multi academy trust disadvantages
And the difference in GCSE performance was small, according to the report the number of pupils achieving 5 or more A*C grades was 2.7% higher in sponsored academies and 1.1% higher in converter academies. Some chains have been able to grow very quickly and while occasionally that might work if they already have good structures, its generally quite hard, says Hutchings. Many schools formerly overseen by local education authorities (LEAs) have converted or been mandated to convert to semi-autonomous state schools in the form of Academies. mediaofficer, 14 October 2021 - Academies, Schools We want every school in the country to be part of a family of schools in. The report questioned the speed at which MATs had expanded and raised concerns about their expansion over too large geographical regions and their capacity to remain in touch with their communities. Ask the experts: do multi-academy trusts really improve school results? London: Routledge. All rights reserved. Some chains do appear to have transformed the chances of their disadvantaged pupils, says Merryn Hutchings, a professor at London Metropolitan University, who conducted the research. We found considerable variation between the performance of Mats, says Jon Andrews, director of education data and statistics at EPI. The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Mr Williamson told the conference that more details on how this would be achieved will be announced in due course. ), School Governance: Closing the Gap in Education. Couple this with the Governments Brexit drive and it becomes clear why growth has been modest. The research suggests its a complex situation, with studies reporting varying success in raising student attainment. Naturally, the projections need to be scrutinised for accuracy. All you need to know about everything that matters. Is Religious Education on its way. Use these key questions to help make your decision, High-performing multi-academy trusts require strong leadership and a varied skillset among staff. Required fields are marked *. The rate of expansion of MATs was highlighted as a key concern by the Education Committee's report in 2017 into multi-academy trusts (Education Committee, 2017). Information to support local authorities interested in setting up a multi-academy . Heads believed council was their admission authority despite academies being in control of entry to their schools, Leaders sound caution over using 'quantitative measures' to compare chains, Government hopes guidance will shed light on behind-closed-doors commissioning, City's last maintained secondary at centre of parent campaign overturns 'inadequate' rating, Falcon trust, set up to take on schools no-one else wanted, will now close, School being given up by Oasis has never been rated 'good' or better, Your email address will not be published. Multi-academy trusts (MATs): pros and cons | GovernorHub Knowledge He said he would like these schools tobe moved into strong multi-academy trusts and thatit was wrong for schools to be in this position without action been taken. We made sure that the staff, as well as parents and students, knew all the positives and negatives, so that they could make an informed decision. But Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said schools would have to wait and see new ministers interest in more major measures to complete reforms. For years, multi-academy trusts (Mats) escaped inspection altogether, with Ofsteds remit limited to individual schools. Parental support for organized sports in general, with focus on . Some 11 weeks and one U-turn (or Z-turn) later, it was announced that only underperforming schools would be forced to, although the government held firm in its assertion that all schools should. And some of them are simply appalling.. The process is to review compatibility, not suitability. However, Hutchings offers a warning. Forty-three percent of NGA members at SATs said they had not considered a multi-academy trust. But the largest trusts were the most lukewarm about growth, despite reporting most pressure to from government officials. The number of schools joining multi-academy trusts (Mats) is growing. Creating collaborative advantage. 2. Interest and participation in organized sports for children, preadolescents, and adolescents continue to grow. Academies were introduced by Tony Blairs Labour government through the Learning and Skills Act 2000, in a bid to boost struggling schools in deprived inner-city areas. School governors vs academy trustees: what's the difference? E1 1EW. Pros and Cons of Multi Academy Trusts - Benefits & Drawbacks The research went on to revealed that MATs are coming under great pressure to bring forward expansion plans, often risking their financial stability. We decided that our staff are our greatest resource and we wanted to invest in that beyond the recommendations that came from the LA. So how do academies differ from other schools - and what are their pros and cons? NGA members also report growing appreciation of their own MATs during the pandemic. But the fact is that Mats have increased inequality in the system, with their schools overrepresented at the bottom as well as the top of league tables. Given the huge variation that research has revealed, what is it that makes a Mat or federation effective? Currently, 44% of the nearly 22,000 schools in England are academies, including 78% of secondaries and 37% of primaries. The IT infrastructure of the school The DfE is putting24 million into its Trust Capacity Fund to help school trusts to take on more academies in 2021-22, Mr Williamson said: We especially want to support strong trusts, and strong schools forming trusts, so that they are better able to take on underperforming schools in areas of high need.. Other NGA findings will make better reading for the sector. Get the latest news and expert analysis from The Headteacher delivered straight to your inbox every day! The thing to keep in mind through all of this, which is so often forgotten: Will the merger of MAT and school benefit childrens education? Last time this was tried, in 2016, ministers were. As a result of the governments quixotic zeal to embrace the ideal of education as a marketplace, the lack of collaboration between MATs which emerged during this study, is having a detrimental effect on interMAT learning. Ask these questions first. Times Education Supplement. You have accepted additional cookies. If youre not already part of one, you may well be considering it. Carefully study contractual commitments that may prove to be costly, especially if they overlap a provision the MAT can supply itself. The MAT might not be right for the school. This has been the result of an initial drive in 2017 when the Education Committee reported MAT growth to be a key concern. Detractors say the rights of parents to choose the type of school they want for their children is also weakened by the academy system. 