Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what procedures schools are required to follow in order to withdraw from an academy trust.

Where there are concerns about the performance of an academy the Regional Schools Commissioner may decide that the support of a new academy trust is needed to bring about the necessary improvements. In these cases the Regional Schools Commissioner may be able to use the termination powers set out in the academy’s funding agreement to require the academy to move to a new trust without the agreement of the academy or the existing trust. The Education and Adoption Bill will give Regional Schools Commissioners stronger more consistent powers to do this with failing and coasting academies.

Where the academy is performing well this is a matter for discussion and agreement between the academy, the trust and the relevant Regional Schools Commissioner.