Thriving and surviving – Protecting schools in uncertain times

This practical, high-impact session will help you answer the critical question:
“What do I need to protect my school now, and how do I build resilience for what’s next?”

Schools face unprecedented financial strain, rising compliance demands, and growing personal accountability for leaders. This half-day leadership session hosted by Azets, Crysp and Schofield Sweeney brings together finance, health & safety, and legal experts to give you practical tools and reassurance.

What to expect:

• Finance: Surviving the squeeze and planning to thrive
• Health & Safety: Risk, reassurance, and real-world protection
• Legal: Accountability, governance, compliance, and personal risk

Takeaways:

• Clarity on financial control and governance under pressure
• Practical steps to reduce risk and protect your leadership team
• Confidence that you’re not alone in the challenges ahead

We invite:

Headteachers, CEOs, CFOs, School Business Leaders, Trust Leaders

Speakers (further information below):

• Tina Morris – Director, Education – Schofield Sweeney
• Graham Fitzgerald – Partner, Audit & Assurance – Azets
• Chloe Rhodes – Chief Professional Services Officer – Crysp

The day

Arrival from 9am
Tea, coffee and pastries
Refreshment break
Session to conclude at 1pm, followed by a networking buffet lunch

Graham Fitzgerald

Azets is a trusted accounting firm offering expert services, from small business accountants to audit and outsourcing.

Graham leads Azets’ Academy sector team and is based in their Teesside office. With more than 30 years’ experience in audit and advisory services, he has been a senior statutory auditor since 2002 and is passionate about building strong partnerships with clients, delivering compliance and value-added advice, and communicating complex issues in a clear and engaging way. A recognised specialist in the academy sector, Graham has supported academy trusts as an auditor and adviser since 2010. He is a regular contributor to academy-focused thought leadership for the Azets website and has delivered presentations, training sessions and webinars for academy leaders and trustees for many years. Graham supports over 50 charitable organisations and brings valuable first-hand governance experience as a trustee and Chair of Finance for a growing multi-academy trust. He also holds the ICAEW’s specialist charity qualification, giving him a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing academies and the wider not-for-profit sector.

Chloe Rhodes

Crysp is a compliance consultancy based in Saltaire, offering a distinctive combination of digital compliance management and practical, on-site auditing. The organisation supports a wide range of education providers across the UK, including multi-academy trusts, independent schools, nurseries, colleges and universities.

Crysp’s health and safety team is led by Chloe Rhodes, who has extensive experience across estates, facilities management and health and safety. Chloe is passionate about supporting the education sector and helping organisations develop practical, proportionate and sustainable approaches to compliance and risk management.

Tina Morris 

Schofield Sweeney are an award-winning, leading law firm offering full-service legal advice to businesses and individuals.

Tina Morris leads the education team and project manages the academy conversion process, bringing significant experience with both single and multi-academy trusts. Her specialisms include advising community, foundation, faith and PFI schools through the conversion process. In addition, Tina advises multi academy trusts on acquiring existing academies through re-brokerage arrangements, as well as advising academies who are themselves being transferred to a multi academy trust.