Leadership
On Thursday 24th April 2025, Google HQ in London became the backdrop for a remarkable day of celebration, reflection, and forward-thinking collaboration, marking the culmination of the TransforMATive Leadership Programme 2024–25. With over 50 leaders from Multi-Academy Trusts in attendance, this milestone event brought together visionaries, data pioneers, digital strategists, and educators to showcase and share how digital transformation can be a catalyst for equity, efficiency, and educational excellence.
A Programme Rooted in Purpose
Chaired by Jonny Wathen, Lisa Hawker, and John Murphy, the programme has been more than professional development—it’s been a transformative journey of strategic leadership. Through immersive learning, peer collaboration, and deep dives into digital strategy, participants explored how technology can drive improvement across governance, finance, inclusion, and curriculum.
The programme’s structured approach was designed to tackle real sector challenges: from the digital divide to workload pressures, from sustainability concerns to data fragmentation. Sessions like “Developing and Implementing a Digital Strategy” and “Google AI Studio in Schools” provided not just inspiration but practical tools that MATs are already embedding into their strategies.
Showcasing System Leadership in Action
The event celebrated individuals and trusts leading from the front:
- Andrew Harris and James Browning demonstrated how a strategic, values-led digital approach is embedding across entire trusts.
- Andrew Walls showcased Google AI Studio’s potential—from teacher coaching to web accessibility, redefining automation in schools.
- Mark Hancock revealed how River Learning Trust has unified fragmented data systems to enable real-time insights.
- Cheryl Shirley and Fiona Law offered practical examples of how inclusive EdTech and accessible tools can empower staff and learners.
Award-winning moments, such as Dewan Chowdhury’s contributions to data visualisation using BigQuery, reminded us that innovation often comes from unexpected corners of our teams.
The Real Impact
Participant feedback paints a powerful picture:
“What I thought would be IT-focused became a transformative leadership journey.”
“The course has been brilliant and eye-opening… offering valuable insights and new perspectives.”
“It’s empowered us to rethink how we meet, collaborate, and prioritise what matters.”
More than CPD, the programme sparked strategic alignment across trusts—linking digital strategy directly to teaching, inclusion, finance, and culture.
A Shared Mission: Equity, Excellence, and Innovation
The concluding panel discussions and reflections underscored a key message: digital strategy is no longer a future consideration—it’s a current necessity. Whether improving governance, enabling staff wellbeing, or empowering pupil outcomes, technology is reshaping the educational landscape.
Thanks to Google for Education for hosting, and to every trust who shared openly, challenged norms, and collaborated with courage.
As one delegate put it, “This is system leadership in action—together, we’re raising the bar and closing the gap.”
