The first Schools Bill since 2016 is currently going through Parliament. It seeks to convince all schools to join a multi-academy trust (MAT) by 2030 and suggests giving Local Authorities powers to forcibly transfer schools in their area into MATs.

The Government wants to push ahead with this despite the lack of evidence to support the policy. This Bill is not a school improvement strategy and will not build the capacity of the system to deliver good outcomes.

Once subsumed into the MAT structure, schools lose their legal identity – and with it their choice and voice - it is the trust board that decides what powers, if any, are delegated to the school and its governing body. Many MATs have abolished their local governing bodies altogether.

This Bill provides for a huge centralisation of power at national level. Schools Week says it is a “real grab for power” that will effectively make Nadhim Zahawi, the Secretary of State for Education “the chief education officer” for thousands of schools. 

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