Academies

MATs ‘more likely’ to be approved to run council-proposed special schools

DfE introduces expectation that bids via the 'free school presumption route' demonstrate 'resilience' in face of falling rolls and funding crisis

DfE introduces expectation that bids via the 'free school presumption route' demonstrate 'resilience' in face of falling rolls and funding crisis

13 May 2024, 14:20

More from this author

Bids to run new special or AP free schools proposed by councils are more likely to succeed if they come from multi-academy trusts (MATs), the government has said.

The Department for Education now wants applicants to demonstrate that settings opened via the free school “presumption route” will be financially and operationally “resilient”.

It comes as the sector grapples with cash shortages and a falling rolls crisis, leading to fears for the viability of some primaries and secondaries.

The Education Policy Institute warned last month that school funding could plunge by over £1 billion in five years as a result.

Unlike free school application waves, which allow trusts to apply to government to set up academies, the presumption route allows councils to seek bidders and then put forward their preferred chain to ministers.

Today, the government updated its guidance on the route to state that applicants “should be aware that an emphasis will be placed on ensuring the ongoing resilience of new schools that are approved through this process”.

It went on to say that special and AP settings were “typically smaller than many mainstream schools, increasing the importance of demonstrating this resilience both financially and operationally”.

Single academies expected to show growth plans

MATs “are able to operate at increased scale, supporting the resilience” of their academies.  

“Applications that result in a school which is part of a MAT…are more likely to be successful in a special or AP free school competition, because they will be able to better demonstrate that they meet the assessment criteria.”

If a new school opens as a single-academy trust, government “would expect” the SAT “to show clear plans about how they will grow and become a MAT over time to ensure its resilience”.

Ministers have said they want to see more schools in “strong” multi-academy trusts.

The presumption process is the main route for councils to get free schools to open in their areas to meet need for places.

The change also follows warnings from the Confederation of School Trusts that primaries and secondaries face “severe financial hardship” because of a technical funding change which meant they got a measly 0.5 per cent per-pupil increase.

Since 2018, the rates have risen by between 3 and 7 per cent. But this year, the government only increased minimum per-pupil funding levels by 0.5 per cent, despite school funding rising overall by 1.9 per cent.

Projections suggest the number of school children will fall by 818,000 between 2022-23 and 2032-33, following a national birth-rate slump.  

Latest education roles from

Exams Administrator

Exams Administrator

Bournemouth and Poole College

Management Information and Exams Officer

Management Information and Exams Officer

Capel Manor College

Lecturer (Maths)

Lecturer (Maths)

Bournemouth and Poole College

Chief Operating Officer, Central Region Schools Trust

Chief Operating Officer, Central Region Schools Trust

Satis Education

Admissions Officer

Admissions Officer

South Thames College

Student Services Adviser

Student Services Adviser

South Thames College

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

National competition – can your students solve the ocean plastics crisis?

University College London launches fully resourced national schools competition to tackle ocean plastics.

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

EUK Education – helping you inspire, educate, and inform students on STEM and career paths

EUK Education is the new home for all your STEM education and careers needs. Loaded with quality curriculum-linked programmes,...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Cutting-edge technology allows students to hold virtual conversations with Holocaust survivors.

Testimony 360, the new programme from the Holocaust Educational Trust uses innovative technology to bring the people and places...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

ASDAN’s digital future: Developing a dynamic, learner-led curriculum to empower learners with diverse needs.

ASDAN’s new CEO, Melissa Farnham, outlines a dynamic future for the charity and awarding organisation aligned to the government’s...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Academies

Academy conversion grant scrapped and ‘no plans’ for further trust capacity fund cash

Academies body says decisions will make it 'much more difficult' for trusts to support schools in need and will...

Freddie Whittaker
Academies

Lilac Sky scandal: £3m of ‘contentious, irregular or improper’ payments revealed

Government investigation 'outcome' report comes eight years after intervention, but contains just three pages and few details

John Dickens
Academies

Revealed: The 125 leaders in the running for CST policy group

The elected group will draw on leaders from across England and give feedback on policy issues facing academies

Jack Dyson
Academies

Trust gets notice to improve after school blaze

MAT slapped with notice over insurance issue that emerged after massive fire

Jack Dyson

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

One comment

  1. Rob Whatman

    In other words, the Government are deliberately going to starve state schools of yet another £1 billion in funding during a demographic decline, so that they can watch schools close and replace them with free schools run by their friends and cronies when rolls begin to increase. Blatant political corruption.