Richard Garner reports for the Independent on the varying performance of academy chains, as shown in the new Sutton Trust report.

Some academy chains are “highly ineffective” in improving the prospects of disadvantaged pupils, according to ground-breaking research published today.

The study, by the Sutton Trust education charity, finds that almost half the academy chains it surveyed failed to do better than mainstream local authority schools in getting their disadvantaged pupils to obtain five A* to C grade passes at GCSE including maths and English.

The report paints a mixed picture, with some of the biggest academy chains achieving significantly better results than the average for the maintained sector.

However, the research, by Professors Merryn Hutchings and Becky Francis, and Dr Robert de Vries, concludes: “There are also some chains which are highly ineffective across a range of measures and which are failing to improve the prospects of disadvantaged pupils.”

Read more on the Independent website here.

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