Keys Academies Trust
A digital strategy the trust could act on.
A small multi-academy trust needed a digital strategy without the cost of a full-time post. As its fractional digital strategist I carried out an audit, wrote the strategy and roadmap, and ran stakeholder workshops along the way.
- Organisation
- Multi-academy trust
- Role
- Fractional digital strategist
- Work
- Strategic consultancy, Professional development
- Relationship
- Long-term partnership, now complete
A strategy to match the devices.
Keys Academies Trust is a multi-academy trust with primary and secondary schools. When Dr Ian Young became CEO in 2022, several year groups already had iPads, but a trust of its size could not justify a full-time post to set the digital strategy and lead the training.
A long-term, fractional partnership.
I worked with Keys Academies Trust as its fractional digital strategist from June 2025 to July 2026, alongside executive and senior leaders. It gave the trust senior digital expertise without the cost of a permanent post.
What the work covered.
- Auditing how technology was used across the trust’s schools
- Writing the trust’s digital strategy and keeping it aligned with its wider priorities
- Setting out a roadmap for putting the strategy into practice
- Running workshops with leaders, staff and other stakeholders along the way
- Supporting 1:1 iPad programmes in the trust’s schools, including iLearn at Jack Hunt
- Training staff in practical classroom uses of technology
- Chairing key working groups
- Reporting to trust leaders on progress and next steps
What changed.
By the end of the work, the trust’s schools were working to a shared digital strategy, and leaders were taking decisions about technology with more confidence.
Leaders described clearer priorities and a closer match between what the trust intended and what happened in its classrooms.
José has been able to work flexibly with us as a fractional digital strategist with real impact. … The model is working perfectly for us in terms of the balance between impact and affordability.
Read the full comment
In taking on the role of CEO of Keys Academies Trust in 2022, I inherited schools with deployment of iPads to a number of year groups, both in primary and secondary. As a small trust, I realised over time that I couldn’t create an affordable and effective position within the Trust central team to create the digital strategy we needed and to drive improvement and training. I was delighted, then, to catch José shortly after he launched his consultancy, having observed the high quality of his work over a decade in two strong independent schools within United Learning. José has been able to work flexibly with us as a fractional digital strategist with real impact. He has rapidly formed good quality relationships and is highly respected across the Trust. The model is working perfectly for us in terms of the balance between impact and affordability. I can strongly recommend his services.
Dr Ian YoungFormer CEO, Keys Academies TrustI have really valued working with José. He has provided valuable insight into our iLearn 1:1 project, getting us to really think about how we use technology to improve teaching and learning across our school from both a staff and student perspective. His training is always very well received, giving practical and usable advice that can immediately be taken into the classroom environment.
Chris GameDeputy Headteacher, Jack Hunt Academy (part of Keys Academies Trust)