Over the past decade, the Labour Party has often appeared hesitant to champion one of Tony Blair’s most transformative legacies: the academies programme. This initiative sparked an education reform movement that reshaped outcomes for thousands of children.
While this reluctance has sometimes clouded the extraordinary progress enabled by school trusts, there are promising signs of change under Bridget Phillipson’s leadership including in this week’s Children’s Wellbeing and Education Bill.
As education secretary, Phillipson has signalled a nuanced understanding of the role that multi-academy trusts play in our education system.
At their best, trusts are engines of innovation in curriculum, behaviour, and pedagogy, transforming life chances for children in some of the most disadvantaged communities. Each year, trusts achieve what was once thought impossible, providing families in some of the country’s most deprived communities with schools of a quality unimaginable a generation ago.
As trust CEOs, we have seen first-hand the power of this model. High-performing trusts succeed not because of bureaucratic oversight but because they are driven by shared purpose, exceptional leadership and peer-to-peer collaboration. This collaborative ethos is not merely a feature of trusts; it defines them.
Yet we must also acknowledge where the academies system has fallen short. A small minority of trusts have misused their freedoms, leading to underperformance, or worse, unethical practices. Phillipson is right to confront these issues, and the sector should welcome scrutiny that ensures accountability.
One of the most significant contributions of the academies programme has been the ability to innovate outside the constraints of the national curriculum. This freedom has empowered schools to develop rigorous, knowledge-rich curricula tailored to their communities.
However, Phillipson’s commitment to ensuring all schools adhere to a baseline curriculum reflects valid concerns. Parents deserve clarity and confidence in the standards their children’s schools uphold.
School trusts have proven they can deliver
The upcoming curriculum review led by Professor Becky Francis is therefore pivotal. It must strike a delicate balance: ensuring a high-quality education for every child while preserving the flexibility that has driven excellence in many trusts. Schools need the freedom to respond to their unique contexts without compromising on the fundamentals of a world-class education.
Pay and conditions is another area in which any reforms will need to strike a balance. Any changes to the freedoms that academy trusts enjoy in this area must similarly square the perfectly reasonable desire that all teachers should experience similar rights at work with the need to nurture real innovation.
Less discussed in the government’s recent comments on this subject has been an apparent desire for some innovations (including radical ideas like a nine-day teaching fortnight ) which are not currently allowed in rules for non-academies to become more readily available.
It makes sense to mandate the same set of pay and conditions for all schools, as the bill does, but only if such a move brings reforms that bake flexibility into the system, as Phillipson has promised. This would be a real advance in the sector’s increasingly pressing need for solutions to the staff retention crisis.
A common system would also allow teachers to move more easily around the system to gain new experiences, share best practice and look for career advancement
The idea that all teaching staff should have QTS is also both reasonable and essential. With a growing body of research on effective teaching, the continued reliance on unqualified teachers in classrooms is indefensible. Parents have a right to expect well-trained professionals educating their children.
However, implementing this policy requires thoughtful planning. Training routes must be accessible and timelines realistic to avoid unintended consequences for teacher supply.
Phillipson’s proposal to integrate trusts more deeply into local education ecosystems (including school place planning) is another area of promise.
Trusts have already stepped up as civic leaders, collaborating with local authorities and community groups to meet the needs of their regions. Expanding this role could further embed trusts within the fabric of their communities, provided it avoids unnecessary bureaucracy that could hinder their agility.
Perhaps the most exciting element of Phillipson’s emerging vision is her recognition of trusts as vehicles for system-wide improvement. High-performing trusts have demonstrated that sustainable success comes from driving excellent pupil behaviour, bespoke school improvement strategies, innovative staff development programmes, and strategic resource allocation.
These freedoms must be preserved if trusts are to drive transformation at scale. There is also a strong desire in the trusts we work with to step up in response to the SEND crisis.
However, this kind of work at scale is not straightforward. The temptation to over-regulate or impose one-size-fits-all solutions risks undermining what makes trusts effective. Trusts thrive on autonomy and tailored approaches. The challenge is to share best practices across the system without diluting the distinctiveness that fuels their success.
It is heartening to see Labour ministers engage with the academies movement with renewed confidence as we have seen recently. But optimism must translate into action.
Policymakers must champion the principles that underpin the best trusts: collaboration, accountability and innovation. At the same time, they must resist the pitfalls of over-regulation, ensuring that new policies strengthen rather than constrain the system.
For example, Phillipson’s championing of and support for efforts to improve attendance, especially in areas of the country where this is hardest, is the kind of leadership that can in turn allow trusts to address the current challenges.
The task before us is urgent and vital. Every child deserves an education that transforms their life chances, regardless of their background. School trusts have proven they can deliver on this promise. With thoughtful support from government, they can go further, driving excellence across the system and shaping a brighter future for all.
