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Education Committee launches inquiry into multi-academy trusts

The Education Committee has launched an inquiry into the performance, accountability and governance of Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs).

The committee has invited 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.

Neil Carmichael MP, Chair of the committee, said: "Multi-Academy Trusts play a substantial role in today's education system but with relatively little scrutiny. The Government’s direction of travel towards a fully academised system means we are likely to see more MATs in the future. Some MATs and academies deliver great results for their pupils but it’s important that all academies and MATS meet the highest educational standards.

“We want to examine the role and governance of MATs and ensure we have a system which ensures these academy chains deliver excellent performance while being properly held to account."

Chains of academy schools typically operate as MATs. Such a trust may decide to delegate some functions to school-level governing bodies, but the MAT remains accountable for the schools and can take all decisions on how the schools run.

The deadline for written submissions is 25 April 2016.

In January the committee published a report highlighting how Regional Schools Commissioners occupied an increasingly powerful position in the education system but their role was “unclear, even to key partners in the education sector”.

The MPs said more work was needed to improve the transparency, accountability and working relationships of the commissioners.