According to sources informing Schools Week, officials are developing a strategy to incentivize all schools to become part of a collective.
According to sources informing Schools Week, officials are developing a strategy to incentivize all schools to become part of a collective.
Government representatives are preparing white paper proposals aimed at motivating all educational institutions to unite in collaboration, according to insiders.
The definition of a school “group” under Labour’s plans remains unclear. However, it is believed that participation in such groups will be voluntary and not impose new frameworks on schools.
Chief Stephen Morales from the Institute of School Business Leadership suggests that Labour’s forthcoming schools white paper is “likely” to promote collaboration among schools rather than allowing them to remain isolated.
“The idea of schools forming together into groups is both logical and probably the most sustainable approach for our educational system, especially given current financial challenges,” he stated.
The previous Conservative government attempted to mandate school participation in multi-academy trusts through several white papers, all of which ultimately failed to realize their goals.
The 2022 white paper set a goal for all schools to be part of “strong” multi-academy trusts by 2030, with an expectation that most trusts would include at least 10 schools or 7,500 students. However, this initiative was subsequently abandoned.
The Department for Education did not provide a comment on the matter.
It’s important to note that trusts are not the only model for school collaboration. Some local authorities have established school federations, and other institutions maintain less formal partnerships.
An examination by Kreston auditors indicated that small multi-academy trusts (MATs) with fewer than 3,000 pupils reported average surpluses of just £1,000 last year, a significant drop from £203,000 in 2022.
Additionally, single-academy trusts for both primary and secondary levels were generally found to be operating at a deficit, according to the same analysis.
A Schools Week investigation released today exposed that rising inflation, declining enrollment numbers, staff shortages, and unbudgeted salary increases have jeopardized the financial stability of numerous academy trusts, which are rushing to address multimillion-pound deficits in their budgets.
Of the 75 schools noted for financial discrepancies in their accounts last year, 52 were single-academy trusts (SATs).
Among them, 30 (58 percent) were either secondary or all-through institutions. The regional breakdown indicated that 13 (25 percent) were located in the east of England, 10 (19 percent) in London, and nine (17 percent) in the South-west.
Salvatorian College emerged as the SAT with the most significant deficit, amounting to £1.4 million. This followed the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) granting a “financial facility” of £1.4 million in 2019, of which £1.3 million was accessed by the end of August 2024.
Trustees expressed a belief that “some additional support may be necessary” and maintained “a reasonable expectation” that such assistance would be available.
