51����

Here are the key regional advisory board decisions affecting multi-academy trusts (MATs) in each region in England in February 2025. For more updates, visit our regional advisory boards hub.

Some 210 decisions were approved, including 150 conversions, five new MATs, 12 academies that changed trusts and three single-academy trusts (SATs) that joined a MAT.

The West Midlands has yet to publish its February minutes.

��

Scroll down or click the links below to jump straight to your region.

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

North East

• Two primary schools have been given the go-ahead to convert to academy status and join an existing MAT, . Tilery Primary in Stockton-on-Tees and Sunningdale Primary in Sunderland have been approved to join the Northern Lights Learning Trust, which currently runs 10 academies. Five members of the regional advisory board did not advise on this case as they have connections to the trust and another member was not involved because of a conflict of interest, the minutes show.
• A special school in Darlington has been given approval to make a significant change, increasing its capacity and relocating its existing post-16 provision to a new site. This was approved for Beaumont Hill Academy, which is run by the Education Village Academy Trust.
• Wingate Primary School in County Durham has been given approval to convert to an academy and join the New College Durham Academies Trust. The trust currently runs seven academies.

North West

• The North West’s saw a large number of conversions approved with conditions after no January meeting. Seven primary schools across Manchester, Oldham and Trafford will convert and join the 22-school Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust: St John Bosco RC Primary School, St Malachy’s RC Primary School, Corpus Christi RC Primary School, St Anne’s RC Primary School, St Joseph’s RC Junior Infant and Nursery School, St Monica’s RC Primary School and St Teresa’s RC Primary School. The conversions were approved on the conditions that the trust provides a consolidated budget for all schools, a progress update on its school resource management adviser (SRMA) deployment action plan and clarifies its capacity and plan for the schools’ onboarding.
• Several other groups of faith primaries were also approved to convert and join Corpus Christi Catholic Academy Trust: Chester Diocesan Academies Trust, Romero Catholic Academy Trust, St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust, The Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Academy Trust and Mater Ecclesiae Catholic Multi Academy Trust.
• Wirral special school Orrets Meadow School received approval to convert and join Oak Trees Multi Academy Trust on the condition that the trust conducts a full review of its board’s skill gaps, “particularly for educational expertise”. The trust has 12 academies in the Wirral - this would be its first special school.
• Similarly, the pupil referral unit Educational Diversity in Blackpool received approval to convert and become Synergy Education Trust Limited, which has two special schools and three primaries in Blackpool. The board approved the conversion on the condition the trust focuses on gaining appropriate alternative provision (AP) expertise to its board (since this is its first AP), that it works with the local authority to make sure Blackpool’s need for AP places are met and it provides a three to five year funding model for the school.
• The board approved with conditions the formation of two new North West MATs in February. Emmanuel Diocese of Liverpool Academies Trust (Edlat) will start with nine primaries in Warrington, which were approved to convert: Sankey Valley St James Church of England Primary School, Bewsey Lodge Primary School, St Elphin’s (Fairfield) CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, Winwick CofE Primary School, St Andrew’s CofE Primary School, Cinnamon Brow CofE Primary School, Warrington St Ann’s CofE Primary School, Warrington St Barnabas CofE Primary School and St Margaret’s CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School. The conversions and setting up of a new MAT were approved on the condition that the trust receives support from an SRMA, reviews its board membership and clarifies the CEO’s capacity and what plans are in place for mentoring support.
• The other new MAT approved was the Belong Trust, which will set up with four primary schools in Liverpool. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, Kirkdale, St Lawrence CE VA Primary School, Childwall Church of England Primary School and Archbishop Blanch CofE High School will convert and join the trust on the condition that the trust provides a consolidated budget for all schools and provides a primary-focused school improvement strategy.
• Four schools received approval to change trust in February. Marlfields Primary School was approved to move from Congleton Primary Academy Trust to Children First Learning Partnership (which has seven primary schools, including Marlfields); secondary Smithills School to move from Bolton Multi Academy Trust to the Bolton Impact Trust (which has three APs, one special school); and Barlow Hall Primary School and Brookburn Community School to move from the Link Learning Trust to M20 Learning Trust (which has one primary currently - but also received approval for two new converter academies). In all cases, these trust changes will leave the MATs that the schools are moving from with no academies.

Yorkshire and the Humber

• Five primary schools in Sheffield have been approved to convert to academy status and join Peak Edge Academy Trust. Mundella Primary, Hunters Bar Infant School, Hunters Bar Junior School, Greystones Primary and Ecclesall Primary were all approved to join the trust, according to the minutes for the . The approval came with conditions that the trust is to provide updated school forecasts, including confirmed conversion balances.
• A new academy trust has been set up after five primary schools in Kirklees were given the go-ahead to set it up and join it. Birkby Junior School, Moldgreen Community Primary, Dalton School, Mill Lane Primary and Ashbrow School are the founding members of the Industrious Education Trust.
• A small academy trust is to close after the Department for Education’s regional director approved its two primary schools moving to another trust. Scawby Academy and Hibaldstow Academy, in North Lincolnshire, have both been approved to move from St Hybald’s Academy Trust to The Rose Learning Trust, based in Doncaster, which currently has nine academies.
• A school rated “inadequate” by Ofsted in January last year will join the Yorkshire Causeway Trust. Masham CE Primary will be Yorkshire Causeway Trust’s tenth academy.
• Two primary schools in North Yorkshire that are part of the same academy trust have been given approval to set up a special educational needs (SEN) unit or resourced provision. Riverside School and Brayton CofE Primary are both part of the STAR Multi Academy Trust.

