Building Together: Spencer Trust Leadership Day 2025

The event, held at the Jubilee Hotel and Conference Centre in Nottingham, marked the fifth year of this flagship occasion in the Trust calendar. Building on last year’s theme of belonging, this year’s focus was building - with colleagues encouraged to reflect on the ideas of Building on What Came Before, Building Culture, Building Together and Building for the Future.

The day began with a welcome from CEO, Paul West, who reflected on the Trust’s journey as a Multi-Academy Trust so far, and outlined ambitions for the next stage of the One Spencer plan. Paul also later shared the Trust’s 2025-28 goals, spanning Curriculum, Learning & Teaching, People, Governance & Compliance, Estates & Capital, and Finance & Resourcing, setting the direction for the years ahead.

Director of Inclusion, Sarah McAneny-Vincent, revisited last year’s conversations around belonging to a school, community or culture, before further developing this year’s theme of building. Sarah highlighted how the principles of building on strong foundations, fostering culture, working together, and planning for the future underpin the Trust’s collective journey.

Attendees then took part in interactive workgroups, reflecting on the new targets and visions of the One Spencer plan. These discussions sparked practical ideas for cross-trust collaboration, while reinforcing the importance of shared goals.

The day also celebrated inspiring Spencer Stories, where colleagues shared personal accounts of how they have built their careers and developed professionally within the Trust, showcasing the power of growth and opportunities, alongside the collective support at Spencer.

Guest speaker Mandy Coalter, Founder of Talent Architects and Co-Founder of Trust Inclusion, delivered an engaging session on talent culture and staff development. Drawing on her extensive experience, including her time as Director of People at United Learning, Mandy explored the importance of attracting and retaining staff, the role of appraisals and development reviews, and creating career development pathways. She emphasised how strategic investment in CPD can nurture talent, strengthen culture and help schools thrive.

The second keynote was delivered by Jonny Wathen, CIO and Co-Founder of TransforMATive. An experienced MAT Executive and digital transformation leader, Jonny spoke on the role of AI and emerging technologies in education. His session explored how AI can be harnessed in schools to support personalised learning, streamline administrative tasks through automation, provide transcription and translation tools, aid content creation, and enhance overall support for staff and students. His insights highlighted both the opportunities and responsibilities of leveraging technology effectively in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Kate Green, Director of Primary Education, shared her reflections on the day: "It was a privilege to bring together our leaders on Friday. Together, we built upon the sense of belonging - and it was wonderful to see the power of connections and the impact that having positive relationships can really make! We developed a greater sense of purpose by sharing our targets and building our knowledge to continue to develop the talent we have, as well as how we can use technology to enhance our work with our children. I feel proud to be part of such an inspiring team and look forward to the next chapter in our Spencer story."

Paul West, Chief Executive Officer, also shared: “Our annual Leadership Day is an important date in our Trust calendar, allowing colleagues to reflect and connect with each other, and consider our strategic priorities for the years ahead. I’d like to thank all colleagues for your valuable contributions and all who helped make the day such a success.”

The day closed with energy and optimism as leaders looked ahead to applying their learning in schools and teams across the Trust. As One Spencer, the focus now turns to building together - ensuring that staff, students and communities continue to build together and thrive.