{"id":240060,"date":"2026-01-10T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=240060"},"modified":"2026-01-09T15:06:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T15:06:31","slug":"call-for-ministers-to-settle-debate-over-make-up-of-mats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/call-for-ministers-to-settle-debate-over-make-up-of-mats\/","title":{"rendered":"Call for ministers to settle debate over make-up of MATs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ministers are being urged to settle debate over their desired make-up of academy trusts after a huge MAT opted to give up two special schools it believes are better off in a SEND chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another trust said it would be \u201cimpossible\u201d for it to take on some special schools, while another chief executive warned there wasn\u2019t \u201cexternal resource to meet the needs of those children\u201d in his area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this, more trusts are opting not to specialise, amid an explosion in the number of children with special needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No direction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan Simons, director of education at the Public First think tank, believes this \u201creflects the conflicting currents and eddies in the system\u201d, with leaders without \u201ca single direction of travel\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jonathan
Jonathan Simons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe simply don\u2019t know enough to determine what the best structure is \u2013 but if the government wants more children educated in mainstream settings, then it will need to engage with these different currents and eddies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lift Schools, the fifth-largest trust in the country, is set to hand over two special schools<\/a>, both in Essex, which cater for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and severe learning difficulties (SLD).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lift said that \u201cas part of its long-term strategic planning\u201d, it concluded \u201cthe next phase of development for both schools is best supported within a specialist trust\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move will leave the chain with just three special schools, which have different specialisms. The trust said it has \u201cmade clear\u201d to its wider staff \u201cthat the plans only apply to their two PMLD and SLD schools\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expensive support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere, the Meridian Trust, which runs 35 academies, including three special schools, called the \u201ccrisis in SEND provision\u201d one of its \u2013 and the country\u2019s \u2013 \u201cprincipal risks\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cscale of the deficits\u201d reported by some special schools had made it \u201cimpossible\u201d to welcome them into the trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With local authorities \u201callowed to slide into irrecoverable debt\u201d and \u201crun far into the ground\u201d, key \u201cmulti-agency support required for quality provision is seldom seen\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recruitment was also a \u201csignificant challenge\u201d, Meridian added, because of an \u201cunder-provision\u201d of SEND teacher training and \u201cthe comparative pay of support workers\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul Rickeard, the chief executive of the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust<\/a>, said \u201ca lack of external resource to meet the needs of these children\u201d made it unlikely he would take on a special school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said his MAT has had to stump up for private educational psychologists and occupational therapists, as the local authorities in his area were \u201cstruggling to meet demand with increasingly long waiting times\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If such resources were more forthcoming the trust would then welcome such a provision,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More mixed MATs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Analysis of government data shows 223 trusts have at least one special school, up slightly from 202 in 2020. Just over 560 (28 per cent) of the 2,030 academies in the trusts are special schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That figure stood at 32 per cent in 2020, suggesting they have taken on growing numbers of mainstream schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August, it was announced that Transforming Futures Trust \u2013 which runs three special schools and one AP \u2013 will merge with the Reach South Academy Trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reach South said the move would build \u201cits capacity to deliver high-quality education across a broader range of needs\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Leora Cruddas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Billingborough Primary in Lincolnshire was given the go-ahead to convert to academy status the year before, following \u201ca change in pupil make-up\u201d triggered by a rise in the number of youngsters with \u201ccomplex and additional needs\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Community Inclusive Trust was the school\u2019s \u201cpreferred option\u201d as it could \u201cbenefit from the experience and expertise of practitioners in special school settings\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leora Cruddas, the chief executive of theConfederation of School Trusts, noted every chain \u201cis different and will be looking at their strategic approach and how they can best support their schools\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some might be \u201call primary or all specialist, for example, or \u2026 a mix of different types and phases of schools\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

White paper hopes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It was recently revealed that government officials are working on white paper proposals to encourage all schools to be in a \u201cgroup\u201d, though it is not known how this would be defined. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Tom Richmond, a former DfE adviser, believes \u201ca clear steer\u201d is needed on \u201cwhether the [department] want trusts to branch out or stick to what they know\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have spent years muddling through whether trusts should be specialist or generalist. With the tight funding settlement set to continue, the case for specialising within trusts is becoming stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DfE has been approached for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Debate comes as huge trust gives up two special schools and another says some are ‘impossible’ to take on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":311204,"featured_media":220720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[32,28,239,2712],"post-theme":[2381],"class_list":["post-240060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-academies","tag-dfe","tag-education-policy","tag-schools-white-paper","post-theme-academies"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t