Join our Trust

The legal process to transfer an existing academy school to another multi academy trust is the same whether or not the school will be sponsored. Where a school has been classified by the Regional Schools Commissioner to be Sponsored, the Trust will receive a ‘pre-opening grant’ to provide extra support for pre-opening costs, including legal advice, project management, curriculum development, school improvement services and the early appointment of key staff. The amount received depends on whether the school is a primary or secondary school or whether it is categorised by the Department for Education (DfE) as a ‘fast track’, ‘intermediate’ or ‘full’ sponsored academy. The categorisation of the school is determined by how much support the DfE believes the school needs to secure improvement.

In addition, for full sponsored academies, academy trusts may be eligible for a ‘start-up grant’ in order to assist them to raise standards and transform educational attainment of the sponsored school.

The amount is determined by whether the school is a primary or secondary school and the numbers on roll, but can be as much as £50,000 for a primary school and £80,200 for a large secondary school. Finally, an ‘environmental improvement grant’ of £40,000 for primary schools and £80,000 for secondary and all-through schools may be available for full sponsored academies. This is intended to be used for light capital works on pupil learning spaces and to make a visual statement that the ‘old school’ has become an academy.

If you want to discuss what being an academy within Success Academy Trust might ‘feel’ like, or if you are a local school wishing to explore collaborative working within our Multi Academy Trust, please contact Mandi Collins, Trust Principal, or a Head at any of our Academies for a confidential discussion.