Leadership
Listening to this week’s panel discussion between Moira, Jim and colleagues, I found myself deeply encouraged by the clarity, honesty and courage shown in their reflections on trust leadership. Their stories, shaped by inflection points like the pandemic, painted a picture of a sector that is beginning to embrace its civic responsibility in a much broader, bolder way.
As someone focused on digital transformation and AI in education, I was struck by how closely their narratives align with our own journey. At TransforMATive, we talk a lot about systems, strategy and infrastructure. But behind every tool and dashboard is a community. And what this panel reminded me is that digital leadership is civic leadership.
From Isolation to Interconnection
What stood out most was the deliberate shift from internal priorities to outward-facing purpose. Whether it was dealing with reputational challenges, expanding across regions, or responding to poverty and attendance issues, every trust leader on that stage acknowledged that the turning point came when they stopped doing to communities and started working with them.
This applies directly to how we think about digital strategy. A central server may connect your schools, but what connects your communities? Are your systems designed only to solve problems inside the school gate, or to enable collaboration and support beyond it?
The most successful digital strategies I have seen are those that start with empathy. Just as the trusts in this panel listened to parents, residents and young people, our digital leaders must listen to users. Staff. Pupils. Families. Technology must not widen the gap between institutions and people. It must close it.
AI: A Tool for Upstream Thinking
Jim’s reflections on tackling attendance through employment support rather than punitive measures spoke volumes. It reminded me of the concept of upstream thinking in digital transformation. Too often, schools are reacting to data, rather than designing systems that prevent the problem in the first place.
AI gives us a powerful opportunity to intervene earlier, smarter and more humanely. From predictive analytics around attendance, to early identification of safeguarding patterns, to AI-driven personalisation of learning support, we now have the tools to shift from firefighting to foresight.
But this requires a reimagining of leadership. As Moira said, we cannot simply run brilliant schools in isolation. We must create the conditions for excellence by connecting people, understanding contexts and using data to empower rather than punish.
Trust, Transparency and Technology
A running theme throughout the panel was the rebuilding of trust. Several leaders shared how their communities had, at one point, felt disconnected or misunderstood. The repair came through listening, transparency and place-based action.
In the digital world, this could not be more relevant. If we are not transparent about what AI is doing, if we cannot explain why certain tools are used, or if parents do not feel their children’s data is being protected, we will lose public trust quickly.
Digital leadership, therefore, is not just about performance. It is about permission. And the only way to earn permission is through open, inclusive dialogue and clear ethical governance.
From Central Office to Civic Square
What excites me most is how trusts are evolving. As the panel noted, we are no longer just providers of education. We are civic institutions, often the last remaining anchor in fragmented local systems. Whether it is food parcels, uniform grants, employment support or green space regeneration, our schools are becoming hubs of social renewal.
At TransforMATive, we are beginning to see the digital equivalent of this. Trusts are asking not just for IT strategies, but for digital blueprints that empower community voice, support civic partnerships and enable joined-up services across local areas.
We need digital systems that reflect local identities, not impose generic solutions. We need place-based platforms that can flex around the needs of different schools and regions. We need AI that learns from the community, not just about it.
Courage to Lead, Capacity to Act
The final message from the panel was about courage. About expanding the mandate of a trust and not waiting for permission to do the right thing. This struck a chord with me, because digital transformation also takes courage. It means challenging old models, confronting discomfort with new technologies and stepping into unfamiliar territory.
As we support trusts in building AI strategies, adopting new systems or overhauling infrastructure, we are constantly reminded that digital maturity is not just a matter of tech readiness. It is a matter of leadership. Of alignment. Of purpose.
Conclusion: A Call to Reimagine
To paraphrase a final reflection from the panel, if not us, who? If not now, when?
We stand at a pivotal moment for education. The question is no longer whether digital transformation will shape our future. It already is. The real question is whether we will shape it in service of our mission.
Let us lead with purpose. Let us design systems that listen, not dictate. Let us use AI not as a shortcut, but as a tool for understanding and justice.
And most of all, let us remember that behind every strategy is a child, a family, a teacher. If our digital systems do not serve them, they serve no one.
