Guidance and tools

This paper, published with Steplab, responds to the publication of CST's model for trust-led school improvement, exemplifying how trust leaders have translated the CST theoretical model into practice, combining curating clear goals; building capability and capacity, and implementing improvement initiatives, as part of a codified implementation model enabling the delivery of high-impact professional development.

In this paper, published with Evidence Based Education, we draw on research evidence and practical insights to focus on one part of CST's model for trust-led school improvement: Implement improvement initiatives. In doing so, our aim is to provide prompts that help trust leaders reflect on how they enact improvement, rather than what to improve, with specific reference to the number one priority: developing high-quality teaching so that every learner has a great teacher.

This report marks an important milestone in our journey to understand and grow the evidence around how school trusts effectively lead improvement across groups of schools. What emerges is that trusts, each with distinctive contexts and challenges, have shown considerable innovation, creativity, and adaptability in their approaches. This report seeks not to prescribe rigid methods but rather to capture common themes and promising practices, laying a foundation for shared learning across the sector.

A summary of school funding information for the 2025/26 academic year, including links to key Department of Education publications.
First published December 2024, updated March 2025.

Member briefing on 12 March 2025 looking at the design principles and operating models for RISE teams.

This first edition of CST's communication toolkit contains a collection of templates and reference material to support communications work in school trusts.

The Department for Education has launched a consultation on school accountability, including proposals for new school profiles. This member briefing explores the concepts around the proposal.

This template is intended to help you produce a short guide to your trust’s governing arrangements to help new members, trustees, and local committee members. It can also be useful for other stakeholders, including parents. During Ofsted visits inspectors may find it helpful as a quick way understand your arrangements, as these vary between trusts.

As part of ensuring a positive, reflective board culture, trust boards are encouraged to undertake regular self-evaluation, both as a corporate entity and as individual trustees. This chair of trustees 360° review tool can act as a key part of the trust board’s regular self-review activity.

Member briefing on 5 February 2025 looking at Ofsted consultation on a new inspection framework and DfE consultations on a revised accountability framework.

Summary and briefing note on the Department for Education's school accountability reform consultation.

Ofsted has launched a consultation on a new inspection framework to come in from autumn 2025. This briefing note highlights key areas trusts may wish to consider.

Documents from the member engagement call on SEND system reform on 29 January 2025.

School trusts have become the successful cornerstone of the education system in England. This briefing note sets out some key indicators on the impact of academies and school trusts.

This guidance is intended to support trust boards with an evidence-based process to set executive pay, including for chief executives and other senior roles.

Briefing for members on the UK honours system and how to nominate people for recognition.

The Department for Education is inviting applications for primary schools to open new nursery provision. This agile seminar hears from trust leaders about their approaches to nursery and some of the practical considerations involved.

Succession planning is critical for trust boards to ensure stability, continuity, and effective governance over time. By identifying and preparing future leaders, boards can maintain their strategic direction, preserve organisational knowledge, and avoid disruptions during leadership transitions.

Risk management is the process by which risks are identified, their severity assessed and cost-effective actions are taken to address, or mitigate, them to bring them down to acceptable levels. This guidance provides a risk template for trusts as a starting point for a bespoke approach.

Board evaluation is too often viewed as a compliance activity — a mechanical process of checking off items on a list with little real value for the board. But meaningful evaluation can be transformational.

Results from the third annual National School Trust Survey, conducted by the Confederation of School Trusts with Edurio. The survey is designed to uncover the main priorities and challenges for the sector for the upcoming academic year, as well as to provide some detail on specific approaches.

Recordings and slides from a member engagement briefing on 11 September 2024 looking at upcoming changes to Ofsted operations

CST has released its 2024 salary benchmarking report in conjunction with partners Brightmine and Browne Jacobson.

This role description draws on Department for Education guidance, the Academy Trust Governance Code, and CST frameworks sets out some of the key qualities for a good chair.

It is crucial that trustees conduct themselves in a responsible manner, in line with their responsibilities as both charity trustees and company directors.
This model code of conduct outlines principles to follow both as individual trustees and corporately as a whole board.

This guidance is intended to support school trust boards with the induction of new trustees.