2. Her current funded research projects examine the interrelationship between trust, accountability and capacity in improving learning outcomes, and the strategic management of online learning in secondary schools during and beyond Covid-19. 2020). Organized Sports for Children, Preadolescents, and Adolescents The staff sessions were remarkably benign; the big concerns came from the local community. We ask headteachers with experience of converting from schools to academies what the process was like. Webinar: Multi-academy trust myth-busting - what are the advantages and Moving into a MAT is even more complex; are you the lead school? One key factor is the availability of valuable information and guidance for MAT and school leaders to deliver sustainable growth. Compatibility rather than suitability: Only 259 academies opened between January and August, the second lowest in a decade, as schools grappled with the pandemic. They went on to pledge 17m to the 2021 Trust Capacity Fund. questioned how well this system actually works, carried out in 2011 by Christoper Chapman. Nick MacKenzie discusses what you need to consider if joining a MAT and dispels some common myths, School leadership teams and governors must be convinced that they are joining the right multi-academy trust. 364 R eaction to the government's announcement in its education white paper that all schools in England must become academies is remarkably muted. There were issues around pay and salaries, for example. Find out whether this group is a good match for your school in terms for everything it stands for. Rotherham academies thought LA was in charge of admissions, Ministers urged to add depth to trust accountability assessments, Ofsted CPD warning over non-specialist maths teachers, Report calls for Chris Whitty of education, National Governance Association (NGA) member survey, speech and raft of policies supporting growth in April, Revealed: The metrics that will be used for academy decisions, Ministers told to scrap academy order after good Ofsted, Plug pulled on government-backed turnaround trust, New academy trust found for Isle of Sheppey school. England and Wales company registration number 2008885, Subscribe to TheWeek. They have also been promised powers to intervene if and when academies are not delivering what is needed by communities. I think you have to embrace change and let it happen, but that means getting to the point that you know and understand the risks involved and can make sure that they are understood by everyone else. And what is it that makes them fail? All rights reserved. Finally, the MAT needs to evaluate their own capacity Survey shows lack of appetite among maintained schools and single-academy trusts. A Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) is a type of educational organization in the United Kingdom where a group of academies work together under a single legal entity. Proponents argue that academies drive up educational standards in disadvantaged areas by allowing external investment above the means of cash-strapped local authorities, giving head teachers larger budgets and more opportunities. We were initially reluctant and it did take a while for us to consult and then convert there was quite a lot of resistance. You have to be steadfast about what you believe in. Delivering skills, career and apprenticeships events across the UK that are FREE for all. Multi-academy trust drive in danger of hitting the buffers But there is no getting away from the fact that the overriding aim of the white paper is to turn all schools into academies. The most extensive investigation into federations, carried out in 2011 by Christoper Chapman. But your due diligence needs to extend beyond that. Exclusive The new education secretary faces an uphill struggle to revive the multi-academy trust agenda, with new figures suggesting efforts to nudge schools into converting are failing to cut through. Nearly 75 per cent of academy committee members feel heard by MAT leaders, versus 57 per cent in 2019. Well send you a link to a feedback form. He saidSTEP multi-academy trustin South London and East Sussex was already using this approach. Evaluate your skills and knowledge, identify gaps and determine training needs. Expansion and failure Despite the government's drive to encourage all schools to be part of a MAT, there have been numerous high-profile failures of such organisations. The Hickman Meanwhile, the National Foundation for Educational Researchs recent study of academies found no short-term benefits in the performance of primary school pupils. Last time this was tried, in 2016, ministers were forced into a U-turn, due in part to opposition from Conservative councils. The problem with frightening schools away from academisation and forming MATs themselves is that if they start to struggle, they will just get swallowed up by chains and lose their identity. Theres a lot of data out there now such as Mat data from the Department of Education. We spoke to three school leaders about the pros and cons of the process. This was the case for both maintained schools and academies. But we saw that most other schools in Cambridgeshire were converting, so we couldnt see any value in staying. A multi-academy trust is more likely to be effective if it is focused in one area of the country. Gavin Williamson:Schools to get trial runs before joining academy trusts, Academies:Williamson wants far more schools moving into MATs, Covid:Pandemic slows down academy trust growth. You need to get together with people you trust and schools you know really well. Sam Henson, the associations policy and information director, said the findings were the surveys biggest surprise. When I arrived at the school in 2006, it was in the social care directorate rather than education, so the interaction with the local authority (LA) was negligible. Start your free trial, Wimbledon crash: tributes pour in for eight-year-old, Dont use prayer room for sex, tennis fans told, Council accused man of stealing his garden, Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 4 July 2023, Arms companies promoting brands in UK schools. There are several factors which both the MAT and school should consider before progressing. An IT infrastructure review should cover network hardware, security controls, device auditing, device management, a software review and of course digital safeguarding controls. Labours education mission: all you need to know, Labours grand rhetoric lacks credibility due to fiscal caution, Spielman: Dont use schools as first lever for social problems, Schools to get trial runs before joining academy trusts, Williamson wants far more schools moving into MATs, try before they buy through a new process in which they form temporary partnerships with multi-academy trusts. Schools' views: benefits and obstacles to joining academy trusts We also need to be able to address issues in the small number of cases where they arise. Because of increased participation, and younger entry age, in organized sports, appropriate practice, game schedules, and content become more important, taking into account athlete developmental stage and skills. MAT growth is not a one-way decision-making exercise. You need professionals who see the benefit of working across schools, otherwise they retrench into their own school and the opportunities to practise knowledge and expertise across the Mat are lost., Focusing on quick fixes rather than long-term solutionsis a common cause of problems, Chapman continues. And while freedom from the national curriculum can be seen as a plus, state-funded religious academies, for example, could choose to teach creationism over biology, or could restrict admissions to certain types of pupil. Academies fall into two main groups: sponsored and converter. As a BERA member you will receive access to the BERA Journals and the latest digital issue of Research Intelligence, be able to join communities and receive member discounts when booking events. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. Jacqueline Baxter, Professor in Public Policy and Management atThe Open University Discover Society. This is different to a school choosing to join through their own interest, desire and aspirations. Loss of local control: Some people argue that MATs may lead to a loss of local control, as academies within the trust are no longer solely accountable to their local communities. Today, 66% of secondary schools and 29% of primaries are academies, and another 1,000 conversions in the pipeline. In this case it tends to become more challenging, depending on the quality of the leadership.. Its vision, its values, its ethos, its curriculum model. We offered to sponsor them it would have brought 90,000 of funding to do the work that it takes to deal with a school thats in trouble. Work towards awards that support and accredit schools for outstanding non-curricular provision. Most of the sponsored institutions used to be underperforming schools that became academies to improve their performance, says The Daily Telegraph. Specialising in a wide range of careers education and employability resources. When academies are failing, dont pass the parcel bring back local authorities. Does it benefit the children: Fewer MATs want massive empires, Henson said, with lessons learnt from over-rapid expansion in the past. Structural reform was not a panacea in itself, but she urged schools in MATs to promote the benefits. As mentioned earlier, the due diligence process is designed to look at compatibility, not suitability. She is based in the Department of Public Leadership and Social Enterprise at the Open University Business School. Mats must have a track record of improving schools before theyre given any more schools to improve.. Health care is a calling that requires special people. Operational drivers, such as the need to combine to cost effectively buy in services once provided by LEAs, along with research that implies that schools grouping together contribute positively to student progress, have resulted in academy chains, MATs and other less formal forms of collaboration such as federations (Baxter, 2018). Study unsuccessful mergers to see where there has been potential oversight in the past. There is no good reason to think that they will succeed. Look beyond the obvious: George, M. (2018, July 19). You can change your cookie settings at any time. Multi-academy trusts inquiry. It is not clear how much encouragement maintained schools have received directly to convert and join MATs. They should encompass accurate pupil projections and associated staffing structures to accommodate the pupil roll. Your email address will not be published. DfE said itcontinues to urge schools and single academy trusts to explore the benefits of being part of a strong multi-academy trust. Increased collaboration: Multi-Academy Trusts can facilitate greater collaboration and sharing of resources between academies, helping to improve education outcomes. Consolidating processes for better financial management, Technology - schools need choice and evidence, Budget management - why schools need energy efficiency plans, Online safety what everyone needs to know, Navigating curriculum design in EYFS/KS1: progression, planning & practicalities, Tackle rising absence rates with innovative EdTech from IRIS Education, What to consider when implementing a new MIS. The Tory conviction that academies drive improvement is not supported by evidence and ministers know it. Another 24 per cent said they had actively decided against it. Research. Education Committee (2017). Great expectations: how to help your students fulfil their potential, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. (modern). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Become a subscriber and stay up to date with the latest breaking news and industry discussion. If not properly managed and regularly reviewed, IT networks can become quickly outdated and vulnerable to the ever-growing threat of cyber-attacks. London WC1H 0EH, 020 7612 6987 When we stepped up and said wed help to get the school back on its feet, we were left to it.
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multi academy trust disadvantages
