Ditch the ‘divisive language’ of MATs and SATs

The Confederation of School Trusts has said that the ‘divisive language of MATs and SATs’ should be ditched and financial incentives should be offered to entice schools to form or join school trusts.

The organisation has published a new paper, The Future Shape of the Education System, at a conference for 200 trust leaders in Lancashire and West Yorkshire. The paper sets out a direction of travel and calls for all political parties to collaborate with the sector to agree a long-term plan for education.

The paper describes ‘an imbalance in accountability and scrutiny of local authority-maintained schools’, with the CST arguing that school trusts are the most accountable and heavily scrutinised part of the school system in England. Therefore, there should be a single regulator that has responsibility for intervening in schools and trusts where there is poor quality of education, financial management is wesk or there is a failure of governance.

The report also recommends that the current two-tier system of maintained schools and academies should be moved to a single governance structure, with schools being offered financial incentives to form or join a school trust.

Leora Cruddas, chief executive of CST, said: “I am delighted to announce today that the Confederation of School Trusts is publishing a sector-led ‘white paper’ on the future shape of the education system in England. We want to generate a conversation about system-building. This is first and foremost about children and creating a system that puts the substance of education first. We are not proposing compulsory academisation. Academisation is not and has never been the panacea. I am talking about the power of a group of schools working together in deep partnership overseen by single governing board.

“It has taken a ten-year horizon for schools to start to form groups. To complete this journey is likely to take another ten years. Therefore, the time horizon for the system to work towards all schools in a strong and sustainable group is probably 2030. And let me be clear, this is about focusing direction. It is not about compulsion.

“The divisive language of MATs and SATs needs to go. We need to create a new language – the language of School Trusts as new civic structures. We need leaders who see a responsibility to work with other civic partners to advance education as a public good. Leaders who work with others to ensure the value of the child so that our collective actions protect high-quality education.”