A primary school head teacher’s experience of pressure to join a multi-academy trust

Abstract

This commentary outlines the views of a current head teacher after receiving increased marketing and persuasive letters from multi-academy trust (MAT) chief executive officers (CEOs) in an attempt to expand their MATs. Following the Department for Education’s academisation programme, which aims to convert all schools in England to MATs by 2030, this reflection highlights the implications of the programme and reflects, from an insider’s perspective, on the author’s concerns about this approach for the communities, which will lose local leaders with autonomy and see them replaced with CEOs who have multiple interests, other than those of the local schools.