The academies minister wants more converter schools to join turnaround trusts 鈥 but admitted a “real challenge” in changing the perception joining a MAT is 鈥渁 punishment rather than an opportunity鈥. said today the Department for Education should be 鈥渆ncouraging鈥 such converter schools – those rated ‘good’ or above that choose to academise – into trusts with 鈥渦nbelievably challenging schools鈥. Speaking at the Confederation of School Trust鈥檚 finance and operation conference this morning, she added many of those opting to convert are instead moving 鈥渇rom one relatively warm and cosy place to another鈥. 鈥淚 think that one of the challenges that we all share is getting the messaging out about why it鈥檚 a good thing to be in a strong multi-academy trust,鈥 she said. 鈥淧artly because there鈥檚 an intervention element to driving trusts, there鈥檚 a danger that things get seen as a punishment rather than an opportunity. I think it鈥檚 a real challenge to turn that narrative around.鈥 Hannah Woodhouse, the former regional director for the south west, previously said the DfE saw 鈥渢he biggest interest [in conversion] since 2018鈥 last year. Schools Week analysis in December showed there were 608 schools using the voluntary converter route to move out of local authority control. The figure is almost double that recorded at same time the year before (373) and was the highest since 2018 (732). CST CEO Leora Cruddas said there needs to be 鈥渁 conversation about speeding up the conversion of good schools into trusts鈥. RAAC: Council schools ‘left on their own’ She argued that it is important for them to make the switch 鈥渂ecause they bring capacity鈥 to MATs, adding that, 鈥渋f left on their own鈥, she is 鈥渁 bit worried whether they鈥檒l remain good鈥. Barran agreed, saying converter schools have a role in “building capacity and trusts taking on unbelievably challenging schools. 鈥淢y worry is that most of the conversion that happens is not into those trusts 鈥 it is from one relatively warm and cosy place to another one.鈥 Barran also revealed that ministers are 鈥渨orried about the support鈥 primary schools are 鈥済etting or not getting from local authorities鈥. She stated that during the RAAC crisis, those 鈥渋n strong trusts really felt supported鈥 鈥 while some council-run schools 鈥渨ere just on their own, with a headteacher taking all the pressure鈥. 鈥淭hat felt very unfair on them and unsafe.鈥 ‘Don’t focus as much on severe absence’ During the talk, Barran also spoke about attendance. She pointed out around a third of children have between six and 15 per cent absence, but said the conversation in schools is “almost entirely” on the one to seven per cent of children with below 50 per cent attendance. 鈥淚鈥檓 not saying we shouldn鈥檛 worry about them, but I think we all know that in the vast majority of those cases, schools aren鈥檛 going to resolve those issues on their own.鈥