A MAT chosen to support struggling schools through the government’s RISE programme has had its bid to absorb three new academies knocked back amid concerns that its outcomes are not good enough.
Hamwic Education Trust, which runs 37 academies across the south of England, had wanted to add three more to its books.
But notes from a recent Department for Education (DfE) advisory board meeting show its plans to take on Cranborne Middle School in Dorset were declined.
‘Quality’ concerns
Minutes state the board felt the “quality” of the trust’s key stage 2, 3 and 4 “outcomes [were] not strong enough”. Concerns were also raised over Hamwic’s nearest GCSE provision being its “two secondary schools in Southampton”.
Regional director Lucy Livings subsequently decided the trust was “not a good match… on both the counts of quality and geography”.
Cranborne headteacher Richard Stevens said the decision was “extremely disappointing”, having worked “with the DfE regional director’s office to identify appropriate MATs for us to join”.
His view that Hamwic “was the best fit” for the school was “strengthened further after collaborating in a year-long partnership with [it], which proved very beneficial”.
He added: “The process of trying to join was frustrated by delays, moving of goalposts and often contradictory arguments based on geography and academic attainment.
‘Sustained improvement needed’
“We feel that it is important for parents to have a choice of trusts when deciding to send their child to a local middle school in east Dorset.”
Meanwhile, Hamwic’s proposals to take on Mudeford Community Infants’ School and Somerford Primary, both in Christchurch, were deferred.
Livings noted that “there would need to be sustained improvements in [key stage 2] outcomes across the trust to consider these two schools again”.
In a joint statement, Mudeford and Somerford said they “felt strongly Hamwic aligned with our culture, vision and values” after conducting “thorough and robust due diligence”.
They will “work closely” with the DfE “to understand their decision and its implications in the coming weeks”.
Refusals and deferrals rare
Such decisions appear to be rare. Our analysis of advisory board minutes shows 597 (87 per cent) of trust growth projects have been approved by officials since September 2024.
Only 32 (5 per cent) have been refused, with 38 (6 per cent) deferred. Twenty others (3 per cent) were referred to ministers to rule on.
Hamwic CEO Robert Farmer admitted his trust’s outcomes this year were “not as strong as they should be” but stated Cranborne’s key stage 2 results had improved in writing and maths since it started working with the school.
He pointed to the academy chain’s work “providing support on the Isle of Wight” through RISE, the government’s school improvement scheme.
Hamwic is also providing informal help to two other trusts “at the request of the DfE”.
The department said its “decision-making framework takes into account the circumstances of each individual school and the trust landscape of the local area”. This will “lead to decisions that look different across areas” as in Hamwic’s case.
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