Recommendation 8

There has been variable take up of academisation across different regions. For example, 29% of state-funded schools in Lancashire & West Yorkshire were academies in 2019/20, compared to 56% in South-West England.16 We asked the Department about its understanding of the reasons in these variances. The Department told us that the different proportions of academisation in different areas was the result of a range of factors in both local policy and the development of trusts locally that had given rise to. It explained that it 8 Academy schools sector in England: Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2020, page 10 9 Qq 9, 13 10 Academy schools sector in England: Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2020, page 34 11 Qq 11, 14–15 12 Qq 26, 29, 32, 89, 117 13 Qq 17, 27 14 Academy schools sector in England: Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2020, page 12 15 Qq 25, 30 16 Academy schools sector in England: Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2020, page 12 Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20 11 did not think that the variable take-up was the result of hesitancy, nor that there were any particular regional drivers, but recognised that there were still some areas where it needed to “work even harder with local partners to make the case”.17 It told us that it was working across the country to build the capacity of trusts in every area and that it would provide more information about its plan for all schools to become academies in the upcoming White Paper.18