Overcoming challenges and finding solutions
Judicium's free Sofa Sessions
Join us 'on the sofa' where we talk frankly with experts about the real issues facing education. With many attendees from across the country bringing ideas, together, we can find effective solutions to challenging conversations!
"No script, no jargon... real conversation!"
Upcoming sofa sessions and events
We suggest you book in early to secure a spot in these upcoming sessions.
Please note: each Sofa Session has 2 available times.
Wed, 10th June 2026
10am
Steve Barker
Join us as we discuss:
- Latest MAT sector insights
- The White Paper decoded: the implications of the Government's reforms for trusts, collaboration and future growth.
- The next phase of trust accountability including: trust commissioning, community collaboration, MAT inspections and governance intervention where performance concerns arise.
- Governance priorities for the future including: executive pay, attendance and reintegration, disadvantage metrics, AI safety and quality standards.
10am & 11:30am
Isthar Pearce
Join us as we discuss:
- Maintaining oversight with reduced leadership presence: ensuring effective decision-making and incident management when key staff are away over the summer
Clear roles and responsibilities for clubs, lettings and contractors: defining accountability for health and safety, site access and compliance during the break.- Practical steps to keep your site safe, compliant and ready for September: Key actions to protect your site, meet statutory requirements and support a smooth return in the new term.
10:00am & 11:30am
Steve Barker
Join us as we discuss:
- Understanding what an External Review of Governance involves and the expectations set out in DfE guidance.
- Exploring how ERoGs provide independent insight to strengthen governance effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Learning when a review is most valuable and the key indicators that suggest one may be beneficial.
- Discovering how to commission an effective review, secure meaningful outcomes and turn recommendations into lasting improvements.
10am & 11:30am
Pippa Kober
Join us as we discuss:
- From compliance to culture – what recent inspections reveal about safeguarding across key areas
- Patterns and pitfalls – where safeguarding is most vulnerable in ‘needs attention’ and ‘urgent improvement’ judgements
- When safeguarding fails – what leads to ‘not met’ judgements and where to focus improvement
10am & 11:30am
Samira Awadalla
This session will cover:
- What is the different between a SAR and an FOI request, including timescales for each type of request
- What the school should do during closure periods and how to be transparent with requesters prior to this period
- Increase in AI-generated SARs and summer holidays
- Factors to consider for any potential extensions on SARs
- Having a clear updated complaints process since the implementation of the Data Use and Access Act 2025