{"id":243286,"date":"2026-03-16T15:14:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=243286"},"modified":"2026-03-16T15:14:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:14:11","slug":"revealed-first-mat-set-to-surpass-100-schools-with-merger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/revealed-first-mat-set-to-surpass-100-schools-with-merger\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: First MAT set to surpass 100 schools with merger"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Merger plans that would create England\u2019s first 100-school academy trust have been revealed \u2013 four months after the trusts started sharing the same CEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

United Learning (ULT) \u2013 which already runs 96 primaries and secondaries \u2013 is looking to absorb southwest chain Authentic Education<\/a>. The move would see ULT grow to 109 schools. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jon Coles, its chief executive, was appointed Authentic\u2019s interim boss in November, three months after former CEO Fay MacRitchie left the trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boards approach DfE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In a letter sent to staff, the trusts said: \u201cOur two academy trusts have been working closely together, with United Learning supporting Authentic Education\u2019s schools and central team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sir
Jon Coles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are both extremely pleased with how this relationship has developed and our boards have therefore approached the Department for Education to seek to formalise a permanent arrangement with the Authentic schools joining United Learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter noted they hoped to complete the merger later this year, subject to DfE approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government figures show ULT has dozens more schools than the next-biggest chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delta Academies Trust and the newly formed St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic MAT run 63 schools each. Reach2 is the only other chain with over 60 schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Opportunities’ from merger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Authentic\u2019s accounts noted that \u201cchanges in the senior management team\u201d prompted its \u201cdecision to contract with United Learning to provide additional capacity into the school improvement team\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among other things, an agreement was struck for ULT to provide its secondaries with \u201csupport from a curriculum, assessment and data perspective\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision to work closely with the trust also allowed \u201cfuture strategic decisions to be fully informed\u201d, accounts added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter added: \u201cThere would be no changes to the structure of [Authentic\u2019s] schools or their admissions policies, and on a day-to-day basis they would run as normal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHowever, students would benefit from a wide range of additional opportunities and staff would have access to United Learning\u2019s wide-ranging continuous professional development programmes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘So far down the line’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Former Delta CEO Paul Tarn was another high-profile trust boss who stepped in to lead another chain ahead of a proposed merger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He took over Coast and Vale after striking an \u201cin-principle agreement\u201d for the organisations to join forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the plans \u2013 which were later greenlit by ministers \u2013 sparked warnings<\/a> before they were due to be considered by the Yorkshire and Humber advisory board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One trust leader, who asked not to be named, said at the time that “the advisory board is in a very difficult position because they [the trusts] are so far down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf the board doesn\u2019t think it\u2019s the right match, what happens then?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

United Learning’s proposal to merge with another trust would take its academy tally into three figures<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":311204,"featured_media":103539,"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],"post-theme":[2381],"class_list":["post-243286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-academies","tag-dfe","tag-education-policy","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