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Here are the key regional board decisions affecting multi-academy trusts across different regions in England in January 2025. For more updates, visit our regional advisory boards hub.

Some 41 decisions were approved, including 17 conversions, three academies changing trusts and two single-academy trusts (SATs) joining MATs.

There were no regional advisory board meetings held in January in the North West, West Midlands or South West.

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• London
• East Midlands
• East of England
• South East
• Yorkshire and the Humber
• North East

London

The London advisory board meeting scheduled for 23 January was cancelled. However, several decisions were agreed between meetings, according to :

• The board approved a proposal for the two-school Astrum Multi Academy Trust, based in Romford, to run Havering’s new special free school.
• It also approved significant changes for two schools: for Welling School, part of the Sidcup-based Kemnal Academies Trust (45 schools), to reduce its pupil admissions number from 300 to 180; and for Lyndhurst Primary School, part of The Charter Schools Educational Trust (nine schools) in Southwark, to temporarily lower its age range to provide for two-year-olds.

East Midlands

• The 19 applications from schools to join Embark Multi Academy Trust (21 schools) between June 2022 and September 2024. To ensure a manageable rate of growth for the trust, 13 applications have been declined. Six applications were approved to add improvement capacity to the trust.
• Bridge Street School, Castle School, and Kingsmead School, all in Derby, have been approved to establish RESPECT Collaboration Trust. The trust will consist of one special school and two pupil referral units, and support pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. The board said it approved the move because it aligns with its need to grow trusts that support pupil inclusion, increase attendance and reduce preventable exclusions.
• Newark Orchard School will convert to join Community Inclusive Trust (15 schools). With it being a “good” special school, the board believes the move will add capacity to the trust and improve its educational expertise.
• Pupil referral unit Unity Academy in Nottingham - part of Raleigh Education Trust (five schools) - has been approved to change its age range from 14-16 to 7-16 and increase its pupil capacity from 103 to 210.

East of England

• According to the , three primaries in Essex - Fawbert and Barnard’s Primary School, Harlowbury Primary School and Tany’s Dell Primary School and Nursery -will transfer from Templefields Multi Academy Trust to NET Academies Trust, which runs six other primary schools. Templefields will close.
• An application from Warden Hill Infant School, in Luton, to convert to an academy and join Pioneer Learning Trust, was escalated to the minister. Pioneer runs five other primaries.

South East

• At the , members approved the sponsorship of Grove Park School, in East Sussex, by London South East Academies Trust, which has 13 schools. Board members noted significant recent growth in the trust, which added four schools last year.
• A decision on the merger of Burfield Academy and Phoenix Academy of the STEP Academy Trust, both in East Sussex, has been referred to ministers. The board referenced complexities around parking and planning issues at the Burfield site, as well as parents’ concerns.
• Between meetings, the board approved three primaries joining the South Downs Education Trust in West Sussex, which previously had two academies. Plaistow and Kirdford Primary School was approved to convert while SATs Southwater Junior Academy and Southwater Infant Academy will also join the MAT.
• The board also approved the opening of seven academies in principle between meetings, with the following all set to become academies: Aylesham Primary School in Kent; Edward Feild Primary School in Oxfordshire; Ightham Primary School in Kent; Kings International College in Surrey; Shoreham Village School in Kent; The Hawthorns Primary School in Berkshire; and Woodlea Primary School in Hampshire.

Yorkshire and the Humber

• A plan for three schools to convert to form a new MAT has been rejected, the show. Withernsea High School and Inmans Primary School, in the East Riding, and Wilberforce College, a sixth-form college in Hull, had applied to convert and form The Deira Learning Trust. This plan was declined by the regional director, who was not satisfied that the proposal could evidence “the appropriate capacity within the proposed MAT to drive the school improvement needed across all the schools”.
• Ebor Academy Trust, which runs 25 schools in the East Riding, Hull and York, applied to change its age range by adding nursery provision for two-year-olds at nine of its academies. The minutes show that this was approved for Hob Moor Community Primary, Sigglesthorne CE Primary, Marfleet Primary, Camblesforth Community Primary and Alderman Cogan’s CE Primary but declined for Osbaldwick Primary, Lakeside Primary, Filey CE Nursery and Infants and Tadcaster Primary.
• Two applications to close sixth forms at academies in the region were approved. These were made for Norton College, a secondary school in North Yorkshire, and Bradford Academy.

North East

• Three primary schools have been given the go ahead to convert and join an existing trust, the show. Lynnfield Primary and Golden Flatts Primary, in Hartlepool, and Mandale Mill Primary, in Stockton-on-Tees, are to join Lingfield Education Trust, which runs 21 schools.
• Battle Hill Primary, in Wallsend, run by Centurion Multi-Academy Trust, has had an application for significant change approved. It will change its age range and add a nursery.

Find our interactive map of England’s multi-academy trusts by clicking here, where you will also find links to all our MAT Tracker content