Comparing the performance of multi-academy trusts with that of local authority schools, this report will make for interesting reading for school leaders and policy makers.
School performance in multi-academy trusts and local authorities (2015)
Education policy
Regional / location differences
Schools, teaching and management
System improvement and collaboration
UK policy
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Synopsis
This research considers whether academisation raises standards, and whether the government’s current approach is working. It provides the first comprehensive analysis of school performance in multi-academy trusts (MATs) and local authorities (LAs).
The analysis found that the lowest performing schools at both primary and secondary level are MATs. The researcher suggests that academisation does not automatically raise standards and that there are high levels of variability within MATs and LAs. The difference between the highest performing LA and the lowest performing large MAT is equivalent to just over seven GCSE grades.
At primary level, MATs are over represented amongst both the best and worst performers. 12 of the top 30 school groups are MATS, while nine of the worse 23 school groups are also MATs. At secondary, six of the top 20 school groups are MATs and 14 are LAs: broadly proportionate to overall numbers. However, nine of the 20 worst school groups are also MATs, meaning that, at secondary level, MATs make up a disproportionate number of the lowest-performing school groups.