--- title: "Multi academy trusts: Looking at the top slice - Blog - Keystone Knowledge" description: "There are a developing number of stories explaining that MAT top slices are increasing and the number of trusts with fully-centralised functions is also on the rise. But what does this mean for children in schools? The intention behind this move" url: "https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/understanding-mat-top-slice-increases" date: "2026-06-26T03:54:05+00:00" language: "en-GB" --- [ Categories ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/categories "Categories") [ Tags ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/tags "Tags") [ Authors ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/blogger "Authors") [ Archives ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/archive "Archives") [ Categories: All Categories ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/javascript:void(0); "Categories") Search...Suggested keywords [ x ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/javascript:void(0);) [ Print ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/understanding-mat-top-slice-increases?tmpl=component&print=1&format=print "Print") # Multi academy trusts: Looking at the top slice [General](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/categories/general) [Steve](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/blogger/steve) Wednesday, 06 March 2024 1903 Hits There are [a developing number of stories](https://schoolsweek.co.uk/academy-trust-top-slicing-is-on-the-up-but-do-schools-get-better-deal/#:~:text=In%20all%2C%2013%20(26%20per,level%20as%20the%20previous%20year.&text=Top%2Dslice%20charges%20pay%20for,services%20provided%20by%20academy%20trusts.) explaining that MAT top slices are increasing and the number of trusts with fully-centralised functions is also on the rise. But what does this mean for children in schools? The intention behind this movement is that schools should get a better deal and, in turn, this delivers better outcomes for young people. We see it in our the MATs that we work with, where central teams are committing more than ever to improved, broader, and enhanced functions, which are making schools more efficient and taking some of the non-teaching workload away from schools. Some research has shown this improves academic results by allowing greater spends on classroom delivery, and we are certainly hearing that from those we work with. It is definitely an area where the sector can learn huge amounts in the coming years as more research is done. The bottom line is, as ever, that centralised trusts are able to spend more on children, giving them a better experience and range of opportunities. With top slices increasing, the emphasis should be focused on how this money is spent and making sure MATs are delivering the best value possible for its schools. At Keystone, we have decades of experience in schools, delivering a high-quality service across all areas of school and leadership management; from internal scrutiny and due diligence to HR, health and safety and everything in between. We are specialists in supporting trusts make effective decisions about how to work efficiently, and to maximise the educational impact of the scarce resources they have. If you'd like to know more get in touch with us today and find out how we can help - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. [ 0 ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/javascript:void(0);) [ ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/javascript:void(0);) [ ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/javascript:void(0);) [ ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/javascript:void(0);) [ ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/javascript:void(0);) [ Inclusive audits: Exploring Equality, Diversity an... ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/inclusive-audits) [ Paternity policy changes 2024 - here's everything ... ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/paternity-policy-changes-2024-here-s-everything-you-need-to-know) #### About the author [ ![Steve](https://keystoneknowledge.com/images/easyblog_avatar/927_Steve_Mitchell_Author_Bio.jpg) ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/blogger/steve) ### [Steve](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/blogger/steve) [ Steve ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/blogger/steve) Stephen is an experienced leader in education, and the CEO of Keystone Knowledge. He has worked as CEO, CFO, COO across academies since 2012 and delivered programmes of change and rapid organisational improvement. He holds an MBA with a thesis on improving the quality of management in education, is currently working on his Doctorate, and is a national lead assessor on the School Resource Management Advisor (SRMA) programme for the DfE. He regularly speaks at national conferences on a range of topics relevant to the education sector. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/LinkedIn_logo_initials.png/600px-LinkedIn_logo_initials.png?20140125013055) ![](https://londonsport.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/twitter-x-logo-101C7D2420-seeklogo.com_.png)](https://X.com/imstevemitchell) ##### Author's recent posts [More posts from author](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/blogger/steve) [ Tuesday, 11 November 2025 The Pros and Cons of GAG Pooling ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-gag-pooling) [ Wednesday, 16 July 2025 What Great MAT Governance Looks Like in 2025 - A Practical Guide for Trustees ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/great-mat-governance) [ Tuesday, 08 July 2025 How to Navigate Formal Disciplinary Processes in Your School or Trust ](https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/formal-disciplinary-action-schools) ## Schema ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://keystoneknowledge.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Resources", "item": "https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Steve", "item": "https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/blogger/steve" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Multi academy trusts: Looking at the top slice", "item": "https://keystoneknowledge.com/blog/understanding-mat-top-slice-increases.md" } ] } ```