Key Voices

“However hard it’s been, and it has been very difficult most of the time, schools never stopped, not once, to put themselves first. At every moment they have done their civic duty. I think they are exceptional. I think they are a national treasure.”    This week we talk to Leora Cruddas, CEO of The Confederation of School Trusts (CST), about her views on the role of trusts in the education system and how CST has been supporting its members during COVID-19.  We think about the various ways in which schools in trusts have potentially fared better over the past year and consider some of the longer-term consequences of the pandemic.    We talk about:  Leora’s career journey and what motivates her  Why CST exists and how it supports its members  Why schools benefit from being part of a strong and sustainable trust and how schools in trusts have in many cases fared better during COVID-19  Some of the myths around multi-academy trusts, and the negative impact of some media reporting on cases of poor practice in trus