The number of academies that have transferred to a different sponsoring academy trust due to the closure of their existing trust more than doubled from 2017/18 to 2018/19, a report from the Department for Education has revealed.
Academy trusts are not for profit bodies that range from trusts that run a single academy to multi-academy trusts that run a group of academies. Over a fifth (22%) of academy transfers recorded in 2018/19 were caused by sponsor closure, compared to 9% of academy transfers recorded in 2017/18.
The ‘Academy transfers and funding 2018 – 2019’ report also revealed that the rate of academy transfers has increased steadily since 2013/14. A total of 307 academies moved trust in 2018/19, compared to 255 academies in 2017/18 and 21 in 2013/14.
In 2018/19, the Department for Education awarded a total of £6.5 million in grant funding to 80 academies that moved trust. This compares to £7.6 million shared between 53 academies in 2017/18 and £8.4 million between 61 academies in 2016/17. Overall, the Department for Education has awarded more than £31 million in grants to academies moving trust since 2013/14.
The NEU (National Education Union) believes that spending over £31 million of taxpayers’ money transferring 935 academy schools between different academy trusts over the last five years is a scandal and the money could have been better spent investing in schools across England.
If you would like help or advice with your academy school, please contact Charlotte Toemaes on ctoemaes@ellacotts.co.uk or 01295 250401.
