Schools Week have revealed that rural local authority-maintained schools will be given access to government expansion funding for the first time next year to encourage them to academise and form new chains

The Department for Education has added a fifth “strand” to its trust capacity fund, which launched last year.

Whilst the amount of funding on offer, £17 million, has not increased, the money will now also be available to support ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ local authority-maintained schools in rural hamlets and villages to “collaborate and create new, strong multi-academy trusts”.

Successful applicants in this category will receive between £50,000 and £100,000.

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Schools Week - DfE extends academy trust capacity fund to rural maintained schools