Education Executives Network

Professional development for educational leaders in academy trusts

Forum Strategy is delighted to share our Education Executives’ Membership offer, focused on supporting the ongoing professional development and learning of individuals leading educational improvement and delivery across multiple schools or a trust-wide specialism. These roles include (but are not limited to) Directors of Education/School Improvement, School Improvement Leads, Executive Headteachers and Headteachers who have a cross-Trust remit, particularly around educational improvement.

Our offer is based on high quality face to face and online workshops; access to our breakfast briefings, masterclasses, and online resources; and with complimentary individual access to our e-briefing services on education policy, research and funding. There is also the option to commission our executive coaching support in addition to your membership, should you wish.

The network is intended to support executive educational leaders to learn from the very best in their field and connect with peers across the country, supported by Forum Strategy’s sector-leading approach. Organisations that have contributed to our workshops and briefing sessions so far have included UNICEF, The Children’s Society, and NHS Horizons as well as CEOs and organisations from within the education sector (such as the Teacher Development Trust, ATT Institute & Schools Partnership Programme).

The quality of the input during workshops has been fantastic and has given me food for thought…I have also really appreciated the coaching sessions

Being a member has been really supportive during this challenging time. The assumed expectations or a ‘return to normal’ versus the reality has made our role a leadership dichotomy. Having the time and space to share, review and reset has been so important both professional (within the Forum sessions) and personally (within the coaching).

The experience has been wholly positive and offered the space to put my own professional development first. We’ve been challenged to think beyond our own organisations and consider how our work can be fed into the system.

From August 2023 the Education Executives Network Membership includes: 

  • Two face to face leadership development network sessions in Nottinghamshire, and two half-day workshops delivered online.
  • A short online introductory session for all new Education Executive members (which takes place in September each year), reflecting on topics covered over the previous twelve months and with  links to some key materials.
  • Access to some of our wider events, including the National #TrustLeaders Symposium each June, and our regular Members’ Masterclasses and Breakfast Briefings covering key areas of trust development and education policy.
  • Access to our complimentary Strategy and Intelligence (weekly during term time) and Funding and Grants Briefings (fortnightly during term time).
  • The opportunity to engage in small peer group meetings to undertake reciprocal visits to trusts (please note this is self-directed and organised by the groups themselves with light touch support from Forum Strategy on how to get the very best from these visits).
  • Access to the Forum Strategy membership website, including many dozens of articles, case studies, briefings and interviews on key topics for trust leaders. The website is updated each month during term time with new materials and resources.
  • The option to commission in addition to your membership, five online coaching sessions each year with an experienced executive coach identified and quality assured by Forum Strategy.

This membership will also support those individuals who are in executive education leadership and may consider becoming CEOs in the future. If you are currently a serving CEO or a COO, alternative membership is available: www.forumstrategy.org/our-networks

The fee for an annual (365 days) individual membership is £1250 plus VAT. If you would like to add executive coaching as an additional service, please contact us for more details, including details of our coaches and relevant costs. All of our networks run continuously throughout the year and you can apply at any time to join. Your 12 month membership will begin on confirmation of your successful application

To apply to join this network, please complete the web form at the bottom of this page.  Upon successful submission, you will receive a message to confirm your application has been received and a member of the team will be in touch with next steps.

The Education Executive Network is led by:

Paul Ainsworth

Paul Ainsworth

Paul K Ainsworth (@pkainsworth) has held Director of School Improvement roles in four Multi-Academy Trusts including a large system leader MAT, Faith MATs and those which are rapidly expanding. In September will be working for Infinity Academies Trust, Lincolnshire. He has supported leaders of small rural primary schools to large urban secondary schools, working intensively with those in OFSTED categories or have had a dip in results including four schools which moved from inadequate to good. He has been the Head of a Teaching School, delivered training to system leaders and Chaired Interim Executive Boards for nine schools. In recognition of his school improvement work he is both an LLE and FCCT.

‘No Silver Bullets: Day in, day out school improvement’ is his ninth book following ‘Get that Teaching Job’, ‘Middle Leadership’ and ‘The Senior Leader’s Yearbook’. He is also a TEDx speaker.

Debbie Clinton

Debbie Clinton

Debbie is a freelance Education Leadership Expert specialising in strategic risk, governance, people development, peer review and trust growth. She has been the CEO of two established multi academy trusts. During her tenure, both saw significant improvement in educational outcomes, people development and financial/operational performance.

Debbie is a former HMI and was, before that, the Principal of Nunthorpe Academy,  Middlesbrough – judged outstanding by Ofsted in all aspects. Debbie was invited to a 2014 Downing Street reception for ‘Inspirational Women Leaders’ in 2014 following her work at Nunthorpe.

Debbie has wide experience in leadership development and school improvement, and has supported national projects, conferences and working parties/groups for the DfE, the Institute of Education (London) and many others. Debbie sits on GovNet’s Education Advisory Board as a non-executive adviser. She is also a trustee of the Ebor Academy Trust.

£1250.00 (exc. VAT)

As a member of the Education Executives network you can also commission additional support, including executive coaching sessions.

For more on this please visit: Executive Coaching | Forum Strategy