Our School Business Managers bring an extraordinary breadth of expertise to our Trust and yesterday was a brilliant reminder of the vital role they play in keeping our schools running smoothly. Their adaptability, problem‑solving skills and commitment to excellence are evident every single day and we remain immensely grateful for everything they do.

We place huge value on delivering high‑quality CPD, but equally on giving staff protected time to step away from their work environment; yesterday was a perfect example of the power of that investment. Hosted at the Aura, the day began with a delicious breakfast kindly provided by Tradewind - thank you! It was wonderful to see members of the Central/ICT Team in attendance too.

The morning session focused on cyber recovery and prevention, led by colleagues from North Yorkshire. This was followed by an excellent session from Richard Berry at Let’s Go Zero, with whom we are continuing to work closely. We look forward to celebrating this work more widely across the Trust.

In the afternoon, our HR colleagues joined us for a well-received HR Clinic delivered by Browne Jacobson, always a highlight and hugely beneficial to staff.

All in all, it was a brilliant day of learning, reflection and connection. A huge thank you to all our presenters for their expertise, energy and enthusiasm; to our schools for enabling staff to attend; and, of course, to our School Business Managers for everything they bring to our Trust.

We’re already looking forward to the next one!

Where everybody counts, every moment matters.