Ministers are being urged to settle debate over their desired make-up of academy trusts after a huge MAT opted to give up two special schools it believes are better off in a SEND chain. Another trust said it would be 鈥渋mpossible鈥 for it to take on some special schools, while another chief executive warned there wasn鈥檛 鈥渆xternal resource to meet the needs of those children鈥 in his area. Despite this, more trusts are opting not to specialise, amid an explosion in the number of children with special needs. No direction Jonathan Simons, director of education at the Public First think tank, believes this 鈥渞eflects the conflicting currents and eddies in the system鈥, with leaders without 鈥渁 single direction of travel鈥. Jonathan Simons 鈥淲e simply don鈥檛 know enough to determine what the best structure is 鈥 but if the government wants more children educated in mainstream settings, then it will need to engage with these different currents and eddies.鈥 Lift Schools, the fifth-largest trust in the country, is set to hand over two special schools, both in Essex, which cater for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and severe learning difficulties (SLD).聽 Lift said that 鈥渁s part of its long-term strategic planning鈥, it concluded 鈥渢he next phase of development for both schools is best supported within a specialist trust鈥. The move will leave the chain with just three special schools, which have different specialisms. The trust said it has 鈥渕ade clear鈥 to its wider staff 鈥渢hat the plans only apply to their two PMLD and SLD schools鈥. Expensive support Elsewhere, the Meridian Trust, which runs 35 academies, including three special schools, called the 鈥渃risis in SEND provision鈥 one of its 鈥 and the country鈥檚 鈥 鈥減rincipal risks鈥. The 鈥渟cale of the deficits鈥 reported by some special schools had made it 鈥渋mpossible鈥 to welcome them into the trust. With local authorities 鈥渁llowed to slide into irrecoverable debt鈥 and 鈥渞un far into the ground鈥, key 鈥渕ulti-agency support required for quality provision is seldom seen鈥. Recruitment was also a 鈥渟ignificant challenge鈥, Meridian added, because of an 鈥渦nder-provision鈥 of SEND teacher training and 鈥渢he comparative pay of support workers鈥. Paul Rickeard, the chief executive of the , said 鈥渁 lack of external resource to meet the needs of these children鈥 made it unlikely he would take on a special school. He said his MAT has had to stump up for private educational psychologists and occupational therapists, as the local authorities in his area were 鈥渟truggling to meet demand with increasingly long waiting times鈥. “If such resources were more forthcoming the trust would then welcome such a provision,鈥 he said. More mixed MATs Analysis of government data shows 223 trusts have at least one special school, up slightly from 202 in 2020. Just over 560 (28 per cent) of the 2,030 academies in the trusts are special schools. That figure stood at 32 per cent in 2020, suggesting they have taken on growing numbers of mainstream schools. In August, it was announced that Transforming Futures Trust 鈥 which runs three special schools and one AP 鈥 will merge with the Reach South Academy Trust. Reach South said the move would build 鈥渋ts capacity to deliver high-quality education across a broader range of needs鈥. Leora Cruddas Billingborough Primary in Lincolnshire was given the go-ahead to convert to academy status the year before, following 鈥渁 change in pupil make-up鈥 triggered by a rise in the number of youngsters with 鈥渃omplex and additional needs鈥. The Community Inclusive Trust was the school鈥檚 鈥減referred option鈥 as it could 鈥渂enefit from the experience and expertise of practitioners in special school settings鈥. Leora Cruddas, the chief executive of theConfederation of School Trusts, noted every chain 鈥渋s different and will be looking at their strategic approach and how they can best support their schools鈥. Some might be 鈥渁ll primary or all specialist, for example, or 鈥 a mix of different types and phases of schools鈥. White paper hopes It was recently revealed that government officials are working on white paper proposals to encourage all schools to be in a 鈥済roup鈥, though it is not known how this would be defined. However, Tom Richmond, a former DfE adviser, believes 鈥渁 clear steer鈥 is needed on 鈥渨hether the [department] want trusts to branch out or stick to what they know鈥. 鈥淲e have spent years muddling through whether trusts should be specialist or generalist. With the tight funding settlement set to continue, the case for specialising within trusts is becoming stronger.鈥 The DfE has been approached for comment.