Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total cost of converting maintained schools to academy status through sponsorship or other means from September 2010 to March 2022; and what was the average cost of converting each school to academy status during that period.

As of March 2022, the department has spent £495 million through our academies pre-opening grants to support schools to become academies. Average costs will vary significantly by project. The department has a range of available grants with set tariffs that contribute towards the costs to support schools to convert.

From 2010, the converter pre-opening grant has been set at £25,000 per academy.

The level of funding for sponsored pre-opening grants has varied since 2010, when the academies programme began to expand. From 2010 to 2013, the average award for sponsored academies was determined on a case-by-case basis. To ensure greater consistency and drive efficiencies, set tariffs for sponsored academies were established in 2013. Sponsored academies are now eligible for grants ranging from £70,000 to £150,000 per academy.

Cost of Sponsored and Converter Academies from 2010 to March 2022