Grants and growth funds for academies discontinued

Grants for schools choosing to become academies will end on 1st January 2025 and the Department for Education has also said that it has no plans to continue to run its trust capacity and trust establishment and growth funds.

The grant currently provides up to £25,000 to spend on the process of converting to an academy.

The trust capacity fund (TCAF) was available to help trusts take on underperforming schools, particularly in education investment areas (EIAs) and provided up to £750,000 to take on at least five schools in underperforming areas. The DfE have advised that there are no plans to introduce future rounds of this funding and trusts that had already applied and were waiting to hear about capacity and growth funding bids for this summer’s funding round of both funds have been told that no funding will be given.

The Confederation of School Trusts (CSTs) the national body representing academies has said the decisions would make it much more difficult for trusts to support maintained schools that need help, and leave smaller schools very vulnerable.

Would you like to hear from the Confederation of School Trusts about the changes this government are implementing in the sector?  Then come to our DAG Conference on Saturday 16^th November at Exeter Racecourse where  Samira Sadeghi, their Director of Governance, will be speaking to attendees. Please register and book your place via the DAG website www.dagdevon.uk.