At least two local authorities are already looking at establishing their own multi-academy trusts under plans set out in the government’s schools White Paper.

The White Paper said local authorities and local area partnerships would gain the power to set up their own MATs “so that schools are supported to deliver for all children”.

This is part of a wider Department for Education ambition for all schools to join or form “high-quality school trusts”.

Wiltshire Council told Tes that it will develop plans to open its own MAT.

Jon Hubbard, cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills, welcomed the government’s announcement.

He said: “This is a real opportunity for Wiltshire, and one we intend to explore and develop relevant plans for as more details emerge.”

Wiltshire ‘actively exploring’ a schools trust

Mr Hubbard added: “While the consultative and legislative process progresses, we will be actively exploring how we can use these new powers to strengthen support for our schools and ensure that every child has the best start in life and education we can give them.”

On the day of the White Paper’s publication, Brighton and Hove City Council also confirmed its plans to set up a trust.

“There’s a lot in the White Paper, which the whole sector will be reviewing as quickly as possible,” the Labour deputy leader of the council, Jacob Taylor, told Brighton and Hove News.

“But I wanted to give an early commitment to the city: if the government proceeds with the plan to have all schools join an academy trust, we will set up our own local authority trust.”

Tes understands that Herefordshire Council is also considering setting up its own MAT.

There are no targets for when all schools should be in a trust under the government’s White Paper plans, and a Tes analysis today suggests that, without a major new incentive or push, the ambition could take decades to achieve.

The majority of primary schools are still local authority-maintained, and in some regions, as many as two-thirds of schools are yet to academise.

However, in some parts of the country, such as the South West, most schools are already in trusts.

Some authorities rule out setting up MATs

Bath and North East Somerset Council told Tes it has no plans to set up any further trusts, given the scale of academisation in the area. South Gloucestershire Council also said it was not considering the government’s proposals.

Other councils that are not planning to set up their own trusts following the White Paper are Knowsley, Bromley, Medway and Hull City.

This is not the first time that the DfE has sought to give councils the power to create trusts.

In the Conservative government’s 2022 White Paper, local authorities were advised that they could establish new MATs where “too few strong trusts exist”. However, this was later abandoned.

Hampshire County Council told Tes that it created a proposal to set up a MAT in 2022, but has not committed to anything under the new plans.

Tes understands that Warrington Borough Council was also keen to set up its own trust at the time, but is still exploring the latest proposals.

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