Here are the key regional advisory board decisions affecting multi-academy trusts in each region in England in May 2025. For more updates, visit our regional advisory boards hub.
Some 48 decisions were reached, including two academy orders, nine conversions, two amalgamations, one single-academy trust (SAT) joining a MAT, 31 significant changes and three rebrokerings.
Scroll down or click the links below to jump straight to your region.
No regional advisory board meeting was held in May but decisions taken by the Department for Education’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber in the month have been published:
Two academies won approval to make a significant change by introducing resourced provisions within a mainstream school. Approval has been given to The Halifax Academy, run by the Impact Education Multi Academy Trust (11 schools), in Calderdale, to open a provision for up to 20 places. The DfE has also given approval for The Boulevard Academy in Hull, run by Thrive Co-operative Learning Trust (10 schools), to open up a SEND resource provision.
Co-op Academy Priesthorpe, in Leeds, has gained approval to make a significant change by closing its sixth form because of the new Pudsey Sixth Form College opening in the city in September 2025. The school is run by the Co-operative Academies Trust, which runs 38 academies in Yorkshire, the North West and the Midlands.
The Holy Trinity CofE Infant and Nursery, in Ripon, North Yorkshire, is amalgamating with Holy Trinity CofE Junior School, which is also in Ripon. The schools are run by Leeds Diocesan Learning Trust, which has 14 schools in Leeds and North Yorkshire.
North East
No meeting of the regional advisory board was held in May.
North West
At the , the North West advisory board gave its approval for The Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust, which has 12 primaries, to sponsor All Saints’ CofE School in Cumberland with conditions. The sponsorship was approved on the conditions that the trust accepts a school resource management adviser (SRMA), has an external review of governance and evolves its school improvement strategy.
A decision on whether Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust should sponsor Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Engineering College, in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, was deferred. The board reviewed representations, including a request to revoke the academy order, and said it needed assurances from the archdiocese on its strategy.
The Sea View Trust received approval to sponsor Applebee Wood Community Specialist School near Preston, Lancashire.
The rest of the decisions listed in the May board minutes were taken between meetings. The regional director approved five school conversions. Three of these had conditions of approval:
Holy Trinity CofE Dobcross Primary School in Oldham received approval to convert and join Crompton House Church of England Multi Academy Trust on the condition that the executive team ensures there is school improvement capacity.
The Derby High School in Bury won approval to convert and join Prestolee Multi Academy Trust on condition that the trust ensures it has financially qualified expertise in line with its growth strategy and secures secondary improvement capacity.
Finally, Johnson Fold Community Primary School in Bolton received approval to convert and join Base Academy Trust on the condition that the trust appoints a chief financial officer and has a SRMA.
West Midlands
The advisory board but has not yet published minutes.
London
The meeting scheduled for 22 May for London was cancelled but the 11 taken by the DfE regional director have been published.
Kensington Avenue Primary School and Norbury High School for Girls, both in Thornton Heath, South London, have left The Manor Trust and moved to Wandle Learning Trust, effectively ending The Manor Trust, which only had those two schools. Wandle Learning Trust has increased to eight schools as a result.
Rowdown Primary School in Croydon (part of Fairchildes Academy Community Trust, which has three schools) and secondary Platanos College (part of the three-school Platanos Trust) in Lambeth have both added special educational needs units.
Honilands Primary School in Enfield has converted into an academy and become the seventh school in the Children First Academy Trust
Thomas’s Academy, a primary school in Hammersmith and Fulham, has joined the Quality First Education Trust, increasing the size of the trust to five schools.
Dysart School, an all-through special school in Kingston upon Thames (part of Orchard Hill College Academy Trust, 14 schools), has added a satellite site.
Nightingale Community Academy, a special school in Wandsworth (part of Orchard Hill College Academy Trust, 14 schools), has increased its planned number of pupils.
St James Hatcham CofE Primary School in Lewisham (part of SDBE Multi-Academy Trust, 14 schools) has added a nursery.
The Limes College, an alternative provision school in Sutton (part of Alternative Learning Trust, five schools), has acquired a satellite site, adding 20 places, and increased the number of pupils at its main site by 40 places.
South East
No meeting was held in May for the regional advisory board in the South East.
East of England
The for the East of England show that St Mary’s CofE Primary School, in St Neots, won approval to transfer from the Diocese of Ely Multi Academy Trust (39 schools) to ACT Multi Academy Trust (four schools), with conditions including the deployment of a SRMA. St Mary’s had previously been considered for closure by the Diocese of Ely MAT because of a drop in pupil numbers and concerns over performance. ACT believes it can keep the school open by offering more tailored support.
Downham CofE VC Primary School in Ramsden Heath, Essex, was approved to convert and join Berlesduna Academy Trust (10 academies).
Two primaries run by Berlesduna applied for significant changes: St Mary’s CofE Primary School in Woodham Ferrers, Essex, was approved to add a four-place special educational needs unit. However, the board deferred a decision on St Nicholas CofE Primary School in Rayleigh, Essex, expanding and changing its age range.
Hopton CEVC Primary School in Norfolk was approved to convert and join Elveden Schools Trust (two academies).
Bedford Academy won approval to expand from 1,440 to 1,800 places. It is part of HEART Academies Trust (three academies).
Icknield Primary School in Cambridgeshire (part of Anglian Learning, 18 academies) gained approval to change its age range from 4-11 to 2-11 and add a nursery.
Saffron Walden County High School in Essex (part of Saffron Academy Trust, nine academies) was approved to add a 40-place special educational needs unit.
St Rose’s Catholic Infant School in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire (part of All Saints Catholic Academy Trust, nine academies), gained approval to change its age range from 3-7 to 2-7.
Brancaster CofE Primary Academy and Docking CofE Primary Academy and Nursery, both in Norfolk and part of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust (42 academies), won approval to merge.
Great Dunham Primary School and Beeston Primary School, both in Norfolk, were approved to merge under Unity Education Trust (16 academies).
East Midlands
The show that three schools gained approval to open SEND units after being requested to by their local authorities - Lincolnshire and Leicester. St Wulfram’s National CofE Primary School, in Grantham, and Gainsborough Parish Church Primary School (both part of Lincoln Anglican Academy Trust, 23 schools) are opening 23 and 13-space units respectively.
The City of Leicester College (part of Aspire Learning Partnership, two schools) is also opening a 20-space SEND unit.
Alvaston Junior Academy (part of The Harmony Trust, 17 schools) has been given the green light to change the type of needs provided for at its resource base from moderate learning difficulties to social, emotional and mental health needs.
Arkwright Primary School, near Chesterfield, was approved to convert to join Redhill Academy Trust (17 schools).
