Author: Pippa Allen-Kinross

Financial incompetency, appalling school buildings and close relationships with government have been revealed in the minutes of trustee meetings from the failed Schools Company Trust. The trust ran three pupil referral units in Devon for vulnerable children who have been excluded or are otherwise unable to attend mainstream schools, as well as the Goodwin Academy […]

Safeguarding breaches, unsafe premises and inadequate staff were among the failings identified at the three pupil referral units run by Schools Company Trust. Although the trust technically ran three academies – North Devon, Central Devon and South and West Devon academies – these were divided into approximately 20 sites across the county. The trust’s interim […]

The Schools Company Trust is expected to finish this academic year with a deficit “in the region of £8 million”, according to minutes from trustee meetings seen exclusively by Schools Week. The figure was predicated on the prior expenditure of the trust continuing over the past academic year. The trust overspent by an extra £800,000 […]

The Department for Education has flatly denied that it maintained a “positive” relationship with the imploding Schools Company Trust and encouraged them to grow further, despite suggestions to the contrary in the trust’s minutes. Minutes from board meetings of the Schools Company Trust suggests there was a positive relationship with the team of Rebecca Clark, […]

The under-fire Bright Tribe Trust has called off plans to merge with its sister organisation following a large-scale restructuring of its top team which saw founder Michael Dwan walk away from the trusts. Companies House records show that two charities associated with venture capitalist Dwan have given up control of both Bright Tribe and its […]

Schools must uphold fundamental British values and not permit particular faith groups to influence what they do and do not teach, Amanda Spielman has said. In a defiant speech to the Policy Exchange think tank in London this evening, the chief inspector of schools spoke of the “increasing hostility” that Ofsted inspectors are facing from […]

One of England’s largest academy trusts has been cleared of wrongdoing following complaints about its governance, but school funding bosses remain concerned about its finances. The Education and Skills Funding Agency has ruled that concerns over board appointments at the David Ross Education Trust last year were “unfounded”, but has urged the chain to improve […]

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services has released a report asking the government to let local authorities take over failing academies. The group, who represent the local authority leaders responsible for schools in their areas, are concerned that lack of clarity about the council’s role in schools versus that of academy trusts means the […]