An academy trust has been given a notice to improve over an insurance issue that emerged after a massive fire largely destroyed one of its schools.
The blaze tore through SS Simon & Jude CE Primary in Bolton last year, forcing 400 pupils to be taught at three different locations for three months.
Seventeen fire appliances and 85 firefighters were called to the blaze, which destroyed almost all the school’s buildings.
But Vantage Academies Trust, which runs the school, was issued a notice to improve (NtI) after the incident highlighted a failure to secure adequate insurance for expansion work in 2022-23. The notice was published this week.
Micon Metcalfe, a school finance expert, said the case showed how severe the ramifications could be if insurance arrangements were incorrect.
“When you’re having contract works done, you need to have insurance in place that will cover you if anything goes wrong.
“To do that you probably need to get broker advice. Not having it and going ahead is a big risk.”
The trust is signed up to the Department for Education’s alternative insurance scheme, the risk protection arrangement (RPA).
‘Exceptional and challenging circumstances’
But the DfE said the RPA did not provide cover for contract works above £250,000. Members had to ensure third parties had an appropriate level of public liability cover or take out additional joint-names insurance with the contractor.
In this instance, the necessary commercial insurance arrangements were not in place.
The NtI said that it was issued to Vantage “on governance grounds” after “failing to take out adequate insurance cover”, which is a breach of the academy trust handbook.
It recognised “that the trust has been under new leadership since September 1, 2023” and the “positive actions” taken “to address some of the governance and executive team issues identified by the fire”.
It also “acknowledged the exceptional and challenging circumstances the trust has been dealing with” since the fire.
A department spokesperson said Jill Messham, the trust’s new chief executive, “has investigated the circumstances surrounding the failure in governance and leadership, has taken action to change finance systems and lines of accountability and has commissioned an external governance review”.
Messham, who was appointed in September last year, said the matters were taken “very seriously. We have swiftly addressed many of the issues…. significant changes have been made to the leadership, governance and structure of the trust, strengthening governance, financial and estate management.
“We know, due to the nature of the breach, that none of these challenges have impacted our schools… although the new structures and processes we have put in place will undoubtedly improve how we serve them all.”
Pupils are now being taught in temporary accommodation on an adjacent site while the school is rebuilt.
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