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MAT Tracker: mapping the country’s multi-academy trusts
Where are MATs located and how many schools do they run? Use our interactive map to find out
There are more than 1,200 multi-academy trusts in England, running more than 10,000 academies.
But MATs are not evenly spread across the country.
While bigger trusts often operate across several regions, many others focus on particular localities.
Our interactive map shows where each MAT is headquartered, along with the number of schools that it runs (see below).
We are updating the map monthly as part of our new MAT Tracker tool (please send any feedback to the Tes news team).
Tes’ MAT Tracker is also analysing decisions made by the Department for Education’s regional advisory boards, and condensing the essential information from board meetings for readers.
Regional differences
As can be seen in the map, the size of MATs varies significantly, with trusts running between two and 90 schools.
Analysis of official data also shows that the average MAT oversees eight schools, and academies in the South West tend to belong to the biggest MATs, with 13.4 schools on average.
MATs in the North East, meanwhile, are most likely to operate within regional boundaries - nearly four out of five only run schools in the region (79 per cent), compared with less than one in 10 (9 per cent) operating only in Yorkshire and the Humber.
The balance of MATs against single-academy trusts (SATs) also varies by region, as shown in our analysis setting out the outlook for SATs.
The average MAT headquartered in the South West has 11 schools, followed by those in Yorkshire and the Humber and East Midlands - which run 10 each on average.
The smallest MATs are those based in the North West, which run just under six schools on average. However, there will be plenty of academies in the region that are run by bigger MATs headquartered elsewhere.
MAT Tracker: latest regional board updates
- Round-up: Key MAT growth trends from 2023-24
- April 2024: Merger creates big new MAT in Oxfordshire
- March 2024: New MAT takes three single-academy trusts
- All DfE regional advisory board updates
As can be seen in the chart below, nearly three-quarters of MATs run between two and nine schools.
Biggest trusts
But the biggest trust, United Learning, grew even bigger earlier this year, with 90 academies - up from 89 - after taking on Conisborough College, a secondary in south London.
The third trust on the list below, Lift Schools, changed its name from Academies Enterprise Trust as part of a rebranding announced earlier this month.
Analysis of Department for Education data carried out by Charlotte Santry. MATs listed on Get Information About Schools were only included where they had at least two schools.
