Schools leader launches defence of academy trusts

Academy trusts are "charities that are run to give children a better future" rather than organisations with business interests, a schools’ leader will say today.The Confederation of School Trusts’ chief executive Leora Cruddas will launch a defence of academies today by claiming England’s state schools are living through an “education renaissance” driven by charitable trusts.She will tell the CST's spring conference, in London, that trusts run schools in which 50 per cent of children are now taught. Ms Cruddas will say these trusts have at their heart a “core charitable purpose to advance education for the public benefit – to make children and young people’s lives better”. But she will warn that the narrative about academy trusts has become “dominated by those who want to believe the motive is about business interest.” There have been several high profile failures among MATs including Bright Tribe and Wakefield City Academies Trust.Tes has also revealed concerns about a controversial behavioural policy at Outwood Grange Academies Trust called “flattening the grass”.