10 data-driven insights every multi-academy trust should know

As Carly Fiorina (formerly CEO of Hewlett-Packard) once said, "The goal is to turn data into information, and information into insight." 

Decision-making plays a crucial role in shaping school performance and MAT growth, and this can’t be done without knowing all the important information first.

On a micro level, leveraging the power of data allows educators to study individual student progression and monitor attainment or behaviour. On a wider scale, data insights are used to highlight overall school performance and can determine the position of a school or MAT in national league tables.

From tracking student performance to budget and resource allocation, insights can highlight what’s working for your trust and what’s not.

Here are the top 10 data-driven insights that will shape the success of your MAT:

1. Academic performance

Arguably the most important set of insights compiled across your trust, academic performance data reveals a wealth of knowledge about how students in your schools are getting on. 

Classroom teachers regularly assess student performance, strengths, weaknesses, and progress through metrics such as:

• Average test scores by subject and grade level 
• Student growth over time 
• Performance gaps between student groups 
• Proficiency rates in specific skills

That’s why it’s wise for MATs to invest in a centralised data management system - this will save considerable time and help alleviate administrative pressure when it comes to comparing results across schools.

2. Engagement metrics

Student engagement levels can often be harder to measure than academic performance alone. While students who exhibit openly disruptive behaviours in the classroom are often easily identified as struggling with their learning, children who display less obvious signs of disengagement often fly under the radar.

Data analytics can reveal a great deal about how individual children are getting on with their learning through information such as:

• Classroom participation data - how often are students putting their hands up, taking part in class discussions and contributing to groupwork? 
• Homework submissions - has a particular student developed a pattern of missing deadlines and not handing work in on time?
• Digital learning platform usage - are students making the most out of online learning resources available to them?

By analysing this data, teachers can intervene and provide extra support to students who may be struggling to perform to their expected standards.

3. Attendance

In recent years, absenteeism has become a prevalent issue in schools across the UK. Anecdotal evidence from schools is supported by national data. The improvements in school attendance achieved via a concerted effort of schools, LAs and government support in the 'noughties' were demolished by the pandemic and have not been fully recovered since.

Figures from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), which compare GP registrations with school enrolment data, found that:

• As many as 300,000 children were missing entirely from education in England last year, marking a 40% increase in unaccounted absences since 2017.
• Up to 400,000 children are estimated to be not in school, a 50% increase.
• More than 50,000 students were also found to have left the state education system by Year 11, with no clear records explaining their exits.

The EPI says schools should document reasons for de-registering students to improve oversight and prevent illegal exclusions, in addition to recommending a mandatory register by integrating data from education, health and other administrative data sources.

Data can help draw correlations between student profiles and attendance patterns, allowing for early intervention before a student progresses from unauthorised absences to severe and persistent absenteeism. For example, recent data has shown that 33.6% of pupils receiving FSM (Free School Meals) are persistently absent as compared to 20% not in receipt of FSM. Studies also show that some demographics are at a higher risk of exiting the English education system permanently, including 75% of traveller pupils and approximately 1 in 8 care-experienced pupils.

Identifying these patterns can help develop policies and initiatives to keep children in school, improving attendance levels across your trust.

4. Behaviour

Pupil behaviour remains a prominent challenge within UK classrooms, with School Surveys' ‘Behaviour Barometer’ revealing recently that:

• In their most recent lesson, three-quarters of teachers say behaviour interrupted teaching and learning at some point, almost half say learning stopped completely, and a tenth say learning was disrupted for ten or more minutes
• Only one-third of pupils say that the behaviour of other pupils is good most of the time, while one-fifth say that behaviour is almost never good.
• Two years ago, teachers said the biggest cause of workplace stress they faced was accountability. Now, they say it’s behaviour.

As a MAT, you’ll want to take a united approach when it comes to tackling behavioural problems across your schools - and this is where data insights come in.

Not only will you be able to analyse trends and patterns - when and where most incidents occur, common triggers, students involved, etc. - but school leaders will also be able to measure the impact of specific behaviour policies. With effective data management, you’ll be able to determine the effectiveness of restorative justice approaches or positive reinforcement, and even whether certain schools within the MAT are seeing better results than others. This will help refine strategies across your trust.

