Professor Toby Greany & Eleanor Bernades: MAT Organisation Development and Action Learning (9.30am-12.15pm)

This workshop session is aimed at senior leaders in trusts that are committed to participating in Action Learning with Toby and Eleanor in the 2025-26 year, particularly those trusts that have not participated previous. The session will help leaders to identify their action learning question and to develop a preliminary Theory of Change for how the trust might address it.

About the speakers:

Toby's research is focused on how policy and practice interact to shape educational opportunities and outcomes, in particular across MAT’s, local systems and through networks, and the nature and role of leadership in these processes.  Toby was previously Professor of Leadership and Innovation at UCL's Institute of Education (UCL IOE). In the past he has worked for the NCSL, Design Council, Campaign for Learning and the Cabinet Office. He chairs the Greater Manchester  PEIA Board on behalf of the DfE. He is a Fellow of the CCoT and sits on a number of advisory and steering groups. In 2005-06 he was Special Adviser to the House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee.

Toby has written over 100 journal articles, book chapters and reports on issues relating to school and educational leadership. His most recent books include: School leadership and education system reform (2nd edition, Bloomsbury, 2021, co-edited with Peter Earley) and Leading Educational Networks: Theory, Policy and Practice (Bloomsbury, 2022, co-authored with Annelies Kamp).

Eleanor is a researcher and consultant specialising in education leadership and management. Her career has spanned business and arts management, teaching and curriculum development, school and MAT leadership, and research and consultancy, most notably as Head of Engagement for The CFEY (The Centre for Education and Youth). She is currently the Strategic Lead for the APSEND National MAT CEOs Network, and is undertaking her PhD on the topic of ‘Executive Founder Succession in Multi Academy Trusts’. Alongside her work, she supports school and trust leaders as a coach and/or ‘critical friend’, especially through times of growth and transition.

If you are planning on attending the three hour workshops with Ron Berger or Angela O’Brien (12.45-3.45pm), we’d recommend taking your lunch break following the end of this session.