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‘Fraud’

Coronavirus: ESFA urges caution as fraud cases soar

The government is warning academies and local authorities to exercise caution when dealing with suppliers, following a 400 per cent rise in coronavirus-related fraud last month.  The Education and Skills Funding agency today released additional guidance to support schools and councils operating during the pandemic after March saw a spike in scams.  “Periods of instability, […]

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Former superhead suing for £200k over claims ‘excessive workload’ damaged his health

An ex-headteacher who helped turnaround failing schools is suing for more than £200,000 over claims an “excessive workload”, exacerbated by plans to open a new free school, left him depressed. Sir Craig Tunstall, formerly England’s best paid primary headteacher on £367,000 a year, was dismissed from the council-maintained Gipsy Hill Federation in 2018 for “gross […]

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Coronavirus: Scammers trying to dupe free school meals families

Parents have been receiving scam emails suggesting their children’s school is closing and requesting bank details to pay for free school meals. Durham Constabulary warned schools about the fraud today posting online: “Parents are receiving emails suggesting schools are closing & all pupils are being given free meals followed by a request for bank details […]

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Lord’s trust warned over £1.1m deficit

An academy trust founded by a Conservative party peer has been warned over its finances after running up a £1.1 million deficit. The Lubavitch Multi-Academy Trust (LMAT) was issued with a notice to improve on Wednesday last week over “weak financial management and governance”. The trust, which runs three Jewish schools in Hackney, London, and […]

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NEU joins calls for probe into collapsed free schools at centre of financial scandals

Britain’s largest teaching union has joined calls for a Serious Fraud Office investigation into allegations of financial impropriety at two collapsed free schools. National Education Union joint general secretaries Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney have written to SFO chief Lisa Osofsky to demand a probe into Collective Spirit Free School and Manchester Creative Studio […]

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Free school fire escape door at centre of tax evasion allegations

An MP is to call in the Serious Fraud Office after a collapsed free school leader used a “false VAT number” when billing a council for consultancy services. Alun Morgan was the sole listed director of Morgan Bristol Limited, which was registered to the steel fire escape door on the side of Manchester Creative Studio […]

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Blacklisted academy bosses were a one-off, says DfE

Academy bosses being secretly banned from running other schools has happened on just the one occasion, the government claims. Schools Week revealed last month the Education and Skills Funding Agency wrote to former leaders of two collapsed Manchester free school trusts “strongly discouraging” them from “further involvement in schools”. Lord Agnew, the academies minister, also […]

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Number of teachers banned for life has halved

The number of teachers banned from the profession for life without the right to appeal last year has almost halved, while those escaping misconduct hearings without any prohibition rose. Our analysis has prompted further calls for reform to a system that one senior lawyer says leaves the Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA) without the “nuance” needed […]

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Bright Tribe investigation referred to fraud police

A police investigation into the collapsed Bright Tribe academy trust has been referred to the City of London’s fraud squad. The trust was reported to Cumbria police back in 2017 following allegations of financial mismanagement at Whitehaven Academy. However police have refused to provide information about the nature of their enquiries. Schools Week has now […]

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