East Midlands

• Uppingham Community College SAT in Rutland has been approved to join the Discovery Schools Academies Trust (18 schools).
• Coleby Church of England Primary School, St Helena’s Church of England Primary School and The Lincoln St Peter-in-Eastgate Church of England Infant School are all joining Infinity Academies Trust (13 schools).
• The regional director has denied the conversion of Swanwick School and Sports College to join Embark Multi Academy Trust (21 schools) in order to ensure a measured and sustainable rate of trust growth. Future applications to join Embark Multi Academy Trust will be considered by the department after a period of consolidation of at least 12 months.
• All five significant change projects by The Harmony Trust (17 schools) have been deferred. The board requested additional information on these proposals before a decision can be taken by the regional director.
• New Lubbesthorpe Primary School (Oadby, Wigston and Leicestershire Schools Academy Trust, nine schools) is expanding its capacity from 420 to 630 places from September 2026.

East of England

• At a , the board approved an application for Soham Village College, Kennett Primary School, The Shade Primary School and The Weatheralls Primary School to transfer from Staploe Education Trust to Anglian Learning. Anglian is already onboarding two academies into the trust, meaning it will increase in size from 16 to 22 academies in under a year. The regional director asked for further information on Anglian’s plans for enhancing its capacity in line with this level of growth, and it was agreed that the trust will not take on any further academies until existing ones are embedded.
• St Leonards, Heath and Reach, Voluntary Aided Lower School was approved to convert and join the Diocese of St Albans Multi Academy Trust, based in Luton (14 academies).
• Stratton School in Central Bedfordshire was approved to add a 20-place SEN unit or resourced provision.
• Dr Walker’s Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in Essex was approved to convert and become an academy and join Life Education Trust (10 academies).
• Eastwood Primary School in Essex was approved to convert and join Eastwood Park Academy Trust - now known as Tenacitas Trust - which has one other primary.
• Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy was approved to add a seven-place SEN unit or resourced provision.
• Pope Paul Catholic Primary School, St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery and St Catherine’s RC School were approved to convert and become academies and join All Saints Catholic Academy Trust (11 academies).
• The Marlborough Science Academy in St Albans was approved to expand by 200 places.
• Stanground Academy, part of Greenwood Academies Trust, was approved to add an eight-place SEN unit or resourced provision.
• Three Suffolk primaries - St Mark’s Catholic Primary School, St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School - will be allowed to convert and become academies and join Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Multi Academy Trust (eight academies).

London

• The Southborough Primary School in Bromley to convert and join The Pioneer Academy, becoming the trust’s 20th school. An interim executive board had been put in place at Southborough after the previous governing board had raised concerns with the LA over governance and financial management. Pioneer had already been providing Southborough with support, including around finance, training and the curriculum.
• A new trust, the St Carlo Catholic Academy Trust, is being formed from eight primaries and one secondary in Ealing.
• In Haringey, seven primaries will join the Lux Mundi Catholic Academy Trust, taking its number to 11. The advisory board discussed capacity at Lux Mundi, which is relatively newly formed (April 2024), and falling rolls.
• St Aloysius RC College in Islington was approved to convert and join the All Saints’ Trust as it looks to expand from Brent and Harrow into Camden and Islington. St Aloysius, the seventh school in the trust, plans to change from being boys only to co-educational in September. The advisory board recommended an SRMA deployment to the school. It will also become the founding member of the AST Islington Catholic Hub, which is set to include the six Catholic primaries in Islington.
• Four primaries in south west London and East Sussex have been approved to join the Wandle Learning Trust, which has six schools across Wandsworth, Richmond and Croydon. Grovelands Community Primary School and Hellingly Community Primary School, both in East Sussex, also join, as do Swaffield School and Larkhall Primary Campus, in Wandsworth and Lambeth, respectively. The schools all had pre-existing relationships with the trust, but the advisory board discussed risks and issues, including demographics and how school improvement will be achieved considering the distance between the trust’s now 10 schools.
• A new MAT called The Goldfinch Trust is being formed from Maudsley and Bethlem Hospital School and St Peter’s Centre, in Southwark and Surrey, respectively. The new MAT will provide unified hospital education and medical alternative provision. The advisory board did, however, note the geographical spread of the two schools while recommending that the governance model of the trust be brought in line with DfE guidance.
• Between board meetings, Forest Academy, an Inspire Partnership Academy Trust in Croydon, was permitted to permanently reduce its PAN from 60 to 30, cutting capacity to 210 due to the removal of physical space at the primary.

