Schools and multi-academy trusts awaiting academisation and funding decisions are facing potential delays after the Department for Education proposed that regional meetings to advise on academy conversion should not take place in September, Tes understands, while some trusts face longer waits on funding bid decisions.

Regional advisory boards usually meet once a month, with members advising on academy conversion and growth decisions.

However, Tes understands the DfE has proposed that the September meetings be cancelled because of fewer decisions requiring board advice.

Tes previously revealed in June that regional advisory board meetings were on hold during the pre-election period.

It is not clear whether any of the boards have met since before the election was announced in May.

Board members only advise on decisions - the final say is always with the regional director for each area or the secretary of state, so decisions can in theory be made without the meetings happening.

However, board members will be called this month if cases need their input, Tes understands.

Calls for transparency from government

Warren Carratt, CEO of Nexus Multi Academy Trust, said that September meetings not going ahead “looks ominous” for their future, though said he understood the government may need to review some things.

“Is it too much to ask for a bit of openness and transparency?” he asked.

One CEO in the South East of England told Tes that their trust had a conversion decision made recently.

“If we hadn’t had that decision through, I would be very concerned, because it leaves schools and trusts in a state of flux,” they added.

They said that a decision could mean that a school could be joining a MAT “at a loss” because the trust would not be able to take a budget top slice which some trusts “wouldn’t be able to wear that capacity.”

Trust capacity funding decision delays

Meanwhile, some trusts are also facing delays in decisions on capacity funding, Tes understands.

The latest funding window for the Trust Capacity Fund (TCaF) closed on 25 June. According to the guidance, the planned grant activity start date was 1 August.

However, several trust leaders who applied told Tes they are yet to receive a decision on whether they were successful.

Steve Rollett, deputy CEO of the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), said: “There are important strategic decisions affecting particular trusts that need to be addressed with due speed, as delays can create challenges.

“It is our expectation and understanding that officials are working to provide clarity to these trusts as soon as possible. We will continue to monitor and discuss these matters with government and members to this end.”

Mr Carratt, who applied for the latest window of TCaF, said the delay in a decision is “deeply frustrating”.

“It actively works against the point of the scheme and makes it harder for trusts to accurately forecast their finances at the start of the new year,” he added.

“Combined with the late pay offer for teachers, we have avoidable delay and dithering on funding decisions when trusts have never been under more pressure to report on their finances in greater detail.”

• Related: Concern as MAT growth advisory meetings halted
• Background: Trust capacity grants fall £33m short of bids
• MAT growth decisions: key trends from 2023-24

Trusts ‘would have expected to know by now’

Another CEO in the East of England told Tes that their trust has not had any communication on whether they were successful in their TCaF bid.

“We would have expected to know a long time ago,” he added. “But I also understand that, post-election, ministers need to review spending and that’s understandable.”

Tom Legge, managing director at Premier Advisory, which helps trusts prepare TCaF bids, said he has been hearing of delays from clients on TCaF “and other key decisions”.

Previous rounds of TCaF have received criticism for the spending window being too short.

“I would expect that if any money is to be awarded - and remembering the last round of awards were subject to significant cuts - then it would be easy to move the start date as the end date is far enough away as not to make a critical difference in most cases,” Mr Legge added.

Cash handed out in the previous window of TCaF saw most trusts receive around 40 per cent of the cash they applied for.

Tes understands the DfE will communicate decisions on window 4 of TCaF in due course.

The DfE has been contacted for comment.