Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

United Learning to take schools of doomed Silver Birch academy trust

An academy trust criticised for serious failings of financial management including a £12,000 trip abroad for senior leaders is to rebroker all of its schools to a leading chain. United Learning, one of England’s largest trusts, has been chosen to take on Chingford Hall Primary Academy, Whittingham Primary Academy, Longshaw Primary Academy and Winston Way […]

New Schools Network boss resigned after PTE merger rebuffed

The board of the New Schools Network turned down a proposal by its interim boss to merge the charity with a “grassroots” group set up to lobby for education reform, it has emerged. NSN interim director Mark Lehain proposed that the charity – which promotes and helps people set up free schools – merge with […]

Hinds attacks Labour over refusal to answer school policy questions

The education secretary has attacked Labour for “refusing to tell parents” about its schools policies, after his questions about the party’s proposals went unanswered. Damian Hinds said parents were “deeply concerned” over Labour’s proposals that he claimed would “turn back the clock” on education reform. Labour wants to end the academies and free schools programme, hand […]

DfE wins first ever prosecution against Illegal school in landmark court case

The first ever unregistered school has been prosecuted in a landmark case that paves the way for further prosecutions of schools operating illegally. Headteacher Beatrix Bernhardt, 38, director Nacerdine Talbi, 47, and the Al-Istiqamah Learning Centre Limited were convicted of running the Al-Istiqamah Learning Centre in Southall, west London, following a three-day trial at Westminster […]

Alleged illegal school boss claims he was following DfE guidance

The director of a west London learning centre accused of running an illegal school has claimed he was following Department for Education guidance when he decided not to register his institution. Nacerdine Talbi, 47, the sole director of the Al-Istiqamah Learning Centre in Ealing, west London, told Westminster Magistrates court today that he believed he […]

Co-op academies boss Frank Norris to retire in June 2019

One of the country’s fastest-growing academy trusts is seeking a new chief executive after its current boss announced his plans to retire. Frank Norris, the head of the Co-operative Academies Trust, will step down in June 2019, Schools Week can exclusively reveal. The trust’s new leader will oversee a massive expansion of the organisation, and […]

Duo in court as landmark ‘illegal school’ case begins

A learning centre for home-educated children taught pupils for more than 18 hours a week and set homework each night, despite not being registered as a school, a court heard today. In a landmark case, senior district judge Emma Arbuthnot, the chief magistrate of England and Wales, is hearing the first prosecution of an unregistered school […]

Minister’s charity funds opponents of ‘red tape’

A charity run by the academies minister Lord Agnew donated £12,000 to a project set up to look into cutting regulations after Brexit, it has emerged. Accounts for the Public Interest Foundation, a charity founded by Agnew, his wife Clare and businessman David Tibble, show the Red Tape Foundation was one of eight main benefactors […]

Perry Beeches ‘superhead’ Liam Nolan guilty of misconduct

The former head of an academy trust who drew a second salary from a private company contracted to his own schools has been found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. A Teacher Regulation Agency misconduct panel ruled today that the actions of Liam Nolan, the former chief executive of the Perry Beeches chain, “lacked integrity”. The […]