Manchesterism - why place still matters for academy trusts (and always will)

With Andy Burnham becoming the UK's new Prime Minister, there's been a lot of talk about whether the ideas that helped drive Greater Manchester's success can work across the country. Whatever your politics, it's hard to argue that he hasn't helped put Manchester firmly on the national map over the last few years.

A familiar debate for academy trusts

The debate feels familiar. Academy trusts wrestle with exactly the same question: how do you balance strong central leadership, financial discipline, and shared standards, whilst giving local leaders the freedom to lead?

The most effective trusts I work with are deeply rooted in their communities. They know their families, understand local challenges, and create opportunities that go far beyond education.

As Stone King's presence in Manchester and across the North continues to grow, it's something we see time and again. Every trust is different, but the same lesson keeps coming up: local knowledge matters. The strongest trusts recognise that what works in one region will not always work in another.

What could devolution mean for trusts?

We talk a lot at Stone King about communities. For me, that starts with understanding the places our clients serve, the challenges they face and what matters to the people who live there.

If a Burnham government pursues greater devolution, academy trusts may find themselves working more closely with mayoral authorities, local councils and other regional partners. We could see stronger links between education, skills, employment, and economic growth strategies, particularly in areas where combined authorities have growing influence.

For trusts, that could create new opportunities to shape local priorities, strengthen employer engagement and collaborate more closely with organisations across their communities.

Opportunities and challenges

There is a lot to like about that approach. Decisions can often be made by people who better understand local circumstances. It can help bring together schools, employers, colleges, and public services to tackle challenges that no single organisation can solve alone.

But there are challenges too.

Many trusts operate across different towns, cities, and regions. Local priorities will not always be the same. Greater local influence can mean greater complexity, particularly for trusts trying to maintain a consistent culture and approach across multiple schools.

In many ways, that is the same challenge trusts have already been dealing with for years: creating a common vision whilst allowing enough flexibility for local leaders to respond to the needs of their communities.

The importance of place

Ultimately, the challenge for government is much the same as the challenge for academy trusts: getting the balance right between what is decided centrally and what is best left to local leaders.

Technology means we can work from anywhere, but there is still huge value in understanding a place, building relationships over time, and being part of the conversations that shape it.

Whether it's Greater Manchester or a multi-academy trust, lasting change rarely comes from a distant policy or a standard template. It comes from backing good people, building strong relationships, and trusting local leaders to get on with the job.