Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the (a) number and (b) amounts of settlements paid to head teachers leaving schools in multi-academy trusts in the last 12 months.

Information on staff settlements is disclosed and published by academy trusts in their audited financial statements.

Academy trust information for year ending 31 August 2016 is included in the Sector Annual Report and Accounts (SARA), which was published on the 26 October 2017 and available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academies-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2015-to-2016.

Information for the year ending 31 August 2017 will be disclosed by academy trusts in their financial statements in January 2018.

Academy trusts must obtain approval from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and HM Treasury in advance for any non-statutory / non-contractual staff severance payments of £50,000 or more; and ESFA approval where a Financial Notice to Improve is in force. For the 12 months to September 2017 there were two payments of £23,025.50 and £62,235.50.