Welcome to Blogmas 2025! We will be publishing a new blog post Monday-Thursday for the next 3 weeks leading up to the end of term (18th December 2025)
PLUS we are giving you the opportunity to be entered into our annual Blogmas Bingo giveaway – See more information here!
Maintained Schools vs Academies
- Status – Academy trusts are charitable companies Ltd by guarantee; therefore they have charity trustees and company directors. This means academy trusts need to register with and maintain information at Companies House. Maintained schools are overseen or “maintained” by Local Authorities.
- Funding – Maintained schools are funded through Local Authorities whereas academies are funded directly from the Government (DfE).
- Accountability – Maintained schools are regulated by Local Authorities and have a Governing Body. Academy trusts are regulated by the DfE and Companies House and have a Board of Trustees (aka directors) and Members (who hold the trustees to account).
- Governance structures – Academy Trusts have additional layers of governance (members, trustees, local governors etc.) and different structures of senior leadership (CEO, central team etc.) which leads to differences in the information required in terms of compliance.
- Safeguarding – Statutory safeguarding guidance applies to both maintained schools and academies.
- Eligibility and declarations -The same eligibility and declaration criteria apply to all level of governance regardless of whether you belong to a maintained school or an academy trust.
Today’s symbol is:
Mark this on your Blogmas Bingo card or note down Day XYZ: Name of Symbol and so on for all 12 Blogmas posts and send to contact@threesixtygov.co.uk before 16th January 2026.
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All our best
Ellie & the TSG Team
