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Guidance

Academy transfers: information for academy trusts

How to transfer an academy from one trust to another.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education
Published:
28 February 2019
Last updated:
16 December 2025
Show all updates

  1. Updated 'Information for academy trusts about academy transfer', replaced 'Information for trusts on finances and liabilities' with 'Academy transfer and trust closure: handling finances and liabilities' and removed 'Annex D - Negotiating offer closure letter'.

  2. Added 'Commercial transfer agreement model: outgoing academy trust ceases to operate' and 'Commercial transfer agreement model: outgoing academy trust continues to operate' for use in academy transfer cases.

  3. We have clarified information on how, when and why trusts should engage stakeholders. Updates are in the ‘delivery’ and ‘regional director approval’ sections.

  4. Changed references to regional school commissioners to regional directors and DfE project leads to DfE delivery officers, and updated information about the number of academy transfers in the 'Information note for academy trusts about academy transfer'.

  5. Changed references to headteacher boards to advisory boards in the 'Information note for academy trusts about academy transfer'.

  6. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Information for academy trusts about academy transfer

HTML

Annex A – Outgoing trust agreement letter

MS Word Document, 629 KB

Annex B – Incoming trust agreement letter

MS Word Document, 627 KB

Annex C - Draft service level agreement for school improvement support

MS Word Document, 24.6 KB

Commercial transfer agreement model: outgoing academy trust ceases to operate

MS Word Document, 427 KB

Commercial transfer agreement model: outgoing academy trust continues to operate

MS Word Document, 63.4 KB

Academy transfer and trust closure: handling finances and liabilities

HTML

Details

An academy transfer is when an academy moves from its current trust, known as the ‘outgoing trust’, to another trust, known as the ‘incoming trust’.

Use the digital application service to apply to transfer an academy into your trust.

If you want to discuss the transfer of an academy into or out of your trust, speak to your main contact at the Department for Education (DfE). If you do not know who your contact is, contact your regional director’s office.

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