MATs | Schools Week

Holland Park parents and NEU lose legal bid to block school transfer

Holland Park School’s failed High Court claim against the DfE paves the way for it to join United Learning

DfE will ‘prioritise’ parts of shelved schools bill

Schools bill axed in current form with most academy legislation shelved, but ‘priority’ proposals like out-of-school register still on table

DfE warned its trust CEO scheme risks breaching competition law

Training providers warn plans to launch a MAT leadership development programme could wipe them out and risk breaching competition rules

‘No-ego’ trust group vows to speak for MATs who don’t feel heard

The Queen Street Group has doubled in size as it vows to champion diverse trust voices and help more women into top jobs

New ESFA chief vows ‘culture shift’ to ease trust fears

Watchdog must avoid jumping to ‘punitive measures too quickly’, but ‘laser-like’ focus on financial management justified

Minister admits ‘transparency’ needed over academy transfers and conversion

MATs and academy-sceptics alike are likely to welcome more transparency about why schools get transferred to particular trusts

‘Our students leave with the powerful knowledge they can challenge the elite’

Luke Sparkes, the new chief executive of Dixons Academies Trust, talks John Dickens through expansion plans, why university-for-all is the right ambition and how the school funding squeeze threatens innovation … “I am absolutely a proud northerner,” says Luke Sparkes, who stepped up to become chief executive of Dixons Academies Trust in September. Dixons runs 16 […]

Half of trusts ‘against central pooling’ of school budgets

A small poll suggests MAT leaders value centralised funding but are wary of deterring potential new trust schools

DfE goes shy on ‘try before you buy’ academy deals

The government has quietly slashed funding for trust partnerships, unveiled only last year to revive its multi-academy trust drive