Paul Tarn set to leave Delta Academies Trust

The boss of England’s third largest MAT is set to leave the trust after nine years in charge.

Delta Academies Trust said CEO Sir Paul Tarn, who was knighted last week, will retire – but continue working voluntarily for the Education Exchange project, a network of schools which share best practice.

The trust said it had known of Tarn’s intention to retire “for some time”, having worked with him on a “comprehensive succession plan”.

Steve Hodsman, the trust’s chair, said the chain owes “a huge debt of gratitude” to its departing chief executive.

“When Paul became CEO in 2016, Delta was not the strong, successful academy trust it is today.  

“It has been his drive, hard work and ambition that has transformed Delta into an organisation which is both academically strong and financially secure, trusted to lead more than 50 schools.”

Tarn took over the trust, then called the School Partnership Trust Academies, in 2016.

A month later then Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw published a scathing letter naming and shaming trusts for “serious weaknesses that were contributing to poor progress and outcomes for too many pupils”.

Trust working on succession plan

Tarn previously recalled how the MAT “had schools in special measures, lots of RI schools and the finance was absolutely broken” when he stepped in, calling it a “complete and utter mess”.

It also had a “projected £8.6 million in-year deficit in 2016–17”.

“Tens of thousands of children and young people, many of them in disadvantaged communities across the North of England, have received a world-class education and the chance to take successful next steps in their education, training or employment thanks to his work,” Hodsman added

A further announcement on who will take over “will be made in due course”.

Tarn’s departure comes as Delta is set to expand further with a merger that will make it the country’s secondary largest trust.

It was revealed last week that Tarn is set to be knighted, having been named in the King’s birthday honours list. Delta now runs 57 schools, with only Reach2Academy and United Learning Trust running more.

Delta has established a reputation as one of the country’s most successful ‘turnaround’ academy trusts.

Last week, Schools Week revealed how the trust had turned around one of the country’s “most broken schools” – that three other trusts had walked away from – to ‘good’.

But it has also previously faced criticism.

Ex-staff at the trust alleged in 2019 that children were shouted and screamed at during ‘flattening the grass’ assemblies.

The trust denied it had such a policy but emails showed senior leaders arranging support for the controversial practice.