academy trusts | Schools Week

Watch for hidden costs when rebrokering, trust leaders warn

Trusts will face surprise costs unless they wise up to the need for extra due diligence when taking over a rebrokered academy, trust leaders warn. Dean Ashton, chief executive of Reach South, says that trusts need added legal oversight to ensure that the transfer of a school from one trust to another (known as rebrokering) […]

Wilshaw reveals recipe for success after inspecting 7 top academy trusts

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has singled out seven academy trusts for praise, while taking another swipe at struggling trusts for “empire building”. Wilshaw, in his monthly commentary published today, said Ofsted inspectors visited seven trusts to find out “what marks them out from their weaker counterparts”. The trusts (full list below) were chosen […]

REAch 2 director joins struggling chain

A regional director of the country’s largest primary-only trust has joined the board of a struggling chain. Simon Wood, regional director for East Anglia at REAch2, has joined the Seckford Foundation Free School Trust as a non-executive director. REAch 2, which runs 55 schools and which was last month given approval to open another 21, […]

Multi-Academy Trusts could be the saviour of education in the north

Successful trusts need to leave their cosy London bubble if education in the north is to improve, says Jonathan Booth. The difference between deprived secondary schools in the north and south is stark. Ofsted called this a “postcode lottery” in its annual report for 2014-15, adding: “What we are seeing is nothing short of a […]

Academies Enterprise Trust relocates HQ to London so staff have better train access

The country’s largest academy chain is moving its headquarters to London because staff need better access to train stations. The Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), which runs 66 schools, says the journey for its staff to and from its current base in Hockley, Essex, and to its schools across the country is “not an easy one”. […]

Former Lilac Sky CEO disputes revised accounts

The co-founder of an academy chain that is due to be wound up has claimed the trust released inaccurate financial accounts to try to “embarrass him”. Trevor Averre-Beeson resigned as chief executive of the Lilac Sky Schools Academy Trust (LSSAT) in March last year, before its nine schools were handed to new sponsors in July […]

Financial investigation into Bright Tribe trust remains ‘hidden’ by education secretary

The education secretary has been accused of “hiding” a financial investigation into a controversial academy trust run by the government’s former free schools director. The Bright Tribe trust was the subject of an Education Funding Agency (EFA) review last month over payments it made to companies connected to its founder, venture capitalist Michael Dwan. Lord […]

Academy trust failed to declare payments to co-founder’s family

A crisis-hit academy chain failed to declare payments to close family members of its co-founder, including the cost of a computer delivered to one daughter at home. Details of the payments to the relatives of Lilac Sky Schools Academy Trust co-founder (LSSAT), Trevor Averre-Beeson, emerged in a revised set of accounts for 2014-15. The accounts […]

Local council supports academy destroyed by fire

A local authority has taken responsibility for dealing with the aftermath of a fire, which destroyed part of an academy in its area, despite the school now being operated by an academy trust. Selsey academy in Sussex was victim to a major fire on Sunday which saw up to 100 firefighters tackle the blaze ahead […]