Will The Academy of Saint Francis of Assisi become an academy, and what is an academy?

Yes we will.

An academy is an all-ability school that is directly funded by central government and independent of direct control by local government. Academies are inspected by Ofsted under the same framework as maintained schools. Academies are self-governing and a member school/college of an Academy Trust.

What is a multi-academy trust (MAT)?

A multi-academy trust (MAT) is a charitable company limited by guarantee, established to be responsible for several academies. Each academy remains a separate school with its own local governing body, but governors are responsible to a Board of Trustees established for the Trust as a whole.

The MAT is the employer of staff and holds the land and buildings of each academy in Trust. A MAT is governed by charity, company and education laws.

Trustees are accountable to the Secretary of State for Education for the educational and financial performance of all the Trust’s schools and maintain a central team of staff to ensure that schools improve and meet the government’s expectations.

Is an academy like a business?

No. A business makes profit for its shareholders. An academy is a charitable trust which cannot make profit. It does report annually into the public domain on financial and academic performance.

Are academies bound by the same rules and regulations as other schools?

Yes, academies are required to follow the law in many of the same key areas as local authority‑maintained schools. This includes rules on admissions, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), exclusions, safeguarding, equality, and health and safety. Academies are also inspected by Ofsted in the same way as other state‑funded schools.

While academies have some additional freedoms in how they organise their day‑to‑day operations, they remain publicly funded schools and are accountable to the Department for Education. These freedoms are intended to give schools greater flexibility to meet the needs of their pupils, while continuing to operate within a clear national framework and strong systems of oversight and accountability.

Who will appoint local governing bodies?

Local governing bodies will continue to reflect the character of the schools. They will include elected parents and the Headteacher. Other governors will be appointed by the Trustees in partnership with each local governing body. They will continue to involve members of the local community as much as possible, whilst ensuring an appropriate range of skills.

When would the move to PFCMAT happen?

This will usually take 6-9 months although it can happen sooner. The day-to-day running will not be affected as planning and meetings to enable the conversion to take place are mainly outside of the school day.

Will admissions arrangements change?

In short, no.

What will this mean for my child’s education?

Being part of a larger multi-academy trust will provide greater opportunities for school staff to work together to share and develop best practices so that we can continue to improve teaching and learning in all schools - but you and your child are unlikely to see any visible difference day-to-day.

Schools will still have the same name, the same uniform, the same admissions arrangements, the same leaders and staff – and, most importantly, the same pupils.

What will all this cost – and how is it paid for?

This will be paid for by the Trust. It will not come from the school's budget.

How will the school be accountable financially?

A MAT, who the school will be part of if they convert to academy status, is governed by the rules and regulations for charitable trusts and company law, e.g. they are required to produce and file accounts and trustees cannot be paid. There will be robust systems with an audit conducted regularly by an external independent auditor to ensure financial accountability.

What about funding?

The Department for Education meets the running costs for an academy. Academy funding is calculated on a like-for-like basis with local authority schools. Therefore the academy will have a similar budget to that of its predecessor school. With greater freedom to procure services from other providers and to realise cost efficiencies across the network, the academy will be able to make more efficient use of resources to support school improvement. Like other schools, an academy cannot run at a loss or agree a deficit budget, i.e. it must break even.

Will merging with a MAT make our school less accountable to our community?

This is something that we have considered in depth. Different Trusts operate in different ways, and we have been careful to ensure that we are working with a Trust that has:

• A group of members and trustees who know our community well.

• A Trust who has schools in our immediate area.

• A commitment to retaining our governing body, and delegating appropriate levels of responsibility to them.

Below is a list of questions we think people may ask.

We will be updating this list regularly with responses to questions posed via the online survey - so please do keep checking in to find out more.

Doesn’t this mean a major change to the way our school is run?

No! The Trust is committed to working with its schools and supporting them to improve. Staff will continue in the post on transfer and all pupils will remain on roll.

Term dates, school times, uniforms and admissions arrangements will not change. We recognise that information widely available on the internet and social media identifies a different approach in some other cases when schools have become academies.

Why does our school have to join a MAT?

For our school, conversion to academy status is being considered as part of a wider Archdiocesan strategy. The Archdiocese is supporting schools to work more closely together within trusts to provide a high quality, authentically Catholic education for every child and young person.

Converting to an Academy also meets the expectations set out in the White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving.

Joining a MAT is intended to help schools be at the heart of their communities, remaining strong, sustainable, and focused on providing the best education for pupils, while retaining their individual identity, ethos, and character.

The priority for our school is the education of pupils. How will you ensure that the academy conversion does not distract us from this?

