academy trusts | Schools Week

EXCLUSIVE: Resignations leave AET board ‘struggling’

The boss of the country’s largest multi-academy trust has admitted it will struggle to run key committees after the chair stood down and six trustees quit. According to Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), former chair Jude Chin (pictured) has taken over as the new vice-chair following the resignations in late May of former vice chair Ian […]

Could multi-academy trusts be a potential model for the good local authorities?

We’ve heard some local authorities are looking at setting up a multi-academy trust – could this be a potential model for the good local authorities? Antony says: The government has made its policy position on the role of local authorities in education very clear in the white paper. It sees local authorities taking on a “more […]

International schools firm set to take over second academy in the UK

An academy trust founded by a firm that runs British international schools in countries including Panama is set to take over its second school in the UK. The King’s Group Academies (KGA) will take over Ringmer community college, in East Sussex, in September. Lyndhurst junior school in Portsmouth joined the trust earlier this year. KGA was […]

EXCLUSIVE: Swedish-inspired Learning Schools Trust can’t keep up

An academy trust at the forefront of the Swedish free school model much admired by Michael Gove will wind up later this year, Schools Week can reveal. The Learning Schools Trust was set up in 2010 as the UK charitable arm of Kunskapsskolan, a private firm that runs schools in Sweden. One of the first […]

If we join a MAT, will we lose our individual identity?

If we join a multi-academy trust, will we lose our individual identity? Christine says: There are those that say joining a multi-academy trust (MAT) is like getting married without the possibility of divorce for at least 125 years. Most of us wouldn’t get married if it meant subsuming our personality to another. And the same […]

Wilshaw and Carter to clash in first day of evidence

Sir Michael Wilshaw and Sir David Carter will appear together at the first evidence hearing next week of the select committee’s inquiry into multi-academy trusts. The pair often have differing views, says Neil Carmichael, which should make for an interesting session Next Wednesday the education select committee will begin its inquiry into multi-academy trusts (MATs) […]

Why don’t we care about the purpose of education?

In one of the most significant periods of upheaval in education, debate around collaboration centres too much on structure and too little on the substance and purpose of education. Instead, says Marie-Claire Bretherton, it should revolve around the quality and purpose of school partnerships Earlier this year, our Lincolnshire teaching school alliance submitted evidence to […]

Academy trusts – don’t get caught out by new PSC regulations

From 6 April 2016, new company ownership rules came into force, which will affect some academy trusts. Hannah Catchpool explains. What do the Panama Papers have to do with academy trusts? The recent media focus on the offshore tax arrangements of the rich and famous may seem far removed from the day-to-day life of a school, […]

What would make an all-academy system work?

The schools landscape could look very different from how it does today, quite quickly, if the government’s vision for all schools to become academies comes to fruition. Professor Toby Salt examines what would make a universally academised system work, in terms of school organisation, management and conversion. 1. It’s time to trust If (and it […]