On Tuesday 23 April, Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy in Walsall, hosted The Trust Network National Conference 2025, welcoming over 200 school estates professionals, sector leaders and invited guests from across the country.
Themed ‘The Building Blocks of School Estate Management’, the day explored the full spectrum of estates leadership—from strategic planning and sustainability to compliance and the day-to-day operational challenges facing schools today.
As a founding member of The Trust Network (TTN), Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT) played a central role in shaping the event, which is now a key date in the calendar for those working in school estates across multi-academy trusts and education organisations.
Attendees benefited from a rich programme of keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and a closing panel discussion, all designed to promote knowledge-sharing and practical learning. Feedback from delegates was overwhelmingly positive, with one attendee noting:
“This was my first conference and it is completely geared to what I was looking for. I really enjoyed the workshops – they are very interactive. I will definitely come back again next year.”
OAT was well represented throughout the day:
- Louisa Sharpless, Head of Safety and Estates Compliance, led a popular session and contributed to the final panel, “What does effective look like for estates?”
- Matt Rendall, Regional Estates Manager, delivered a practical workshop on “Managing Mechanical Equipment”
- James Miller, National Director of Infrastructure and Sustainability, and Cate Johnstone were instrumental in organising and delivering the event as active members of the TTN committee.
James Miller said, “It was a fantastic day – so much knowledge and energy in one place… Our sector is full of talented professionals doing vital work, often behind the scenes. The conference was about shining a light on that work and learning from each other to build stronger, safer and more sustainable schools.”
A huge thank you goes to Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy for once again hosting and supporting the smooth running of the event, and to all the speakers, organisers and attendees who made the day such a success.
About The Trust Network
Founded in 2014 and co-chaired by James Miller, TTN is a national peer support network for independently-run state-funded schools, committed to promoting effective and sustainable estates management.
TTN is led by OAT in collaboration with seven other multi-academy trusts. The network is endorsed by the Department for Education and offers its members access to national and regional events, expert webinars, monthly newsletters and an online resource hub.