Plunging pupil numbers could give the government鈥檚 ailing academy drive an unexpected boost, experts say, after two primaries unveiled plans to join a MAT as rolls continue to fall. Primaries have been struggling to fill reception classrooms in the wake of a Brighton and Hove council chiefs greenlit proposals in January to in the next academic year. But Benfield Primary and Hangleton Primary, both in the authority area, have now launched a bid to join EKO Trust, saying falling rolls on the coast means “the capacity to maintain and develop staff is reducing as the schools shrink鈥. Warnings of ‘fragmented academy system’ Academisation would allow the schools to run more efficiently by 鈥渁ccessing services and resources managed and commissioned across an organisation with funding of more than 拢22 million”. It would also increase professional development and career opportunities. Tom Richmond But the authority鈥檚 Labour administration opposes the proposal, arguing that academisation 鈥渨ill not solve鈥 plunging pupil numbers and only 鈥渇ragment鈥 the system. Meanwhile, Hackney council in east London is facing legal action from parents who say it’s not fair borough chiefs are planning to close maintained schools only. Authorities have no admission powers over academies. Tom Richmond, of the EDSK think tank, said it was becoming 鈥渋ncreasingly unsustainable鈥 for councils to 鈥渞etain the statutory duty to provide enough school places without being able to influence the opening and closing鈥 of academies in their area. Schools ‘need to retain, develop and recruit staff’ In , Benfield and Hangleton said the local authority, 鈥渢hrough no fault of its own鈥as less funding and resources, which it has to target at the weakest schools鈥. But the papers added: 鈥淲e need to retain, develop and recruit the very best staff team to achieve the best outcomes for the children.鈥 Brighton and Hove officials that schools without enough pupils or those with 鈥渇luctuating numbers鈥 might not be able to operate in a financially efficient way and risked entering a budget deficit. Forecasts suggest there will be more than 690 surplus places in the area by 2026. Lucy Helliwell, who chairs the children, families and schools committee, said this week a more 鈥渇ragmented system with more schools outside鈥 the local authority made it harder to co-ordinate city-wide place planning. Council and DfE ‘imbalances will worsen’ Richmond added that the imbalance between central and local government would become 鈥渕ore fraught鈥 as maintained schools converted to academies. Elsewhere, Islington in north London wanted to close Pooles Park Primary to cut surplus places in the borough. The school 鈥 in which 鈥 has also been issued with an academy order after Ofsted rated it 鈥榠nadequate鈥 in November. Shortly after a consultation on the closure plans ended in June, Claire Burton, the regional director for London, gave the go-ahead for the school to be absorbed by the Bridge Trust. Splits create ‘incentive’ to become academy Sam Freedman Advisory the civil servant 鈥渟tated she was mindful of the [council鈥檚] concerns about surplus places鈥. But she noted that 鈥済overnment policy is to seek a sponsor for any ‘inadequate’ school and to proceed with conversion where there is an appropriate match鈥. Sam Freedman, a former adviser to the Department for Education, previously told Schools Week the split between local authorities and trusts 鈥渃reates an incentive to academise鈥. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e a maintained school, you鈥檒l think getting into a trust will make you safe. This will only accelerate the problem.鈥