This document outlines the role of a school trust governance professional and their key responsibilities.

The role of a member of a school trust is one of the least well understood positions in a trust. This document sets out the key qualities of a member and their relationship with other aspects of trust governance.

The scheme of delegation is a vital document within a trust. It is a document that is, and should be, bespoke to every trust in order to describe how the trust board has decided to delegate responsibilities within the organisation. These checklists have been devised to help trusts develop a clear and comprehensive scheme of delegation.

The proposition of governing a school trust is fundamentally different from governing a maintained school. While there may be comparable challenges in maintained schools, problem-identification and solutions are often specific to trust governance and need a different approach.

This guidance sets out the strategic and operational considerations for head teachers and governors of maintained schools considering joining a school trust.
School trusts are groups of schools that come together to form a single organisation. This guidance includes many of the questions and considerations that your governing board will need to ask when you are considering joining a trust, as well as during the due diligence process. It also sets out a high-level overview of the legal considerations and processes to be followed during the conversion process.

School trusts are complex and agile organisations. The proposition of governance should therefore be a live conversation and boards should monitor and improve their performance continually. This updated toolkit outlines our 20-element assurance framework including guiding questions to consider and descriptors of what strong and weak assurance would look like in a trust at board level.
Updated September 2024.

A summary of school funding information for the 2024/25 academic year, including links to key Department of Education publications. Information updated September 2024.

CST held a special member engagement call for school trusts on 20 August 2024 to provide support and guidance for school trusts in the aftermath of riots and civil disorder.

At the request of members, we are providing some useful checklists and templates relating to suspensions and exclusions. If you have any questions about them, please contact us at governance@cstuk.org.uk

This document outlines CST's position on five key Labour Party pledges relating to education and offers points for the government, Ofsted, or the review to consider on each commitment.

A summary of the manifesto pledges relating to education from the Conservatives, Labour, and Liberal Democrat parties.

Recording of member engagement briefing on 1 May introducing CST's new conceptual model for trust-led school improvement.

The aim of this work is to establish a common set of concepts, language and framework that will allow trusts to explore, capture and compare their models of school improvement so that we can build more knowledge and a stronger evidence base about what is more likely to work when improving schools at scale.

This guide provides additional, practical, context to CST's conceptual model for trust-led school improvement.

Presentation for CST members by political analyst Sam Freedman on the political outlook for schools in England.

The Department for Education has announced a new process for approving significant changes at open academies. Updated 26 April 2024.

Briefing note on key announcements for schools trusts in the 2024 Spring Budget.

CST members can access a range of model policies covering staffing and school operations provided by CST Platinum Partner Stone King, along with additional guidance papers on how to create and review policies.

This study delves into school improvement in school trusts. It employs Q Methodology and Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) to explore the viewpoints of trust leaders about effective school improvement. The research blends the subjectivity-focused Q Methodology with the analytical depth of LCT to explore what trust leaders value most.

This survey explored the roles and responsibilities of the trust safeguarding team, the support that trusts provide at a school and trust level, and the factors
influencing the retention and career progression of safeguarding professionals. It also invited trust safeguarding leaders to share their priorities for the year ahead.

Ofsted has announced a number of changes to its inspection approach. This briefing note produced in association with Stone King LLP is intended to support trusts in relation to inspections where there are concerns about wellbeing of staff in the school, and/or where the behaviour of a lead inspector is causing concern.

Ofsted has announced a number of changes to its inspection approach. This member engagement briefing summarises the changes.

Overview of how the Government's Autumn Statement affects school trusts, including direct and indirect changes.

This document sets out the key qualities of a trustee of a school trust.

The Government has proposed the introduction of the Advanced British Standard for post-16 study.

This short online course is an ideal introduction for anyone who would like to know more about the role of a trustee.

This free online course covers the basic knowledge trustees need in the early stages of their new role.

A briefing note to members on publication of revised schools national funding formula figures for the 2024/5 academic year.

For the second year running, the Confederation of School Trusts has partnered with Edurio to conduct the National School Trust Survey. The survey is designed to uncover the main priorities and challenges for the sector for the upcoming academic year, as well as to provide some detail on specific approaches.

