OXFORDSHIRE'S largest group of academies will start to take on more schools following a year of stability.

Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, which runs 32 schools mostly in the county, had previously paused its expansion after rapid growth.

Its financial report for the year ending August 2019 was published by Companies House just before Christmas, and describes the trust as being in 'good financial health'.

The report adds: "Following a year of consolidating out position as an effective, stable organisation, we plan for a small number of new schools to join the trust during 2019-20.

"We intend to...identify options to share both staff and resources where appropriate to allow for collaboration, efficient financial management and additional support, especially for our very small schools."

READ AGAIN: Church school trust will pause expansion plans

Academy schools are government-funded schools, which are not run by councils and are usually instead overseen by multi-academy trusts.

There were 32 schools within the trust as of August 2018, and the only additional school to join in 2018-2019 was Wootton-by-Woodstock CE Primary School in West Oxfordshire.

The report states that this year, the trust will consider taking on a school in need of improvement, adding: "We consider ourselves to be in a position to sponsor a school in need."

A sponsored academy usually refers to a school that has been forced to become an academy, after being rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted and placed in special measures.

Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust is based at Church House in Kidlington and many of the schools within the trust are rural primary schools, with a small population of pupils.

The group's financial report for the previous year revealed that it had spent a stint as 'the fastest-growing trust in England'.

It remains Oxfordshire's biggest multi-academy trust, in terms of numbers of schools rather than pupils.