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As financial pressures and sustainability challenges continue to impact the education sector, many trusts and schools are exploring collaboration as a route to resilience. For some, a multi-academy trust (MAT) merger offers a strategic opportunity to build capacity, align priorities, drive school improvement and secure long-term viability. Working together in this way can help trusts share best practice, strengthen support for staff and pupils, and ensure that educational outcomes remain at the heart of all decision-making.
Drawing on extensive experience, Edwin People has compiled 10 practical tips to support early-stage thinking and successful merger planning.
Before formal steps, invest time in exploring your shared ‘Why’. Aligning on values, purpose and aspirations sets a positive tone, builds trust, and keeps the focus on improving outcomes for pupils and communities. Address potential deal-breakers early. Know your practical steps to school improvement.
A strong communication plan is essential. Keep messaging simple, regular and transparent across all stakeholders – staff, governors, unions, parents and communities. Engagement is as important as process. Engage your Central Team early as they are key to delivering the merger. Involve operational leads to map systems, identify key risks and shape the integration plan. Their insights can highlight hidden dependencies and help avoid operational blind spots.
Develop a clear project plan outlining phases, responsibilities and timelines. This helps co-ordinate workstreams and maintain strategic focus. Share, regularly updated plans drive accountability and momentum. Include a people impact assessment to anticipate changes in roles, reporting lines and responsibilities.
Once there’s agreement in principle, a non-binding MoU helps define how you’ll work together. It builds trust, reduces misunderstandings, and clarifies intentions from the outset. This document provides a framework for collaboration ensuring all parties share a common understanding.
Involve the Department for Education (DfE) early to check that your proposed structure aligns with national expectations. Key considerations include governance, school improvement capacity and financial sustainability. Plan sufficient time for the approval process to avoid delays. Communicate with your DfE liaison team to confirm inclusion on the agenda.
Set up a shadow board early to model collaborative governance and provide strategic oversight. A dedicated project team – covering school improvement, finance, HR, estates and IT – should meet regularly to drive progress in merged workstreams, with clear actions and ownership. This project team will be key to successful post-merger integration.
Mergers place demands on trusts beyond day-to-day operations. Strengthening central functions like HR and governance early helps manage pressure and avoid missed steps. Plan for role consolidation with care. Mergers may mean moving from two key senior roles to one. Approach this with sensitivity and clarity. Define the merged structure early, offer support and communicate rationale openly. Many trusts benefit from an independent merger lead. Edwin People frequently undertake this role to help maintain pace, manage risks and unify communications.
Thorough due diligence across finance, legal, HR and education is essential. Independent support brings objectivity, credibility and challenge – particularly valuable when internal teams are stretched. The right partners bring both distance and deep sector understanding.
Decide early on the legal structure for the merged trust. It should support effective governance and operational delivery. While this can be complex and sensitive, early clarity avoids confusion and delays further down the line. An early decision on a new name helps with legal documentation and avoids delays at Companies House.
Marking the merger, however modestly, helps build a sense of unity and momentum. Whether it’s a welcome message, staff event or shared newsletter, small acts of recognition reinforce shared identity and purpose. Successful mergers are about people as much as process. Taking time to celebrate achievements, listen to concerns and recognise individual contributions will help everyone feel valued throughout the journey.
Right from your initial concept of a merger including analysis of potential merger partners, Edwin People can advise, guide and support each element of your MAT Merger.
Whether it’s overseeing project management, handling TUPE processes, streamlining your central structure, or coordinating with the DfE and legal advisers, we’ll manage the complexities so you can remain focused on running your schools.
To speak with a member of our senior team about how we can support your merger, contact us at [email protected].
Summer 2025 Update
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