Drop in pay for leaders of biggest academy trusts

The average pay of leaders at the largest multi-academy trusts has fallen amid a government crackdown on excessive salaries, a new report has shown.A major new analysis of 370 academy trusts' finances shows the chief executive pay in the biggest MATs has fallen compared with 2017.The Kreston Academies Benchmark report finds that the average pay for MAT leaders responsible for between 5,000 and 10,000 pupils was £114,770 in 2017-18, down from £140,459, a year earlier.The survey suggests the decline could be down to an increasing number of larger trusts and a crackdown by the Department for Education on academy CEO pay.Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) chief executive Eileen Milner has written a series of letters to MATs with the highest salaries telling them to justify the salaries they pay.The Kreston report, published today, says: “Although there is no explicit guidance telling trusts what they can pay their executive teams, these letters send a clear message that restraint is expected – and there is some evidence that this is happening."It adds: “Our survey data is showing either a fall in head/chief executive officer salaries or very modest increases.“The biggest reduction can be seen in the top band.“A large part of this fall is explained by there being many more trusts in that category this year which has diluted a small number of high salaries, but when we look at the individual data the trend is clear.” Tes revealed last year that around one in five MATs that were sent letters over pay had agreed to no longer pay in excess of £150,000 or pay more than one member of staff six figures.