The Academy Trust Governance Code is a voluntary code that draws upon the Charity Governance Code and relevant Department for Education guidance.

This frequently asked question document collates the information presented at a recent legal surgery webinar for CST members hosted by our Platinum Partners Stone King and Barker Associates.
It gives school trusts an overview of issues with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) that was used in construction from the 1950s through to the 190s.

The third and final part of our guidance series on executive performance review, produced in association with our Platinum Partners Bluesky Education and Browne Jacobson.

The NASUWT has now provided instructions to their members regarding participation in industrial action this autumn. Guidance for trusts on what to expect and how to manage is provided explored in this updated produced by CST Platinum Partner, Browne Jacobson.

This short paper outlines some key considerations and advice for trust leaders when considering the 2023 GCSE and A level results, in the context of changes to examination procedures in recent years.

A summary of school funding information for the 2023/24 academic year, including links to key Department of Education publications. Information updated December 2023.

CST has released its 2023 salary benchmarking report in conjunction with partners XpertHR and Browne Jacobson.

A presentation for CST members about the Department for Education's commissioning guidance.

The aim of this framework is to identify trusts' most significant areas of strength and challenge, so that they can build organisational capacity. It is diagnostic, not evaluative, or judgemental.
The framework is supported by Ambition Institute, Challenge Partners, Evidence Based Education, the National Institute of Teaching, and ImpactEd.
Updated September 2024.

Presentation slides from a special CST member meeting on 7th June 2023 on the implementation of the ‘Coasting Regulations'.

Vicky Beer CBE, Regional Director and Regions Group lead on intervention shared an update as the end of the first phase of implementation approaches, and how the Department is responding to feedback from the sector.

Ahead of further strike action, Platinum Partner Browne Jacobson has provided an update on industrial action.

This rapid audit tool for trustees provides a way for trustees to self-assess their understanding, using CST’s Assurance framework for trust governance as a base. The form can be filled in electronically and saved for return to trust governance professionals, or printed out for completion on paper.

Following the publication of the Academies Regulatory and Commissioning Review, Leora Cruddas CBE presented an overview of the review at a special member briefing.

Following our recent cost pressures survey, Susan Fielden (CST Trust and School Funding Policy Specialist) shares her analysis of the results and the budgeting assumptions being made by member trusts.

This glossary is intended primarily to help new trustees and academy committee members with some common terms used in education. It focuses on terms relevant to academies and trusts, rather than legacy terms for maintained schools.
A downloadable version is available but we recommend using the online version for ease of use and to ensure you have the most recent information.

CST has asked Stone King to provide a briefing note for members on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and potential liability for trusts and trust leaders.

Process planning and delivery is the second in a series of three guidance notes on the performance review of chief executives. The series provides robust sector- and role-specific guidance on the principles and practices of executive performance review to support your trust’s process from end-to-end, whatever its size or stage of development.

In advance of the detailed publication of the formula to be used to distribute the additional Autumn Statement funding to schools, Susan Fielden, our Trust and School Funding Policy Specialist, has shared her insights which we hope will help.

A summary of school funding information for the 2022/23 academic year, including links to key Department of Education publications.
Information updated on 16 December 2022.

Provided by Browne Jacobson.

Provided by Browne Jacobson.

The Confederation of School Trusts has released its 2022 salary benchmarking report in conjunction with partners XpertHR and Browne Jacobson. This is the second year the report has been published, offering a reliably current and comprehensive annual salary report of executive roles in school trusts.

School trusts are facing substantial unplanned and unfunded costs. Analysis of budget information and survey data by CST has found that, without further financial support, more than half of trusts could be in deficit by 2024/5 with the remainder down to worryingly low reserves.

The rights and protection of transgender people are currently contested and rapidly developing areas of law. The analysis this briefing contains is set in the context of recent developments and the wider law, but it does not attempt a full discussion of the law of transgender rights; any such attempt would at present become rapidly out of date as new case law emerges.

Following analysis of Budget Forecast Return submissions, shared by over 70 Trusts representing more than 700 schools, we have produced an infographic highlighting the scale of economic challenge facing the sector.

