Matrix Academy Trust

UID 3878·Companies House 07654219·Incorporated June 2011·Compare

Schools

Flags

25 high severity

Finance: 2025/26Ofsted: Nov 2025Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2026/27Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£61.4m

7,103 pupils

Avg staff costs

75.8%

of income

Avg reserves

13.6%

of income

Avg absence

More metrics

Avg FSM

48.7%

free school meals

Capacity

92%

7,103 / 7,749 places

Total admin cost

£3.3m

£460 per pupil

Trust overview

2 of 8 schools report staff costs above the DfE's 78% review point. Staffing ratios reflect phase mix, curriculum and local context as much as efficiency.

1 of 8 schools report negative revenue reserves at year-end. A year-end snapshot can reflect planned spend-down, in-trust transfers or timing; the trust's audited accounts give the fuller picture.

Trust-average reserves have fallen about 13 percentage points over two years of published returns.

5 of 8 schools spent more than their income in the latest year. Single-year deficits are common around growth, building works or falling rolls; multi-year patterns matter more than one snapshot.

Absence is above the national average in 8 of 8 schools. Attendance tracks intake and local circumstances as well as school practice.

7 schools report persistent absence above 20%, a level the DfE prioritises for additional support.

All 8 inspected schools meet the expected standard or above — Good or better under the legacy framework, or Expected standard or above under the Report Card.

1 of these inspections used the new Report Card framework; its scale is not directly comparable with legacy grades.

Generated from published DfE and Ofsted data — year-end snapshots that cannot show in-year plans, restructuring or local context. Reference points are DfE review thresholds, not judgements.

Ofsted & results

Ofsted

100%meeting standard or above

Across 8 graded schools, including 1 under the new Report Card framework. The two frameworks are not directly comparable.

Sub-judgements — earlier framework

Quality of education

86% Good+

Good 6RI 1

Behaviour & attitudes

86% Good+

Outst. 2Good 4Inad. 1

Personal development

100% Good+

Outst. 1Good 6

Leadership & management

88% Good+

Outst. 2Good 5Inad. 1

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 4

Attainment 8

38.3

-7.9

vs national

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

75.0%

+14.0pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressInternational House 1st Floor, Walsall, WS4 2LA

Companies House07654219

Incorporated1 June 2011

Report Card inspections (new framework)

About these grades

Grade distribution across 1 schoolinspected under Ofsted's 5-point scale (from November 2025). Not directly comparable with the earlier 1–4 sub-judgements above.

Curriculum & teaching

Expected standard 1

Achievement

Expected standard 1

Inclusion

Expected standard 1

Attendance & behaviour

Strong standard 1

Personal development

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	6	6,488	£39.9m	£35.4m	69.0%	21.1%
2022/23	7	7,176	£48.5m	£43.4m	63.4%	33.9%
2023/24	7	7,215	£53.8m	£54.5m	76.4%	19.7%
2024/25partial	8	7,103	£61.4m	£62.0m	75.8%	13.6%
2025/26	8	7,067	—	—	—	—

Central services

2024/25

Centralisation

6.0%

of total trust spend

Typical MAT centralisation ranges from 3-7% of total trust spend. Figures below 2% may indicate limited central coordination; above 10% warrants review of value for money.

CS expenditure

£3,935,000

CS staff costs

£2,840,000

CS income

-£23,000

Admin & clerical£1,288,000

Teaching staff£771,000

ICT£46,000

Premises£220,000

Legal & professional£160,000

Auditor costs£77,000

Governance

Source: Companies House

Board of trustees

Accounts to Aug 2025

11 current directors · Average tenure: 3.4 years · 7 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (11)

Christopher Paul Lane

director·< 1 year

Ngozi Elizabeth Dr Dufty

director·< 1 year

David Michael Dr Rosser

director·< 1 year

Ian Trevor Bidmead

director·< 1 year

Philip Professor Bright

director·< 1 year

Julie Anstey

director·1 year

Kerenza Marya Palmer

director·3 years

Lynsey Drakeley

director·3 years

Tracey Goodyere

director·4 years

Mark Ernest Sir Aspinall

director·7 years

Stephen Charles Smith

director·15 years

Company Secretary

Catherine Chandler

secretary·2 years

15 former officers — most recent departure: Mar 2026

Faye Dr Stanley

director·1 year·Resigned Dec 2025

Ian Trevor Bidmead

director·2 years·Resigned Nov 2024

Katherine Tranter

director·4 years·Resigned Nov 2024

Molly Rose Thomason

secretary·6 years·Resigned Dec 2023

Adam Dominic David Heath

director·7 years·Resigned Sept 2022

Deborah Williams

Member schools (9)

9 schools|8 with risk flags|16 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
Barr Beacon School	136885	Secondary	workforce pressure
Bloxwich Academy	137274	All-through	high absenceworkforce pressurehigh staff costsin year deficit
Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School	143438	Secondary	high absenceworkforce pressurehigh staff costsin year deficit
Elmwood School	151657	Not applicable	high absenceworkforce pressure
Etone College	137771	Secondary	high absencehigh staff costsin year deficit
Pool Hayes Primary School	152437	Primary	—
Smestow Academy	149635	Secondary	ofsted concernhigh absenceworkforce pressure
Turves Green Boys' School	148521	Secondary	high absenceworkforce pressurehigh staff costsin year deficit
Wednesfield Academy	141245	Secondary	high absenceworkforce pressure