A seven-figure cash pot used to help schools switch between academy trusts has shrunk to a 12-year low. Government figures, published this morning, showed just over £1 million was paid out through the fund last year, as grants slipped by 73 per cent in 12 months. Despite this, the size of the payouts rose, as each of the transfers that were afforded support were handed over £126,000 on average. Transfers down Today’s stats revealed that 263 academies moved trusts between April 2025 and March 2026. In the previous 12 months, the figure stood at 280. Not all of these are given grant funding to help cover the costs of the transfer, though. Sums of up to £150,000 can be awarded on educational grounds, based on Ofsted ratings, or on governance and financial grounds. The money is used to redesign curriculums, restructure staff, support marketing, pay for HR services for the TUPE process and cover financial management costs at the academies making the move. Funding low In 2025-26, only eight (3 per cent) of the switches that took place over the period received funding, down from 44 (16 per cent) the year before. The number is the lowest seen since 2013-14 (3 academies), when the Department for Education started collecting the data. The eight transfers received a total of £1 million in grant funding, equating to £126,250 per switch. This was less than the amount divvied up in 2024-25 (£3.7 million). Only 2013-14 saw a lower sum dished out (£467,300). This comes amid a wider squeeze in academy expansion subsidies following Labour’s decision to axe three grants two years ago, including the trust capacity and academy conversion pots. Intervention switches halve The official data also showed the number of transfers taking place due to intervention following poor Ofsteds or financial, governance or safeguarding failures tumbled. In 2025-26, 20 transfers were carried out for this reason, compared to 43 a year earlier. The figure is the lowest recorded. This comes after the government launched its RISE school improvement programme, which has seen schools hit with poor inspection ratings back-to-back receive targeted support brokered for them by government advisers. These schools would have previously been in line for intervention.