A briefing note on potential changes to indexation arrangements for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

CST’s first National Survey of School Trusts aims to create a unique and powerful picture of our sector. Supported by our Platinum Partner, Edurio, the report explores the progress and priorities of school trusts across England.

The performance review of the chief executive or executive leader of a school trust is one of a trust board’s most significant responsibilities. It is key to the board’s leadership of strategy and values, its accountability for educational outcomes and financial health, and supports the development and well-being of the trust’s most senior employee. School trusts have the freedom to define their own appraisal process for chief executives in line with their trust’s ethos and values and approach to performance management.

Trusts have become a central part of the English education system, providing the core of school-to-school support, improvement and governance. This means that it is increasingly important for us to know what high quality looks like in a trust. In this paper we have reviewed the evidence from four countries: England, the US, the Netherlands and Sweden. The latter three countries were chosen as they have somewhat similar (though by no means identical) systems. This literature review draws on a search conducted using several evidence bases, websites of government agencies, and a general google search. We also drew on the references to other studies in those sources.

This briefing from Stone King deals with two specific developments of vital importance for School Trusts: the standards they will be expected to meet, and how the Department for Education may intervene if they are found to fall short of those standards.

The guidance provides a selected overview of the evidence of the impact of the pandemic on children’s education. We provide a map of the different funding streams and the grant conditions associated with them. Finally, we offer a strategic approach to planning over a three-year period.
Updated April 2022.

Before the pandemic, schools and colleges were already finding worsening mental health amongst children and young people a serious challenge. This briefing note sets out aspects of current provision.

Briefing note on the Schools White Paper 2022, Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child.

In this paper, we explore the potential cost pressures affecting Trusts across the next three years, when set against likely funding increases, and seek to identify the pinch points.
Information is correct as of March 2022.

Larger trusts may meet the criteria to register their organisation to the Modern Slavery Statement registry following the Government’s Transparency in Supply Chains consultation. This briefing note from Stone King LLP covers the general requirements affecting trusts.

This briefing note from Stone King LLP includes guidance for trusts on pay ahead of the formal settlement of the 2022/3 pay claim for support staff employed under NJC Green Book terms.
Information current as of February 2022.

School Trusts are exempt charities. This means that they are not registered or directly regulated by the Charity Commission but rather have the Secretary of State for Education as their principal regulator. School Trusts still have charitable purposes and apply them for the public benefit, and trusts must comply with the general law of charity.

As part of our work to locate School Trusts as a new form of civic structure, CST has drafted this model civic compact which members are welcome to use and customise as the basis for dialogue with a local authority.

A summary report of headline findings and a supplementary report on benefits packages for executive leaders in school trusts.

This withdrawn guidance included a code of principles for determining executive pay. We have now incorporated these principles with wider guidance to form a combined Setting executive pay guidance document.

This document is for chief executives, those aspiring to the role, and trust boards. It aims to underpin key aspects of leadership development and governance by offering a framework to inform executive performance review, executive development, organisation design, and recruitment.

This guidance sets out the principal roles of the accounting officer as expected by Parliament and set out in the Academy Trust Handbook. It also covers the key messages for trusts in the statutory guidance Managing Public Money.

This guidance has been withdrawn due to operational, funding, and policy changes since publication.

This guidance is intended to support executive and governance leaders with the basics of a financial model known as integrated curriculum financial planning (ICFP). It offers an overview of the approaches but not the tools themselves.

This document should be read alongside the Department for Education’s guidance for maintained schools applying to join a school. It provides an overview of good practice on public engagement and consultation at each step of the process.

This document is the final report of Ethical Leadership Commission, to which CST contributed alongside other leading education organisations and thinkers. The Commission was set up in 2017 to help school and college leaders consider the ethical foundation of their work, and to offer guidance for our colleagues at a time of great change and unprecedented pressure in education.

This guidance offers a process or framework for auditing organisational culture. It is designed to meet the requirement in the Competency Framework for Governance in relation to the responsibility of the trust board to determine, embed and monitor the culture, values and ethos of an organisation. It will help trust boards to answer the question: how do you know?