New data released by the government today shows 54 per cent of multi-academy trusts achieved a below or well-below-average progress scores for their sixth formers last year. For the first time, the Department for Education has published MAT league tables for 16 to 18 provision, covering 50 academy trusts across England. The tables rank the trusts based on a level 3 “value-added” score, which rates progress made during sixth form. Today’s data shows average progress at 26 of the 50 trusts included was “below-average”, while progress at one chain, the Swale Academies Trust, was “well below average”. However, the government pointed out that the low progress scores among MATs relative to other schools is “largely” because they run so many sponsored academies, previously failing schools which have lower progress scores than other institutions. Twenty MATs achieved an average progress score, while just three, Aldridge Education, the Inspiration Trust and the Diocese of London, were above average. Celebrated trusts including the Harris Federation and United Learning are among those rated below average. Other large trusts with a below average score include the Academies Enterprise Trust, David Ross Education Trust, Leigh Academies Trust and E-Act. The data also shows that pupils at the MATs included in the data made less progress than those in other state-funded mainstream schools. In particular, non-disadvantaged pupils scored a much lower average progress score, close to -0.08, in the MATs, than they did in other schools, where they achieved an average score of just over 0. According to the government, the differences in progress between students in MATs and those in all mainstream institutions is “statistically significant”. How the trusts fared Above average (3) Aldridge Education Diocese of London Inspiration Trust Average (20) Academy Transformation Trust (ATT) ARK Schools Brooke Weston Trust Diocese of Oxford Diverse Academies Trust Dixons Academy Trust East Midlands Education Trust Education Central Multi Academy Trust Invictus Education Trust Kent Catholic Schools Partnership (KCSP) Oasis Community Learning Ormiston Academies Trust Outwood Grange Academies Trust The Castle School Education Trust The Redhill Academy Trust The Skinners’ Company The Thinking Schools Academy Trust Tudor Grange Academies Trust Wellsway School Academy Trust Woodard Academies Trust Below average (26) Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) Aspirations Academies Trust (AAT) CfBT Education Trust City of London Academies Trust Creative Education Trust David Meller David Ross Education Trust (DRET) Delta Academies Trust (Delta) E-ACT FPTA Academies (Fort Pitt Grammar School and The Thomas Aveling School) Grace Foundation Greenwood Academies Trust Harris Federation 11 Kemnal Academy Trust, The (TKAT) Leigh Academies Trust Loxford School Trust Ltd Matrix Academy Trust Northern Education Trust Northern Schools Trust Rosedale Hewens Academy Trust The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust The Education Fellowship Trust The Haberdashers’ Livery Company The Priory Federation of Academies Trust Transforming Education in Norfolk (the TEN Group) United Learning Well below average (1) Swale Academies Trust