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12 April 2026

Tag: MATs

Investigation: The ups and downs of academy CEO pay

Our annual analysis of chief executive pay in the largest academy chains once again reveals huge variations, including between men and women, and pay per pupil and school. We looked at trusts with more than 20 schools in 2016-17.  Sir Dan Moynihan of the Harris federation came top of all CEOs for salary, with a […]

Multi-academy trusts: can any benefits be proven?

Karen Wespieser investigates the extent to which the most successful MATs are improving outcomes for children and closing gaps for the most disadvantaged Good research takes time – particularly systems research. There is no point in looking at brand new systems because all you will capture is at best a baseline, and at worst a […]

What should an Ofsted inspection framework for multi-academy trusts look like?

The debate around the accountability of multi-academy trusts has intensified in recent months, writes Michael Pain As a handful of high-profile cases of failure hit the headlines, the calls for greater and more joined-up oversight of academy trusts have intensified. Indeed, just two days before MAT CEOs and trustees met for Forum Education’s most recent […]

Multi-academy trusts are driving EdTech innovation

Multi-academy trusts used to be an afterthought for software developers, but no longer, explains Joshua Perry School software has been around for a long time. The market has blossomed and evolved over more than three decades, with the release of the ever-popular SIMS Management Information System (MIS) in 1984 a particularly pivotal moment. Software for […]

How much should MAT CEOs be paid?

MAT CEO pay is in the public eye again and, given how high it is, it’s right that trustees should think hard about how they work it out, writes Gillian Allcroft It is the season to scrutinise academy trusts’ accounts and, as ever, the hot topics are related-party transactions and executive pay. There are no […]

Trustees beware: know your legal duties!

If there is a single part of the academy system that needs our urgent attention, it is trusteeship, argues Leora Cruddas There is still much that is misunderstood about the differences between governing a local authority-maintained school, governing a single academy trust and governing a multi-academy trust. At its most extreme, this lack of understanding […]

Primary MATs have the widest gender pay gap

Primary school academy trusts have the largest pay gaps between men and women according to new national data – and senior figures are pointing to the high numbers of female staff in low paid roles as the main reason. The government announced in April 2016 that academy trusts and schools with more than 250 workers […]

Academy trusts will appear in January’s league tables

Next year, the public will be able to see for themselves how well multi-academy trusts are doing in the school performance league tables for the first time. From January 25 next year, academy trusts will be included alongside individual schools on the Department for Education’s website, as it seeks to make information about trusts more […]