Forum Strategy has commissioned a report into Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion amongst Chief Executives in the academy trust sector. The report, which represents a significant investment by the company, will explore the current diversity of Trust leaders, and the scale of the challenge to ensure proper representation. This investment reflects a long-term commitment by Forum Strategy to identifying how diverse, inclusive leadership in the academy trust sector can contribute to a fairer, more inclusive, more effective, and sustainable education system for our society. Just in the last year, Forum has delivered nine CEO strategy group meetings to help academy trusts identify strategies and practices to ensure environmental sustainability and staff and pupil wellbeing – topics that are of vital importance to pupils, staff and society as a whole.
The research will be undertaken by Public First and former TES Deputy Editor Ed Dorrell and directed by an advisory group of CEOs and leaders including Sir Steve Lancashire (CEO of REAch2 Academy Trust), David Watson OBE (CEO, Venturers Trust), Nav Sanghara (CEO, Woodland Academy Trust), Dr. Ranjit Manghnani (Executive Coach) and Alice Gregson (former national equality and diversity lead at the National College for School Leadership and current Forum Strategy COO). As a team, we will listen to the voices from within our sector (and beyond) to consider the current position and to further efforts towards enhancing Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion across Trust executive levels.
Announcing the research, Forum’s Chief Operating Officer and the advisory group’s Chair, Alice Gregson, said: “To ensure we have an education system that truly represents all backgrounds and removes barriers to under-represented groups, diverse and inclusive leadership must be modelled from the very top. That is why it is key that we undertake this assessment of the current position for the trust system, by exploring diversity amongst CEOs and the scale of the challenge we face. As things stand, this is relatively unexplored, and we are determined to understand how far there is still to go. The findings will be an important starting point for the trust system.”
The research findings are due to be published at Forum Strategy’s annual national #TrustLeaders CEO conference on 29th September
For more information, please contact Alice Gregson at admin@forumstrategy.org
