The Department for Education has closed the notice to improve for Goldington Green Academy following the school’s transfer to Heart Academies Trust on 1 January 2026. The GOV.UK entry was updated on 14 January 2026 to confirm that the previous funding agreement ended at the point of transfer and the notice’s conditions no longer apply. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-to-improve-goldington-green-academy))
Departmental guidance states that when an academy transfers between trusts, the notice to improve remains with the outgoing trust and does not place restrictions on the incoming trust. In practice, this means Heart Academies Trust assumes oversight without legacy conditions from the previous notice. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-support-and-oversight-for-academy-trusts/financial-support-and-oversight-for-academy-trusts-guidance?utm_source=openai))
A notice to improve is a formal intervention used where concerns exist about a trust’s financial management or governance. While a notice is in force, delegated authorities can be withdrawn so transactions such as severance payments, debt write‑offs or leases may require prior approval until sustained improvement is evidenced. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025?utm_source=openai))
The record shows the notice was first published on 12 September 2025 and marked as closed on 14 January 2026, with the closure attributed to the transfer occurring on 1 January 2026. The original correspondence identified financial management as the basis for intervention. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-to-improve-goldington-green-academy))
With the transfer complete, governance and financial accountability now sit with Heart Academies Trust under a new funding agreement for the academy. The department retains the ability to intervene again should compliance concerns emerge, consistent with the Academy Trust Handbook. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025?utm_source=openai))
Ofsted lists Goldington Green Academy as part of Heart Academies Trust alongside Bedford Academy and several local primaries. Inspectors recorded ‘good’ judgements across areas assessed in January 2025, a separate issue from financial oversight. ([reports.ofsted.gov.uk](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/139523?utm_source=openai))
National guidance indicates that academy transfers prompted by trust failure are infrequent; on average, fewer than two per cent of academies are subject to a notice to improve. The transfer and closure process is governed by published procedures covering due diligence, finances and liabilities. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-transfers-information-for-academy-trusts/academy-transfer-and-trust-closure-handling-finances-and-liabilities?utm_source=openai))