Schools will be allowed to link up with academy trusts for a trial period before deciding whether they want to join them, under new plans expected to be announced today. 

Gavin Williamson is to say that schools will be offered a period in temporary partnership with a multi-academy trust (MAT) in an attempt to get more to join trusts, according to reports.

The education secretary is due to give a speech today at the Confederation of School Trusts annual conference.

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The Times reports that he will tell the conference that the Department for Education is setting up a process where schools can “temporarily partner with a strong trust to experience the benefits that being part of a trust would offer them, their pupils and their wider school communities”.

Mr Williamson will add: “I see no reason why every local-authority-maintained school in the country shouldn’t consider taking up this opportunity as soon as possible.”

Last month, the education secretary said the government was actively looking for a way to get more schools into MATs.

He told an online conference in March that he wanted far more schools “residing in strong families” of multi-academy trusts by 2025.

His made his comments as a new report revealed that the growth of MATs slowed last year.