The 14th annual report includes data from almost 250 Trusts representing more than 2,500 schools and and almost one fifth of all children educated in academies in England. The survey covers the 2024/25 academic year.
Clive Owen LLP Partner, Chris Beaumont is one of the authors of the report and has worked with the academy sector for 20 years.
Our academies team act for educational establishments of all shapes and sizes, including converter and sponsored academies, free, independent schools and University Technical Colleges (UTC).
In the report
The latest publication revealed that trusts of all sizes have achieved their strongest financial performance in three years, with just 37% of trusts reporting in-year financial deficits in 2024/25, a dramatic reversal of the state of academy finances in the 2023/24 academic year, when 60% of trusts were in deficit.
However, almost all trust types forecasted reserves to plummet over the next two years. This bleak outlook is particularly stark in secondary single academy trusts (SATs), where reserves are expected to fall 43% by 2026/27.
Multi-academy trusts continued to grow, but there are clear signs that the pace of expansion is forecasted to slow across the sector. Trusts now average just under 14 schools, up 8% from just over 11 in the previous year, but far fewer are planning to add new academies in the future. Last year, 61% expected to gain at least one school in 2025/26, rising to 83% by 2026/27. This year, just 36% expect to expand over the next 12 months, a drop of 25 percentage points.
Contact our academies specialists, Chris Beaumont and Kevin Shotton, if you have any questions about anything raised in the report.
If you would like a hard copy of the report posting out to you, please fill in the contact form and don’t forget to give us your postal address.
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