Former long-serving schools minister Nick Gibb has returned to the sector as a trustee at an academy trust founded by a Conservative party donor.
Gibb has joined the board of the David Ross Education Trust (DRET) today. He will also sit on the trust’s education committee. Gibb was a trustee in 2013-14.
David Ross, the Conservative party donor who founded the trust and is now chair of trustees, said: “Nick has been a passionate advocate for change, an ambitious curriculum, and the importance of extra curricular activities in music and sport – these are all things that go to the heart of what it means to be a DRET school and our mission of providing a world-class education that broadens young people’s horizons.
“Despite the challenges of the past two years, our school improvement record has gone from strength to strength, and having someone of Nick’s calibre re-join the board will help spur us further on as we build on the successes in our schools.”
Gibb, the MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, was sacked as schools minister in Boris Johnson’s “build back better” reshuffle last year.
During eight years in government, he was at the centre of school reform.
Gibb said it was a “privilege” to work with the trust’s staff and “committed trustees, supporting David Ross’s vision of a group of schools with high academic standards, transforming the life chances of its pupils, particularly those children from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
With 34 schools, DRET is among the 30 largest academy trusts in the country.
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