The total amount of money spent by the government on transferring academies to new trusts has hit nearly £23 million, new figures show, with the number of transfers up by 30 per cent in a year.

Between 2013-14 and 2017-18, £22,892,700 was spent in grant funding for transferring academies, according to data published by the Department for Education this morning.

More academies on the move

Between 2013-14 and 2016-17, the figure was just over £16 million.

The number of academies moving trust was 255 in 2017-18, compared with 196 the previous year - representing a rise of 30 per cent. In 2013-14, only 21 academies were transferred.

The statistics published today also reveal that a total 628 academies have moved trust since 2013-14, with 185 (29 per cent) receiving grant funding.