AET sponsors around 65 Academies across the UK, although this number changes rapidly - AET doubled its cohort from 30 to 76 between 2011 and 2012, and has recently been forced to abandon a number of schools due to funding and management issues. However it remains the largest Academy Trust in the country. In 2014 it was forced to back down on a plan to outsource all its non-teaching roles. Also, AET’s current CEO Julian Drinkall received an annual salary of £240,000 in 2015-16, despite having no classroom experience.