Select committee: Education Committee

Multi-academy trusts inquiry

Closed Opened 14 Mar 2016 Closed 14 Mar 2016

Education Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)

Committee report Multi-academy trusts Multi-academy trusts (PDF 415KB) Government Response: Multi-academy trusts Government Response: Multi-academy trusts (PDF 248 KB) The Education Committee invites written submissions addressing the following points: The role of MATs in the context of other intermediate structures operating between Whitehall and individual schools, including Regional Schools Commissioners The current MATs landscape, including in terms of the number, size, and geographical coverage of MATs The balance of decision-making at the individual school level and at the chain level, and the appropriateness of formal governance structures employed How the expansion of MATs should be monitored and managed The characteristics of high-performing MATs How the performance of MATs should be assessed

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 14 March 2016.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 7th Report - Multi-academy trusts on 28 February 2017.

The government's response

Published 30 November 2017.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the report and agrees that MATs need clear accountability, but does not accept that there is a gap in assessing MAT quality and sees no case for realigning RSC and Ofsted regions.

On inspection, the department says it is working closely with Ofsted "as the Chief Inspector considers possible changes to the current model for reviewing the quality of education provision across a MAT".
It argues there is "a strong argument against the alignment of RSC and Ofsted boundaries", saying the disruption and cost of change are "thought to be disproportionate". It plans to publish updated Schools Causing Concern guidance "in due course".
On finances, it states "We do not accept" the Committee's view that the department has a long way to go, saying academies have "a stronger financial framework" than other state-funded schools.
On growth, it says MAT growth checks are "currently in development", and it does not think "it is necessary at this time to set a timescale" for MAT formation.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

7th Report - Multi-academy trusts28 February 2017

All reports

Evidence

5 oral evidence sessionsLatest 30 November 2016

All evidence

Recent activity

3rd Special Report - Multi-academy trusts: Government Response to the Committee’s Seventh Report of Session 2016–1730 November 2017, Report published
7th Report - Multi-academy trusts28 February 2017, Report published
Oral evidence session30 November 2016, Oral evidence

Reports

1 report

7th Report - Multi-academy trusts

HC No.: HC 204
Published: 28 Feb 2017
Items: 0
Government response: Government response published 30 November 2017. Read the government's response ↗

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions

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Date	Session and witnesses	Source
30 Nov 2016	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
12 Oct 2016	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
7 Sep 2016	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
13 Jul 2016	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
15 Jun 2016	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter

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Published	Direction	Letter
22 Jun 2016	To committee	Letter from Secretary of State re academy conversion costs 03-06-2016