EducationSector News

Trust: The CST Podcast

Confederation of School Trusts · Trusts · The Confederation of School Trusts on trust leadership and governance.

12 December 2025

The Governance of AI

In this episode, we go beyond AI's potential and what platforms to use to instead examine the governance of AI. This episode is a must-listen whether your schools and trust are yet to explore how to use it, or if you already have AI integrated into your digital strategy or if you're somewhere in between. Join PLMR's Head of Education Tiffany Beck OBE, CST's Director of Trust Governance Samira Sadeghi, Browne…

47 minSave

13 November 2025

2 October 2025

Next-Gen Governance

Governance isn’t a box-ticking exercise — it’s human, strategic and deeply moral. In this episode, Tiffany Beck OBE (PLMR) is joined by Samira Sadeghi, Director of Trust Governance at the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), and Andy Wolfe, Executive Director of Education for the Church of England, to unpack Next-Gen Governance: what it is, why it’s needed and how boards can become true stewards of long-term…

38 minSave

10 June 2025

Flourishing Teachers, Flourishing Children: Unlocking the Power of Professional Development

In this episode, Tiffany Beck OBE, Head of Education at PLMR, is joined by Leora Cruddas CBE, Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, and Hilary Spencer, Chief Executive of Ambition Institute. Together, they explore the vital role of evidence-led, high-quality professional development in building resilient, purpose-driven school trusts. From motivating teachers and fostering inclusivity, to addressing…

33 minSave

2 May 2025

The Anxious Generation: Jonathan Haidt on the impact of social media on children

In this special episode of Trust: The CST Podcast, produced by PLMR, renowned social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt joins an audience of English school trust leaders to delve into the themes of his latest book, The Anxious Generation . He explores the profound impact of smartphones and social media on children's mental health, development and education. Hosted by journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed, the…

1 hr 16 minSave

2 April 2025

New Domains of Educational Leadership: Inside the new book from Leora Cruddas CBE

In this episode of Trust: The CST Podcast, produced by PLMR, PLMR's Head of Education Tiffany Beck OBE is joined by CST’s Chief Executive Leora Cruddas CBE, to explore the thinking behind her first book, New Domains of Educational Leadership . Leora shares why now is the right moment to capture emerging learning from across the school trust sector and how the book brings together three vital leadership domains: trust…

24 minSave

7 February 2025

The conceptual model of trust-led school improvement

In this episode, PLMR's Head of Education Tiffany Beck OBE and CST's Deputy Chief Executive Steve Rollett are joined by Naveed Khan, Director of Education at Westcountry Schools Trust and Chris Gould, Director of Education and Deputy CEO at Truro and Penwith Academy Trust. The group delves into CST's conceptual model of trust-led school improvement and sheds light on what it's all about, what it looks like in…

39 minSave

18 November 2024

Building: The CST Annual Conference 2024

Join PLMR's Head of Education Tiffany Beck OBE as she explores this year's CST Annual Conference theme of 'Building', on the ground in Birmingham. In this episode, Tiff speaks to Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah and his PE teacher; His Majesty's Chief Inspector for Ofsted Sir Martyn Oliver; Lord Adebowale, Chair of the NHS Confederation; John Edwards, Director General for the Regions Group at the Department for…

30 minSave

18 October 2024

27 September 2024

The Early Years

REAch2 Academy Trust currently supports 62 primary academies across England, making it the largest primary-only academy trust in the country. 58 of those academies have Reception classes and 36 also have nursery provision, meaning REAch2 holds perhaps unparalleled expertise in early years settings in schools. Early years is a hot topic at the moment, particularly as Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson…

30 minSave

24 July 2024

Getting started on a strategy for community anchoring

School trusts are increasingly thinking about how to embed themselves as anchor institutions at the heart of the communities they serve. With so many different priorities to balance, how can leaders get started on thinking and doing bigger within their communities? Here Tiffany Beck OBE, Head of Education at PLMR, and Steve Rollett, Deputy Chief Executive of Confederation of School Trusts, speak to Nick Osborne…

38 minSave

18 June 2024

A Good Life: Shifting the narrative on SEND

This episode is all about the system for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), exploring both the current challenges in the system and how we can take a more optimistic, long-term view by focusing on how to ensure greater dignity for people with SEND. PLMR's Head of Education Tiffany Beck OBE hosts this inspirational episode featuring the insights of CST's Chief Executive Leora Cruddas CBE and Ben…

39 minSave

20 May 2024

Funding Futures

Tiffany Beck OBE, Head of Education at PLMR, speaks to Sam Skerritt, Director of Public Affairs and Policy at Confederation of School Trusts (CST) and Susan Fielden, CST’s Trust and School Funding Policy Specialist about the bottom line – school funding. How does it work at the moment, how does that complicate things for trust leaders and what solutions could make a big difference?

30 minSave

15 April 2024

Community Anchoring

Join CST's Leora Cruddas CBE, Reach Foundation's CEO Ed Vainker OBE and PLMR's Head of Education Tiffany Beck OBE as they discuss the role of school trusts as anchor institutions in their communities. Learn more about what that means, what impact it can have and how to approach developing or stepping up your strategy to achieve this -- plus, find out what a 'disruptive edge' is.

26 minSave

18 March 2024

Reimagining Governance

PLMR’s Head of Education Tiffany Beck OBE speaks to CST’s Chief Executive Leora Cruddas CBE and Anthem Schools Trust’s Chief Executive Mohsen Ojja about reimagining trust governance. Since this recording, and following a concerted effort by CST, the DfE has now separated out governance guidance for academy trusts from maintained schools. CST welcomes the new guidance with its greater clarity about trust governance…

20 minSave

26 February 2024

Starting With Why

In this episode, CST Chief Executive Leora Cruddas CBE and PLMR Head of Education Tiffany Beck OBE discuss why school trusts are our best bet for a school system that keeps getting better.

20 minSave

26 January 2024

10 November 2023

17 October 2023

25 September 2023

Intro to Trust: the CST podcast, produced by PLMR

Join CST’s Chief Executive Leora Cruddas and Deputy Chief Executive Steve Rollett, and communications agency PLMR’s Head of Education Tiffany Beck sharing an overview of what to expect as the series unfolds. This will be followed by special event episodes in October featuring the CST Annual Conference and a political party conference season round-up. The series will then continue in January, with regular episodes…

12 minSave