VIEWS & OPINION
Navigating Multi-Academy Trust Mergers: Powering Growth with Digital Transformation
Comment by RICHARD TWELVETREES, Experience & Value Enablement Director, de Novo Solutions
Why are mergers happening more often? Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) increasingly view mergers as avenues to develop growth and excellence. Achieving a smooth transition and unification is essential for centralised back-office services, and automated digital- first transformation is the future. Embracing technology enables a trust to navigate the complexities of mergers more effectively, enhancing efficiency, transparency, and advancing the journey to becoming a High- Quality Trust.
Powering mergers with digital automation
Trusts encounter multiple complex challenges during mergers, including disparate, duplicated systems, communication alignment, and slow disconnected data silos. A digital transformation provides tools and frameworks to overcome these hurdles. Adopting cloud technology means processes and systems are automated, streamlining stakeholder involvement and expediting the value of data across the trust. The growth of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) enhances operational efficiency and enables exception analysis through data-driven decision-making, as emerging technologies are embraced.
Mergers aim to:
• Improve educational standards • Deliver economies of scale • Develop innovation and evolution • Foster collaboration and unity • Balance flexibility and autonomy • Accelerate growth ambitions
Optimising back-office efficiency and innovation Well-run centralised back-office support services are vital to any trust’s reputation and performance. Post-merger, by consolidating and automating low-value administrative tasks on a unified platform, streamlined processes will emerge, eliminating duplication and freeing up time to concentrate on high- value strategic activities. Cloud agility and responsiveness will enable a trust to
In summary
Remaining flexible and open is important in post-merger life. It is the people and culture that help make a trust. People and people management are just as essential as the balance sheet when aspiring to unlock the full post-merger potential. It will take planning, focus, give and take, and understanding to recognise the benefits and value outcomes associated with a merger in order to provide better educational outcomes for all.
As trusts embark on their merger journeys, we at de Novo Solutions stand ready to partner with organisations on their digital transformation journey, driving innovation, efficiency, and success every step of the way.
For more details on how we support MATs, visit:
www.de-novo-solutions.com/mats
How to lead when everyone is leaving? Comment by SHARATH JEEVAN OBE
National surveys routinely show that 40% of teachers intend to leave the profession. The problem is even more acute among those in their first five years of teaching.
Is it even possible to lead in circumstances like this?
The short answer: while it’s not easy, it can be done.
Often we tend to focus on things we can’t control - from the pressures of the accountability system (Ofsted, league tables) to national education policy.
As leaders, there is a lot we can control, however. The key is for us to help our teams recognise that there may be an inflection moment in your school or MAT. My work with MAT CEOs and senior leaders across the country shows that this is very much possible.
In other words, that you may want to see the bigger mountain to climb. Focus on articulating a deep and authentic direction for where your school or MAT may want to go. Try to go beyond Ofsted or league table goals and really focus on how your school or MAT can make a deep and distinctive difference to your community and young people - what I call a small p purpose. And also think about your perspective on education more broadly as a leader (Big P Purpose) and how you can help to achieve it in your role.
May 2024
Try to encourage your leadership team to deeply develop this Direction with you, and to be bold.
If you can define Direction powerfully, you can think about how to build what I call a Nurturing Culture in our organisation. The Pillars of Authenticity, Connection and Excellence (ACE) are key here. And it needs to start with that nurturing culture among staff, so it can be deeply role- modelled for students.
If you can do that, you can help your team tap into their intrinsic motivation - and shield them from the external stresses of being a teacher today. This means helping them reconnect with the deeper needs of the children they are teaching, feeling in control of their classroom, and having a sense of getting better over time.
It’s something I have seen deeply in my own work with MAT Leaders and Headteachers across the country. It’s all about being able to step away from our immediate compliance pressures and administrative accountabilities and take a longer-term and broader perspective. It’s a challenging system to work in at the moment but as leaders, we can seize the urgency of now and really respond to the inflection moment. As I outline in my book “Inflection” and in my practical work, I think of direction being like the hour hand of a watch, potential being the minute hand and motivation being the second hand. The watch moves together clearly when all the dials go hand in hand.
It’s not easy to lead when others are leaving. But it can be done. And if we recognise inflection moments for what they are, we can help our teams reach places that they wouldn’t have reached otherwise.
www.education-today.co.uk 21
adapt more quickly and cascade a culture of continuous improvement across operations.
Measuring success and improvement
Trustees that support a MAT bring valuable external perspectives and objectivity. Assisting with prioritising new methods and innovations, balancing contexts, and value are important consideration. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) provide useful benchmarks for discussion, highlighting the importance of due diligence and feedback on realignment decisions to drive value and growth savings.
How does your trust measure up? Success rate: 70-90%
of mergers fail to meet their intended objectives, highlighting why due diligence and strategic re-alignment planning is essential
Synergy realisation: 20-30%
of mergers achieve the anticipated synergies, underscoring that post-merger integration and commitment is essential to drive value and growth savings
Employee retention: 30%
of employees voluntarily resign within 365 days following a merger, highlighting importance of change management, communication, and cultural integration to retain talent
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