work that is changing faster than ever.
We discuss why traditional work experience placements are becoming harder to sustain, what a modern approach to work experience could look like, and how schools can help prevent more young people from becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
John also explores the growing importance of essential skills, the role of confidence in career success, and how schools should respond to the opportunities and challenges created by AI.
We explore:
Why the traditional work experience model is no longer enough
Whether the government's ambition for every young person to complete 2 weeks of work experience is realistic
How schools can build meaningful employer encounters from Year 7 onwards
The early warning signs that a young person may be at risk of becoming NEET
What schools with exceptionally low NEET rates are doing differently
The barriers SEND students and pupils in alternative provision face when accessing work experience
Why confidence is often as important as capability when preparing young people for employment
What employers mean when they talk about "skills gaps" and the essential skills they value most
How AI is reshaping the future of work and what schools should prioritise in response
The importance of helping young people see opportunities beyond their immediate surroundings
Why careers education should be embedded into a school's wider strategy, not treated as an add-on
This is a practical and thought-provoking conversation for trust leaders, school leaders, careers leaders and anyone interested in helping young people make successful transitions into education, employment and future careers.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupport 
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmatters 
Connect with John on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

In this episode, we’re joined by Cathie Paine CBE, Chief Executive of REAch2 Academy Trust, the largest primary-only trust in England.
Cathie has been part of REAch2 since the very beginning, joining as the trust’s first employee in 2012. Since then, she has helped grow the organisation from 4 schools to a national organisation of 65 schools across 20 local authorities, many of which joined the trust after experiencing significant challenges.
Drawing on more than 30 years in education, Cathie reflects on what it takes to scale a trust while maintaining a strong culture, clear purpose and unwavering focus on children. She shares lessons from leading school improvement at scale, why leadership remains the most important lever for transformation, and how Reach2 is working to ensure every child receives the best possible start in life.
We explore:
How REAch2 grew from 4 schools to one of the largest trusts in the country while maintaining a strong sense of belonging and purpose
Why leadership is the single biggest factor in school improvement
The importance of early years education and why getting the foundations right changes outcomes for children
What strong multi-academy trusts look like in practice and why culture matters as much as structure
Cathie’s perspective on SEND reform and the opportunities and challenges facing schools
Why REAch2 moved to GAG pooling and what it means for equity, sustainability and collaboration across schools
How trust leaders can balance individual school identity with a shared organisational mission
The thinking behind REAch2’s ‘11 Before 11’ promises and the experiences every child should have before leaving primary school
Why school leaders should think beyond autonomy and embrace the opportunities of being part of something bigger
Cathie’s vision for the next decade of REAch2 and the future of primary education
This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation for trust leaders, school leaders and anyone interested in culture, school improvement, inclusion and what it takes to build a trust where every school can thrive.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupport 
Subscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmatters 
Connect with Cathie on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

In this episode, we’re joined by Robyn Ellis, school and college trust leader at Dixons Academies Trust, whose career spans both global corporate leadership and education system transformation.
Drawing on her experience leading leadership development at Booking.com and now working across a major multi-academy trust, Robyn shares what education can learn from the corporate world, and where schools must lead differently. She explores how leadership systems, culture and organisational design shape staff experience, and why bold decisions — including removing job titles, introducing coaching-led performance development, and implementing a 9-day fortnight — can transform how organisations operate.
We explore:
What education can learn from global corporate leadership development
Why relationships, coaching and organisational health sit at the heart of effective leadership
Dixons’ decision to remove traditional job titles and what it changed about culture and collaboration
The thinking behind the 9-day fortnight for teachers and what has been learned about making flexible working viable in schools
Why leaders should focus on protecting energy, not just time
Leadership habits that matter most in high-pressure environments
Why joy, purpose and mission are essential to sustaining leadership over time
This is a thoughtful and practical conversation for trust and school leaders thinking about leadership development, flexible working, culture and building sustainable organisations where both staff and pupils can thrive.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupportSubscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmattersConnect with Robyn on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

Only around 1% of headteachers in the UK are Black. What will it take to change that and what does leadership really look like when you’re one of the few?
In this episode, we’re joined by Nadine Bernard, headteacher, author and founder of Aspiring Heads, and a national voice on inclusive leadership, representation and belonging in education.
Nadine reflects on her journey to becoming one of the youngest Black headteachers in the UK, sharing the realities of stepping into leadership early, navigating visibility and bias, and leading a school through significant transformation to achieve strong outcomes. Drawing on her experience turning around a previously closed school, she explores how high expectations, inclusive culture and relationship-centred leadership can work together to deliver both belonging and achievement.
We explore:
What stepping into headship at 31 taught her about leadership, visibility and resilience
The non-negotiables she put in place to lead school turnaround and sustained improvement
Why belonging and relationships sit at the heart of behaviour and pupil success
Balancing compassion, nurture and strong academic outcomes
The systemic barriers facing aspiring leaders from under-represented backgrounds
What meaningful allyship looks like in school leadership
How leadership systems can better support sustainable careers, including motherhood and wellbeing
This is a powerful and reflective conversation for trust and school leaders who want to build inclusive cultures, support diverse leadership pathways and create schools where both staff and pupils can thrive.
LINKS
For more on how The Key can support your trust, visit: key.sc/trustsupportSubscribe to our newsletter, Trust Matters: key.sc/trustmattersConnect with Nadine on LinkedIn.
All views expressed in this episode are the guest’s own. Any mention of commercial providers, resources or products is on the guest’s recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.