Building Capacity for Effective MAT Leadership

In this episode of The MAT Unpacked, host Ed Nell is joined by Chris Whiting from Academy Advisory and Jo Harper, Chief Executive of Activate Learning Education Trust, to explore what it really takes to build leadership capacity across a Multi Academy Trust. The conversation looks at the balance between centralisation and empowerment, the importance of culture, and how trusts can develop leaders from within. Jo also reflects openly on the difficult journey following UTC Reading’s challenging Ofsted report in 2023, and how the trust responded with honesty, accountability and long-term improvement. Key Takeaways Leadership capacity is about people, not just structure Effective trusts make the most of their financial resources while developing the human talent already within their schools. Centralisation should be thoughtful Some things make sense to centralise, but trusts risk disempowering leaders if too much capacity is pulled away from schools. Culture is the foundation Jo explains that culture is the most important part of any organisation, especially when staff need to feel they belong both to their school and the wider trust. Strong leadership means knowing when to step in and step back A CEO needs to understand the key indicators, dive deep when needed, then empower others to lead once the right support is in place. Difficult moments can become turning points UTC Reading’s 2023 Ofsted judgement was a challenging period, but Jo describes it as a moment that reshaped how the trust reviews, questions and supports its schools. Transparency builds trust Whether dealing with parents, staff, trustees or headteachers, open conversations and shared responsibility helped ALET rebuild confidence and improve outcomes. Finance and school improvement must work together Budget planning is treated as a shared leadership responsibility, with headteachers involved in transparent conversations about priorities, resources and trade-offs. Key Moments “Culture is the single most important aspect of any organisation.” “If you know the detail of everything, you’re probably not doing the strategic role you should be doing.” “You can have anything you want, you just can’t have it all.” “On day two of the Ofsted inspection, we were already really in day one of the improvement plan.” “Sometimes when things go wrong, that’s when you have the deepest and most difficult conversations.” About The MAT Unpacked The MAT Unpacked explores what effective leadership, governance and operations look like inside Multi Academy Trusts. Hosted by Ed Nell with regular co-host Chris Whiting from Academy Advisory, the podcast brings together trust leaders and sector experts to share practical insights, honest reflections and real-world experiences from across the education system. How to Get in Touch To learn more about Academy Advisory or connect with the team: Website: https://academyadvisory.com LinkedIn: Academy Advisory If you enjoyed this episode, follow The MAT Unpacked and share it with colleagues across your trust.