Applications for new special and alternative provision (AP) free schools are more likely to be successful if the school is to be part of a multi-academy trust (MAT), according to updated Department for Education (DfE) guidance.
The department has updated its free school presumption guidance to state that “an emphasis will be placed on ensuring the ongoing resilience of new schools that are approved through this process”.
The guidance adds that AP and special free schools are usually smaller than mainstream schools, “increasing the importance of demonstrating this resilience both financially and operationally”.
MATs are able to support the resilience of schools within the trust as they operate at an increased scale, the guidance says.
“Applications that result in a school which is part of a MAT (whether a specialist or a ‘mixed’ MAT) are more likely to be successful in a special or AP free school competition because they will be able to better demonstrate that they meet the assessment criteria,” it adds.
Where a new free school plans to open as a single academy trust (SAT), the trust must be able to show how it will grow into a MAT over time to “ensure its resilience”.
How are free schools commissioned?
The free school presumption process is the main route for local authorities to establish new schools to meet the need for additional places.
The local authority sets out a specification for the school needed and then “proposers” compete to develop the proposals and run the school. A proposer has to be an existing academy trust or set up a trust in order to bid.
Schools are facing a difficult financial picture owing to increasing costs. Smaller trusts and SATs tend to be hit harder by this - in 2021-22, nearly half of SATs in the primary sector reported in-year deficits.
For 2022-23, the Kreston Academies Benchmarking Report found nearly half of all trusts reported an in-year deficit.
Small schools in particular face very tight budgets and are set to be hit hard by falling rolls.
The Education Policy Institute has predicted that schools could face losing about £1 billion in funding owing to falling pupil rolls. Kreston accountants advised that schools would need to plan for how this could hit them.
Trust-led system
Speaking at the Confederation of School Trusts’ trust finance conference in February, chief executive Leora Cruddas said she was “a bit worried about resilience in our school system”.
“I think ensuring we have got a strong pipeline of good converter schools into trusts is important,” she said. “It is important that those schools come into the trust system because they bring capacity, and create that strength and resilience.
“But also because, if they are left on their own, I am a bit worried about whether they will remain good schools.”
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