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29 April 2026

Tag: academies

DfE report: Schools in big MATs shun moves to share responsibility for excluded pupils

Schools in large multi-academy trusts have “refused to engage” in efforts to make them more responsible for excluded pupils in some parts of England, according to a government-commissioned report on alternative provision. New research for the Department for Education highlighted the need for “formal mechanisms” to deal with mainstream schools declining to work more closely […]

£125k salary fails to attract boss for ‘orphan’ academy trust

An academy trust for schools struggling to find sponsors is facing its own struggle to find a chief executive – despite offering an annual salary of £125,000. Falcon Education Academies Trust was launched as part of a government pilot in 2019 to turn around “orphan” schools in the north of England. But Gareth Mason, its […]

Berridge happy for en-masse conversions in faith schools academies plan

Baroness Berridge said she would not rule out the rapid growth of religious trusts, after announcing over £2 million to help more faith schools become academies. The Department for Education will work with the Catholic Education Service and dioceses across the country to establish a £1.25 million “turnaround” trust based in the north west. An […]

Academies minister questions ‘moral purpose’ of single school heads

A minister has urged high-performing standalone academies not to sit in their “splendid ‘outstanding’ isolation,” as the government launches a fresh drive for every school to join a multi-academy trust. For the person sitting in their splendid ‘outstanding’ isolation, think carefully about what is your moral purpose Education secretary Gavin Williamson outlined a raft of […]

Editor asks: Baroness Berridge, academies minister

Conservative peer Baroness Berridge was appointed academies minister in February last year, a month before Covid-19 forced  nationwide school closures. She spoke to Schools Week editor John Dickens in her first interview.   What are your top three priorities? The first one is achieving every child in a good school. I talk about a triple […]

Speed read: Williamson’s 7 policies to revive the academies drive

Gavin Williamson has announced a raft of new policies today that he hopes will push towards the government’s “vision” for all schools to be academies. The announcement was made in a speech (which can be read in full here) today at the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) annual conference.   1. Consultation on long-term RI […]

MATs move to centralise in wake of Covid pressures, study finds

Many multi-academy trusts have moved to centralise HR, finance, health and safety and other policies in the wake of the pandemic, a new study suggests. While only 15 trusts of mixed sizes in the Midlands took part in the research, it points to a potentially significant development for the sector if replicated more widely. Trusts […]

RSC says no: Fairview academy conversion blocked over local concerns

A school’s bid to become an academy has been turned down because it was “at odds with the community” as parents, staff and the local council opposed the plans. The proposal by Fairview Community Primary School, in Kent, to join the Westbrook Trust was rejected by Claire Burton, regional schools commissioner for the south-east and […]