Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the governance of multi-academy trusts.

The department’s expectations of effective governance in multi academy trusts (MATs) is set out in the Academies Financial Handbook and Governance Handbook. This includes the skills, knowledge and behaviours that boards need to demonstrate to be effective. Both handbooks are currently being updated and once completed, copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The Academies Financial Handbook is updated annually.

Through the Academies Ambassadors Programme, over 1200 volunteers with commercial and business experience have been recruited to join academy boards.