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The MAT Event 2026 · 9 July · EDcity London
Trusts are being asked to control more, with the same central team.
More schools. Falling rolls in some, growth in others. Tighter compliance, higher cost of getting it wrong. The central office holding it all together hasn't grown to match.
The trusts handling this well aren't hiring more head-office staff. They're working differently. One team, one view, one source of truth. That's the conversation on 9 July.
what you'll gain
✅ Hear from trusts already further down this path
Listen to MAT Leaders share what they have actually done, what the numbers look like, and what they would do differently.
✅ Live oversight across every school
How the best trusts have moved from retrospective reporting to a single, real-time view across their whole portfolio.
✅ Re-imagine your MAT offering
Talk about everything from leadership coaching, to data protection, staff benefits, refining your curriculum, and tracking medical details.
✅ Make connections with leading MATs
Ask questions of some of the most successful MATs in the country, network with leaders in your area, and meet inovators whose advice can propel you along your journey.
MAT Leaders Day - 9 July
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Why this matters this year The pressure on MATs is not easing in the next 18 months. |
Falling rolls. Tightening budgets. Rising teacher costs. The trusts managing this well have one view across every school - pupil numbers, admissions and compliance in one place, not stitched together from three systems. That's what determines who fills places and who doesn't. 9 July is when the trust office can see what that looks like before September. |
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−7.6% Year 7 places forecast to fall across Inner London by 2029/30. A further 115k lost by 2030 nationally. Source: DfE · April 2026 |
£1bn+ Lost primary funding across 2027 to 2029 by NAO projection. The pressure is already visible from the boardroom. Source: NAO · Nov 2025 |
The day
Agenda · 9 July 2026
| 09:00 |
Arrival Coffee & registration |
| 09:30 |
WELCOME & Opening Amanda Grainger, Director of Customer Success, Applicaa Building a MAT Network, and Applicaa's MAT Beta program (15 min) |
| 09:45 |
ADVICE Session Catherine Hulme, Director, Leadership Edge Rethinking leadership in MATs: Moving from control to capacity-building (20min + Q&A) |
| 10:10 |
ADVICE Session Chris Jones, CEO, SMARTcurriculum MAT curriculum and ICFP focus on cross-phase relevance (20min + Q&A) |
| 10:35 |
Break |
| 11:00 |
MAT LEADER EXPERIENCE Lisa Shearing, Marketing and Admissions Manager, White Horse Federation Implementing Applicaa across a 30-school MAT (20min + Q&A) |
| 11:30 |
ADVICE Session Catherine Belchamber, Managing Director, Education Showroom Helping MATs save millions of pounds already this year - we explore how (15min) |
| 11:45 |
MAT LEADER EXPERIENCE Claire Rennison, Lead Data Analyst, Education South West Data Analysis across the Trust and where Applicaa comes in (20min + Q&A) |
| 12:15 |
ADVICE SESSION Scott Thorne, Education Account Manager, CSSC Explore proven, sustainable approaches to strengthening wellbeing and morale across the Trust. (15min) |
| 12:30 |
Lunch & Open Networking |
| 13:30 |
ADVICE Session James England, CEO, Data Protection Education From SARS to Oversight: addressing the five critical data protection pressure points in MATs (20min + Q&A) |
| 13:55 |
MAT LEADER EXPERIENCE Ed Arthur, Head of Strategy, Lift Schools Capturing every Pupil Premium pound your schools are entitled to, and what it unlocks at Trust level (20min + Q&A) |
| 14:20 |
ADVICE SESSION Daniel Neeld, Managing Director, Medical Tracker Supporting effective healthcare and first aid management in your MAT (20min + Q&A) |
| 14:45 |
Closing Amanda Grainger, Applicaa Thank you, what's next on the MAT roadmap, and how to find out more (15min) |
Practical
Things you'll want to know.
Anything not covered here - email amanda@applicaa.com or book a call using the link below.
Q. Is this a sales event?
No. MAT leaders will be sharing what has worked in their own trusts. Applicaa is hosting, and the agenda is focused on the topics that matter most to trusts.
Q. Do I need to be an Applicaa customer?
Everyone is welcome, whether you already use Applicaa or are simply interested in the event.
Q. Can I bring my CFO / CEO / Head of Admissions?
Absolutely, colleagues are very welcome. Many of the most useful conversations happen when finance, operations and admissions leaders attend together.
Q. Is there a cost?
No, attendance is completely free and the event is hosted by Applicaa. Places are limited to 140 attendees, so we recommend applying early. Applications will close on 1 July, or sooner if all places are filled.
140 places available
We’d love to see you there, so do register soon.
Registrations close on 1 July, or earlier if all places are taken.