Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the value is of the total assets held by (a) academies and (b) free schools; and what proportion of such assets were formerly held by public bodies.

For academy schools, including free schools, we collect information on the value of assets at Trust level. We therefore do not separately identify the value of assets for individual free schools. We do not collect data on the proportion of assets previously held by public bodies.

In 2015/16, the total value of gross assets held by the academy sector in England was £52.7 billion. The total value of net assets held by the sector was £43.5 billion, with the difference comprising liabilities of £9.2 billion (primarily the sector’s pension deficit which was £7.4 billion).

Figures for the 2016/17 academic year, including total assets for the academies sector in England, are due to be published in the Academy Schools Sector (in England) Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts in October 2018.