South West

• Three schools are joining Equa Mead Learning Trust (19 schools) - Five Lanes CofE VC Primary School, Urchfont CofE Primary School and Paxcroft Primary School, all in Wiltshire. The regional director recommended an external review of governance, which is due within the next six months.
• Abbeyfield School, Kings Lodge Primary School and Charter Primary School have been approved to join The Athelstan Trust (seven schools) on the condition that trust partners with another MAT that has strong primary expertise, and the incoming Athelstan CEO has an experienced MAT CEO mentor to provide positive and constructive support as the trust grows.
• The Dunstan Catholic Educational Trust (10 schools) has also had three conversions given the green light (St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and St John’s Catholic Primary School), but only if the trust commissions a review of its school improvement strategy and structures from a trust that has strong expertise in this area. Future growth will only be considered once this has been shared with the region’s group.
• St Martin’s Garden Primary School (Palladian Trust, 13 schools) has been approved to expand its existing resource base, increasing capacity from 34 to 60 places. The recruitment of a permanent headteacher at the school was also discussed.
• Moat Primary Academy and Robinswood Primary Academy, both part of Greenshaw Learning Trust (37 schools), are merging to form one school on the site of Robinswood. Reasons for the merger include falling pupil numbers and the poor condition of the Moat school site, which is in scope for a full rebuild under the school rebuilding programme.

South East

• The South East advisory board had a jam-packed agenda with six decisions taken at , despite regional chair Dame Kate Dethridge being unable to attend, and a further 37 decisions were taken in between meetings. Meanwhile, four decisions were deferred (three of which were on the conversion of three primary schools in Oxfordshire to join The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company).
• The merger of Bridge Academy and Stephenson MK Trust (three academies) in Milton Keynes has been approved. The regional advisory board discussed seeking “assurance from the trust that they can manage any potential financial challenges” after reflecting on whether it had fully considered its financial plan. An SRMA is currently preparing a report on the trust.
• A decision on the conversion of Eaton Bray Academy in Bedfordshire, The Cottesloe School and Wingrave Church of England Combined School, both in Buckinghamshire, into a new MAT called Cottesloe Hundred Trust has been deferred. The board acknowledged the need for a partnership for some of the schools, “but questioned the capacity of the proposed trust and its opportunities to grow”. An SRMA deployment is also underway.
• The formation of a new trust called the Summit Education Trust was approved with conditions. The five schools forming the trust, all in West Berkshire, are: The Downs School; The Willink School; Compton CE Primary School; Beedon CE (Controlled) Primary School; and Basildon CE Primary School. The board felt that the plans for the MAT’s central team required further development as well as more detail on its proposed cost savings. Beedon’s finances and future operating model were particular points of uncertainty, with one condition imposed being that Beedon will not transfer at this time. A revised plan for central services has been requested and confirmation of the primary expertise of the board.
• The conversion of Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys into an academy, joining The Canterbury Academy Trust, was declined with the board questioning the school’s repayment of a loan to Kent County Council and whether the governing board was properly constituted when voting on academisation.
• The conversion of five special schools in Kent to form a new trust called The Inclusive Alliance Trust was declined by the board. The board questioned the financial and governance plan of the trust, proposed by Five Acre Wood School, Grange Park School, St Nicholas School, The Beacon and The Orchard School.
• Rowhill School, a special school in Hampshire, was approved for sponsorship by Inclusive Education Trust, although the board suggested that an SRMA with AP experience be appointed to review Rowhill’s finances.
• Between meetings, Learning Partners Church Academy Trust gained two primary schools in Surrey, Farncombe CofE Infant School and St Lawrence CofE Aided Primary School, taking the trust’s total to three.
• Again, between meetings and in Surrey, the Enlighten Learning Trust gained a further four primaries, taking its total to nine: St Jude’s Church of England Junior School; St Jude’s CofE Infant School; St Matthew’s CofE Aided Infant School; and St Nicolas CofE Aided Infant School.
• Xavier Catholic Education Trust gained its 20th school, St Peter’s Catholic Primary School.
• Bosco Catholic Education Trust gained five more schools: one secondary, St Richard’s Catholic College in East Sussex, and four primaries: Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (East Sussex); St Mary’s Catholic Primary School; St Philip’s Catholic Primary School; and St Richard’s Catholic Primary School (West Sussex).
• Hurst Education Trust Limited also added four primaries, all in West Sussex: Ashurst Wood Primary School; St Mary’s CofE Primary School, East Grinstead; Turners Hill CofE Primary School; and West Hoathly CofE Primary School.
• The opening of Rusper Primary School as an academy was approved in principle within the Bohunt Education Trust. This would be the trust’s first standalone primary.
• Epsom Downs Community School & Early Years Centres joining the Greensand Multi Academy Trust was approved in principle, which would take the trust’s total to 10 schools.
• The merger between The Gryphon Trust (two schools) and the Bourne Education trust (24 schools), both in Hampshire, was approved.

Compiled by Ramsay Hodgson, Jasmine Norden, John Roberts, Charlotte Santry and Cerys Turner.

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