The view of the GDBE is that all Church of England schools should be proactive in planning for their future. The vision of the GDBE is for all within our family of schools to have a ‘good home’. By finding a good home within a strong Multi Academy Trust, church schools within our family will be part of a strong school-led education system – with MATs accountable for schools within their local MAT community. We encourage and support our schools to be proactive in finding the right home within a MAT landscape.
The GDBE Schools’ Strategy “A Good Home for All Church Schools’ below, provides schools with detail of this vision and makes clear the options that are available for Church of England Schools in the Diocese of Gloucester. This Strategy was reviewed and updated in February 2024 and supersedes previous versions of the Strategy.
GDBE Schools Strategy | A Good Home for Church Schools
If you have any queries or questions about this strategy or if you are starting to consider joining a MAT, please contact a member of the education team for an initial conversation on ku.gr1744992541o.coi1744992541dsolg1744992541@ecna1744992541nrevo1744992541gsloo1744992541hcs1744992541
We wish all our Church schools to be able to find a good home within a suitable MAT and work closely with our family of MATs.The role of the GDBE and Education Team is to establish and sustain relationships with strong Multi Academy Trusts that are value aligned to our approach to education and committed to working together within our Diocesan family to support our family of schools.
The GDBE treasures its partnership with the Trusts that provide homes for our church schools and will expect to work in collaboration with them to support the flourishing of church schools within them. It has the right to quality assure the work that MATs do to support the flourishing of church schools within them.
In all cases of voluntary conversion, the GDBE’s legal consent to proceed is required. This is not automatic and should not be assumed.
Our following document lays out the way in which we engage with MATs wishing to explore the possibility of working with our schools.
Process for MATs Wishing to be Considered for Conditional Consent to work with Diocese of Gloucester Church Schools This enables open and transparent conversations to occur in the best interests of the MAT, our schools and, most importantly, the children and communities that they serve. We expect any MAT considering the possibility of exploring offering a good home to our church schools to contact us at the earliest opportunity and engage with fully with this process.
Schools choosing to convert to an academy or join a MAT
There is no current government policy or targets for local authority maintained schools to convert to an academy or join an academy trust, school leaders have been given the autonomy to decide what is best for their school and its community.
The Memorandum of Understanding D f E between the National Society and the Secretary of State is a good point of reference for schools exploring academy status or joining a MAT and informs our Schools Strategy and processes for academisation.
The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust (DGAT) was established in 2012 to provide a home for any CofE school wanting or needing to become an academy. DGAT’s commitment to considering an application from any school remains. However, DGAT is not the only MAT to offer a good home to our church schools and the GDBE deeply values our relationship with other MATs within our family and the opportunities they offer for each of our schools to find the right home for them within a MAT landscape.
The Current MAT Options document below provides details of the MAT options currently available to Diocese of Gloucester Schools. It is very important that both the GDBE Schools Strategy and the current MAT options document below are consulted before progressing with discussions with a MAT to ensure you understand the options available to your school.
Current MAT Options for Church of England Schools in the Diocese of Gloucester
Information sheets about each of the school trusts:
For schools issued with an academy order by the Secretary of State for Education
If a school is issued with an academy order by the Secretary of State for Education, the GDBE will work in partnership with the Regional Schools Commissioner, to ensure the robust protection of the religious character of the school, following the process outlined in the document below.
Other options for collaboration
Schools may also consider establishing a federation or joining an existing federation. Establishing or joining an existing federation is a legal process set out in The School Governance (Federations) (England) Regulations 2012. Federations have one governing body which maintains strategic oversight of all the schools in the federation. Schools retain their existing DfE status and independence, admissions continue to be determined by the local authority.
Schools wishing to establish or join an existing federation are required to publish their proposals to all key stakeholders. Once the federation is approved, a new Instrument of Government is implemented.
Contact us
For further information, support and advice about academy conversion, please contact Jane Borgeaud.
Becoming an academy or joining a Multi-Academy Trust: resources for maintained schools and academy trusts
The following resources have been produced by the Diocesan Education Team to provide information to help and support with conversations and decision-making about converting to an academy or joining an academy trust.
This glossary is your go-to for all things academy-related and will help you familiarise yourself with key terms and documents used within the conversion process.
Academy Conversion Process Glossary of Terms
This glossary is your go-to for all things academy-related and will help you familiarise yourself with key terms and documents used within the conversion process
Academy Conversion Process Glossary of Terms
GDBE Key Dates for Academy Conversions
The document below contains the dates of Academisation Committee meetings and GDBE full board meetings at which recommendations and decisions on conditional consent for academisation are made.
Please note: There are limited places in Academisation Committee meeting and GDBE full board agendas and places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Please could schools email the clerk to the GDBE (ku.gr1744992541o.coi1744992541dsolg1744992541@ecna1744992541nrevo1744992541gsloo1744992541hcs1744992541) as soon as they confidently identify the Academisation Committee at which they would like to request to present when applying for conditional consent to join a MAT other than DGAT*. We will then allocate a provisional place on the Academisation Committee agenda and agenda of the associated GDBE full board meeting, if space is available, subject to receipt of paperwork by required deadlines. This will allow us to forecast demand better, and investigate the possibility of extension of meeting time or additional meetings, if feasible, where this appears necessary. In order to ensure that all schools receive a place at the most suitable meeting for their needs, we would ask that schools do not make speculative requests for a place if they are not confident that they will be able to submit paperwork by required deadlines.
*Schools applying for conditional consent to join DGAT go through a slightly different process for consideration of their application and recommendation to a full board and do not go through the Academisation Committee process. They will, however, still require an allocated GDBE full board meeting slot for a conditional consent decision to be made.
Gloucester Diocesan Board of Education Key Dates for Academy Conversion, 2024-25
Applying for Conditional Consent to Convert to a Multi Academy Trust Flow Chart
This flow chart provides a visual explanation of the process of applying for conditional consent to convert to an academy trust, other than DGAT, as set out in the Gloucester Diocesan Board of Education Policy on the Academisation of C of E Schools.
Applying for Conditional Consent to Convert to a Multi Academy Trust Flow Chart
Key questions for Church schools to ask academy trusts when exploring converting to an academy and joining an academy trust
This guidance is intended to provide governors and leaders of Church schools with examples of questions they may wish to ask academy trust leaders when exploring options for joining an academy trust.
Diocesan Board of Education Policy on the Academisation of C of E Schools
Gloucester-Diocesan-Board-of-Education-Policy-on-the-Academisation-of-C-of-E-Schools
The letter below refers provides further detail related to charges for GDBE Officer time referred to within the above policy:
Letter to MAT CEOs – June 2024
Application for Conditional Consent to Convert to an academy and join a Multi Academy Trust
Application for Conditional Consent to Convert to an Academy and Join a Multi Academy Trust
Application for Conditional Consent to Convert to an academy and join DGAT
Application for Conditional Consent to Convert to an Academy and join DGAT
Application for Conditional Consent to Convert to an academy and join a Multi Academy Trust – Federations
Effective Stakeholder Consultation Guidance