Part of the work of the school and MAT will be to carry out ‘due diligence’ exercises which will make clear what extra support to convert may be needed. PFCMAT will work with us to ensure we can continue to focus on the teaching and learning and progress of children.

It’s important that the school is open about the amount of support they might need to enter and go through the process.

Ultimately academies and Trusts must abide by the Academy Trust Handbook and their Funding Agreements (contract with the Secretary of State).

How will you keep staff, community and parents informed?

The school, Archdiocese and Trust will ensure timely and clear communication throughout the conversion process. This will include the sharing of the academy trust’s plans and an opportunity to gather feedback and suggestions, as well as addressing any questions or concerns.

Will the school remain non selective?

Yes - academies are non-selective schools. Academies are required to follow the law and guidance on admissions, SEND and exclusions as if they were maintained schools. It is the aim of the Trust to ensure that our academies provide high quality, inclusive education for all local children.

Does becoming an academy change the relationship with local schools, the parish served and the community?

No. Academies are expected to remain at the heart of their communities. Academy funding agreements require schools to work collaboratively, to share expertise and, where appropriate, facilities with other local schools and community partners.

Being part of a MAT can strengthen this further by providing structured support and opportunities for collaboration, while still allowing each school to maintain its local relationships and individual identity.

As part of the Archdiocesan strategy, schools from the same local authority area will join trusts together in small groups / clusters of three or four at a time. This approach is intended to strengthen existing local partnerships, support shared working between schools, and ensure that schools continue to play an active and positive role within their communities.

SEND Support - Who will be responsible, and pay for assessments of pupils/students with additional needs?

The LA retains the same statutory responsibility for pupils/students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in academies as they would for a maintained school. We would continue to work closely with the LA to ensure that our SEND pupils/students are well provided for and to ensure that the LA meets their statutory commitments with regard to pupils/students.

Would joining PFCMAT affect the relationship the school has with other schools or partners, non-Catholic or otherwise?

The purpose of a trust is to help develop support and professional collaboration. Whilst the schools in the Trust work closely together, schools are always encouraged to maintain and forge links with other schools and be part of wider networks. We are conscious that, as well as being part of a Catholic community, we are also part of the wider local community.

What is the role of the MAT Chief Executive Officer (CEO)?

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) leads the Trust and is responsible for making sure all the schools within it are well supported and run effectively. As the Trust’s Accounting Officer, the CEO is personally responsible for ensuring public funding is used properly and that legal and governance requirements are met.

The CEO provides overall direction for the Trust and works closely with headteachers, governors, Trust central team and trustees so that schools can focus on what matters most: teaching, learning and pupils’ wellbeing. They also act as the main link with the Archdiocese, Department for Education and the Regional Director’s Office, dealing with trust‑wide responsibilities so that individual schools are not distracted from their day‑to‑day work.

Will any staff leave if we are joining another Trust?

We hope not. A major drive is to provide a wider range of CPD (continuing professional development) and enhanced career opportunities for all of our staff.

Joining Pope Francis will also not mean any change to the staff’s terms and conditions. Staff would officially be employed by the MAT, but their existing employment rights would move across under the TUPE rules and thus be protected.

Will there be any changes to uniforms, term dates or the school name?

There are no plans to change the the uniform at all. The school name will remain St Gregory's Catholic Primary School.

There are no plans to change any of the published school holidays and it is important to us that the decision on holidays is taken locally so the schools are not disadvantaged in the local community. In the future we may look to align some of our professional development days with other PFCMAT schools to allow our staff the opportunity to collaborate with staff across the Trust.

As an academy, will it still work with the local authority (LA)?

Academies are independent of the local authority. However, we wish to continue working with the LA, other local schools and local partners. There are a number of statutory duties that rest with the LA which means they would continue to work with us just like they do with the other secondary and primary schools which have converted to academy status. The school is also able to work collaboratively with other local schools to supports the education and wellbeing of pupils as it may have done previously.

Can the academy buy back services from the local authority?

Yes. Where it is appropriate and offers value for money, the academy will be able to buy back services which have previously been provided by the Local Authority. This allows the school to continue accessing services it finds effective and beneficial, while also having the flexibility to explore alternative providers where this better meets the needs of the school and its pupils to provide best value for money. Decisions about buying back services are made carefully to ensure that resources are used efficiently and support the school’s priorities.

SEND Support - What functions would remain the statutory responsibility of the LA?

• Home to school transport

• Education psychology, SEND statementing and assessment

• Monitoring of SEND provision

• Prosecution of parents for non-attendance

• Assigned SEND resources for pupils/students with rare conditions needing individually tailored provision

• Provision of specialist facilities for a student who is no longer registered at a school

© 2026 The Academy of Saint Francis of Assisi. All rights reserved.