Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria are used to determine the sponsor of a school that is subject to an academy order.

The Regional Schools Commissioner’s (RSC) role in intervention is to ensure that a school that is subject to an academy order is matched with an academy trust that can support it to improve.

RSCs approve sponsors based upon the published criteria for applicants. The criteria are set out on the sponsor application form, which can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-sponsor-application-form.

They include the sponsor’s overall visions and plans for growth, educational and financial capacity, and governance. When matching a sponsor to a school that is subject to an academy order, the RSC will also consider a range of other information, such as the sponsor’s geography in relation to the school, the sponsor’s skillsets, capacity, specialist expertise and track record. This will ensure that the sponsor is a good match for the school.