The Advisory Board | nEdEx

SECTOR STEWARDSHIP

Chaired by Jen Elliott, Steered by Trust & School Leaders

Our Advisory Board steers and influences the direction of nEdEx, authoring sector responses on the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework, STRB pay awards, financial sustainability, and workforce wellbeing.

Conferences & Roundtables

ACADEMIC YEAR 25/26 & 26/27

Meet the nEdEx Advisory Board

Jen Elliott

Jen Elliott

Chair of Advisory Board, nEdEx & CEO, EPM

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Matt McDermott

Matt McDermott

Head of Community, nEdEx

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Nick Osborne

Nick Osborne

CEO, Maritime Academy Trust

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Carla Whelan

Carla Whelan

CEO, Empower MAT

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Sash Hamidi

Sash Hamidi

CEO, Pegasus Partnership Trust

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Lauren Wilson

Lauren Wilson

Head of Brand Strategy & Partnerships, Thinking Schools Academy Trust

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Andy Riches

Andy Riches

CEO, Inspiring Primaries Academies Trust

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Sarah Sawford

Sarah Sawford

Hub Business & Operations Manager, Minerva Learning Trust

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Marie Sweetlove-Smyth

Marie Sweetlove-Smyth

CEO, Fortis Trust

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Tim Plumb

Tim Plumb

CEO, PolyMAT

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Howard Nelson

Howard Nelson

CFOO, Keys Academies Trust

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Ben Stickley

Ben Stickley

CEO, Southend East Community Academy Trust

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Colette Firth

Colette Firth

Executive Head, Spirit Federation & St Johns Church School

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BOARD FOCUS AREAS

How the Advisory Board Shapes nEdEx

Ofsted & Policy Readiness

Authoring practical executive briefings and HR checklists on the new Ofsted Inspection Framework and DfE policy shifts.

Financial Sustainability

Sharing multi-year budgeting approaches, STRB pay award analysis, and intelligent resource allocation across trusts.

Workforce & Retention

Championing staff wellbeing, flexible working, and leadership culture across 180+ Multi-Academy Trusts.

Conference & Awards Curation

Steering national conference agendas, House of Commons roundtables, and judging The School & Trust Leadership Awards.

THE NEDEX HUB

Advisory Board Insights & Event Recaps

Advisory Board Article: Navigating 2026

Advisory Board Article: Navigating 2026

Navigating Financial Sustainability, Workforce Pressures and Opportunity in 2026

Leading with clarity, collaboration and moral purpose in a year of system pressure. Contributions from Carla Whelan (Empower MAT), Sash Hamidi (Pegasus Partnership Trust), Colette Firth (Spirit Federation), Howard Nelson (Keys Academies Trust), and Nick Osborne (Maritime Academy Trust).

Ofsted Framework & HR Readiness

Ofsted Framework & HR Readiness

nEdEx Advisory Board Response to Ofsted's New Education Inspection Framework

Executive summary and HR & People Readiness Checklist from Jen Elliott (Chair of nEdEx & CEO of EPM) on Ofsted's shift from single-word judgments to a multi-area scorecard elevating staff wellbeing, inclusion, and leadership culture.

The Education Leaders Conference

The Education Leaders Conference

Vision, Culture, Courage & Collaboration Over Competition

More than 100 education leaders came together in Milton Keynes for the debut nEdEx conference chaired by Jen Elliott, featuring keynotes from Sash Hamidi (Pegasus Partnership Trust), Rowena Hackwood (Astrea Academy Trust), and Adrian Rogers.

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JOIN THE NETWORK

Become a Member or Supporting Partner

Membership is completely free for leaders across Trusts, Schools and Local Authorities (180+ Trusts and 1,700+ Schools). Trusted education suppliers can also enquire to join as a Supporting Partner for 2026/27.

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