5. Mental health and safeguarding

With a growing mental health crisis in the education sector (more than 500 children a day in England are being referred to mental health services for anxiety), it’s important that MATs are doing all they can to support their students. Through wellbeing surveys, mental health indicators, or safeguarding reports, teachers and healthcare professionals can help identify students who may need pastoral support.

By logging safeguarding reports in a secure system, schools can build a timeline of concerns, helping staff spot long-term issues. From incident reports to past referrals to child protection services, staff can keep an eye on vulnerable students and intervene when necessary. In some cases, this data may even need to be shared with external agencies, such as social services, police, and healthcare professionals, as a coordinated response to student welfare concerns.This is why it’s important that all information is recorded comprehensively and is easily accessible when required.

It’s also worth noting that sensitive data of this nature requires robust protection to keep personal information safe. If you’re unsure of how secure your data management systems are, it might be time for a data audit - this way, you can identify areas of improvement, gaps in data collection, and potential risks related to data management.

6. Student demographics

Understanding student demographics across a MAT helps leaders promote equity, inclusion, and tailored support for diverse student needs. Here’s what demographic data insights can reveal:

• Disparities in ethnicity, language, and cultural background - this can help teachers assist with language barriers in the classroom and make faith-based accommodations.
• Socioeconomic background and disadvantage - understanding the percentage of students eligible for FSM, Pupil Premium support and families in low-income brackets can help allocate resources where they’re needed most.
• SEND students - with a growing SEND crisis in schools across the country, it’s important that teachers utilise data to address children’s specific needs and requirements.

With information such as economic deprivation levels, language barriers and special educational needs readily available, MATs can decide how best to assist students who may need a little extra support.

7. Professional development impact

When you’re running a MAT, it’s important to determine if professional development programs actually work.

From teacher training to mentoring and supervision, you’ll want to see the effect of various PD initiatives on the teaching and learning process.

Data insights can reveal:

• Changes in student attainment before and after PD initiatives.
• Subject-specific improvements linked to teacher training.
• Differences in progress between teachers who participated in PD and those who didn’t.

This will allow you to allocate more funding to the programmes that really matter, saving money in the process.

8. Parental relations

Data analytics can help cement relationships between schools and parents in many ways. From tracking attendance at parents’ evenings to engagement with school communications, teachers will be able to track how actively parents are involved in their child’s education and formulate strategies to boost engagement.

Through the power of data, it will also be possible to make more sense of parental satisfaction and monitor any feedback trends. Surveys and feedback data can reveal parents’ overall satisfaction levels with the school and MAT leadership, alongside concerns about specific areas such as teaching quality or behaviour management. These insights can help MAT leaders operate with more knowledge and transparency when communicating with parents and guardians.

9. Budget and resource allocation

In the current climate, keeping on top of spending is a top priority for all schools, as highlighted by a recent IFS study which revealed that  mainstream school funding per pupil will grow by 2.8% in cash terms in 2025–26. Effective budget and resource allocation is crucial for MAT leaders to ensure financial sustainability while delivering education of the highest quality.

Here are just a few financial components that data-driven insights can shine a light on:

• Per-pupil spending across different schools to identify disparities.
• Comparisons of department budgets to ensure funds are distributed fairly.
• Return on investment for initiatives such as digital learning tools, professional development, and special interventions.

This knowledge can help MAT leaders allocate resources efficiently across trusts and invest in initiatives that deliver the best outcomes for students and staff.

10. MAT benchmarking

In England, there are currently more than 1,200 multi-academy trusts, running more than 10,000 academies - with some trusts controlling over 40 schools. With this comes numerous challenges: standardisation, budget management, staff retention and managing diverse student needs to name a few.

Knowledge is power, and having access to quality data can unlock the potential for success for many trusts. By comparing performance, costs, and student outcomes across different schools, MAT leaders can allocate resources effectively, track performance outcomes and implement evidence-based strategies to support school improvement initiatives.

At Novatia, we provide comprehensive data audits and strategies to ensure your school or MAT makes confident evidence-based decisions. With over 30 MAT partnerships, including supporting the growth journey of the likes of TKAT, OAT and ATT, we understand exactly what it takes to bring success to your trust.

If you’re interested in learning more about what we do, please get in touch today.