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.

The leadership of a group of schools working together as a single legal entity and under a single governance structure is a new field of inquiry. This paper in our Bridge To The Future series makes the case for new domains of educational leadership emerging from this field.

In February 2022, CST published an influential discussion paper asking the question, ‘What is a strong trust?’ Since then, we have engaged in a sector-wide discussion to understand how our proposed domains of organisational strength and resilience aligned with sector thinking and the emerging evidence base. This paper sets out our current policy position.

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

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.

As part of CST's Bridge to the Future series, written in partnership with the Reach Foundation.

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.

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.