Frequently Asked Questions

An academy is a type of state school. They are funded directly by the government rather than  through the local authority. They have a legally binding agreement with the Department for  Education (DfE) which sets out their obligations as a school. Staff are employed directly by the  academy trust.   

A multi academy trust (MAT) is a charity set up exclusively to run schools. They are usually formed  when a group of schools/academies group together for the sorts of reasons set out in this  consultation. 

The MAT is responsible for all the schools in the trust although individual schools still  receive separate Ofsted judgements and performance tables are still based on individual schools.  MATs are funded by the DfE. They are accountable to the Secretary of State for Education through  the DfE-appointed Regional Directors  

No. Academies and MATs are charitable bodies set up for one specific purpose, namely to provide  education for public benefit. They are run in accordance with clear governing Articles of Association  which set out what trustees can and can't do. They are heavily regulated by the DfE and they have to ask permission if they want to engage in certain activities. 

No. Becoming an academy and/or joining a MAT is mainly about strengthening school-to-school  collaboration and ensuring all the schools are formally working together in the best interests of their  pupils. All the schools will keep their own names. Admissions policies won't change and uniforms will continue unchanged.   The school will retain its Governors board, and staffing won't change as a result of the conversion either.

No. The schools are committed to providing staff with certainty about where they will work. No-one will be forced to work in a different school. 

There will be  opportunities for secondments, partnership working and inter-school collaboration which staff can opt into if they choose. They will not be compelled.    

No. Each school will continue with its current admissions policy. The provisions in current admissions  arrangements will continue as currently.  

No. Quite the opposite in fact. We believe that formally working together with shared systems and  procedures is one of the best ways to promote inclusive practice and good teaching. This will benefit  all pupils, including those with SEND.  

Academies are funded directly from the Department of Education; rather than through the local authority.   The Multi Academy Trust (MAT) has a Master Funding Agreement which is a contract between the Secretary of State for Education and a Multi-Academy Trust.  This outlines the framework for the trust's operation. 

In addition to this, each school within the MAT will have a supplementary funding agreement which is calculated using the pupil count at the school. 

Ultimately, the Trustees of the MAT oversee the equitable distribution of funds to ensure that each school within the Trust is funded appropriately based on the number of pupils within each establishment.   At Symphony, the trust passes through the funding allocated at governmental level and does not change the funding allocation. 

At an operational level the Head of each school will have a delegated budget to run their school, therefore being able to prioritise need. 

The Heads will work closely with the CFO and the CEO of the MAT to ensure that each school is able to run effectively.