Scaled-back council support services, financial woes and headteachers鈥 fears that they could be forced into a trust they don鈥檛 want to join are some of the main drivers behind a spike in schools wanting to convert into an academy. Speaking at the Westminster Education Forum earlier this month, Hannah Woodhouse, the regional director for the south west, said the Department for Education has seen 鈥渢he biggest interest [in conversion] since 2018鈥. She didn鈥檛 mention figures. But Schools Week analysis reveals there are now 608 schools using the voluntary converter route to move out of local authority control. The figure is almost double that recorded this time last year (373) and is the highest since 2018 (732). 鈥楩inancial fragility鈥 Woodhouse said one of the reasons for the rise was 鈥渁 lot of financial fragility and questions around the viability of small primaries鈥. Schools Week analysed minutes since September to get an idea why schools were choosing to convert. All conversions must be approved by regional directors, and many include brief details of why. Almost a fifth (18.8 per cent) cited money and 鈥渟tability鈥 concerns. Currently, 500 primaries are listed on the government鈥檚 鈥渃onverter pipeline鈥, their budgets badly hit as they struggle to fill reception classrooms in the wake of a birth-rate dip of 13 per cent since 2015. Advisory board minutes show two village schools in North Yorkshire, Wykeham and Hackness C of E primaries, saying their conversion would give them “additional financial stability and security”. The schools, which share a federated budget and are rated 鈥榬equires improvement鈥, also recognised “the need for additional support from a MAT to accelerate improvement”. In Brighton, Benfield and Hangleton Primaries launched a bid to join EKO Trust earlier this term, saying falling rolls on the coast meant 鈥渢he capacity to maintain and develop staff is reducing as the schools shrink鈥. New ‘coasting’ powers Since September, 鈥渃oasting powers鈥 have allowed regional directors to academise schools with two or more consecutive Ofsted inspections that were less than 鈥榞ood鈥. Rob Tarn, the chief executive of the Northern Education Trust, said that some that fell within the scope for intervention have decided to jump before being pushed. Hannah Woodhouse Tarn, who also sits on the North-east advisory board, said Hetton Academy in. Sunderland decided to join his trust last year 鈥 before the coasting powers were introduced 鈥 after receiving its second 鈥榬equires improvement鈥 in a row. 鈥淭he governors felt 鈥榠f we鈥檙e forced to academise, we won鈥檛 be able to choose who we join, so we might as well do it while it鈥檚 in our gift to decide鈥,鈥 he said. Our analysis found the most common factor for voluntary conversions (37 per cent) was relating to school鈥檚 values aligning with those of the trust, or that it was joining a family of similar academies. Woodhouse added trusts were 鈥渕aking a case that it is in the interest of schools to join, certainly for staff development and outcomes for children鈥. Lack of council support Sector leaders have also argued that reduced local authority support has pushed many into the arms of MATs. Our analysis of advisory board minutes found 34 per cent of schools wanted to academise because they were either already working with a MAT or wanted more support. Simon Kidwell, the president of the National Association of Headteachers, said council funding had been cut significantly 鈥渟o they don鈥檛 have the funds to do some of the core activities around school improvement that they used to have鈥. Kidwell, the principal of the council-run primary Hartford Manor in Cheshire, said his school forked out almost 拢2,500 for school improvement support from the local authority last year. Bryn Thomas, the head of Wolverley C of E Secondary in Worcestershire, said councils had reached a 鈥渃ritical mass鈥. He either sourced specialist school improvement support from his network of colleagues or bought it in from trusts. He admitted he was 鈥渋nterested in what options are available to us in terms of academisation鈥. Councils ‘don’t have the people’ 鈥淸Local authorities] just don鈥檛 have the people anymore. The only way to get that support guaranteed is through the academy system.鈥 The Collective Learning Partnership, which has six primaries in Bury, told parents it felt it needed to academise partly because of the authority鈥檚 鈥渄iminishing鈥 services and provision. In Staffordshire, Dove Bank Primary is set to join The Learning Partnership, which has 14 schools, in January. Sally Dakin, Dove Bank鈥檚 head, said when she first took on headship, she asked the council to 鈥渜uality assure my initial evaluation of standards, but it had limited capacity to do this and instead encouraged me to explore joining a trust. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 officially join until January, but already our access to expert teachers and leaders has generated rapid improvement 鈥 for instance, thanks to high-quality support and CPD, we now have a better EYFS environment, curriculum and quality of teaching.鈥 Schools now pay for LA help Shrinking local authority support has prompted a number of primaries to band together to launch trusts. In consultation documents sent to parents, the 13 schools looking to launch The Leaf Trust in South Gloucestershire noted the council 鈥渋s significantly reduced in its capacity鈥. Dan Thomas, the chief executive of The Learning Partnership, said schools 鈥渟imply can鈥檛 access this much tailored support through [councils] or on their own, so it makes sense to join a trust which makes this possible鈥. This comes after the 拢50 million-a-year government grant for council school improvement activities was scrapped this year. Authorities are expected to top-slice school budgets instead to fund such work. The Local Government Association (LGA) said the cuts have prompted authorities to 鈥渕ove to a traded services model and ask schools to buy in support that was previously delivered free鈥. Despite this, analysis of figures obtained through Freedom of Information shows school central team numbers dropped in just nine of 31 councils between 2019 and 2023 鈥 with large increases in many. The LGA said this could be because 鈥渢he traded services are proving popular鈥 or as a result of 鈥渘ew duties鈥round attendance that have required bigger teams鈥.