All posts tagged: academies

More academy trusts £1m+ in the red, but others improve

More academy trusts £1m+ in the red, but others improve

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The number of trusts over £1 million in the red has almost doubled in a year as leaders warn it is “tougher than ever” to keep pace with increased costs. Overall, eighty-three trusts running 293 academies had deficits by the end of 2024-25, Schools Week analysis has found, narrowly down on 12 months before. But seven are now saddled with seven-figure holes in their budgets, up from four a year earlier. The highest is £9.2 million. Source link

Big Education’s merger with Oasis given go-ahead

Big Education’s merger with Oasis given go-ahead

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High-profile academy merger plans for a pioneering three-school trust in London to join one of England’s biggest MATs have been given the official go-ahead. Schools Week revealed in November that Big Education Trust was set to consult on proposals to team up with Oasis Community Learning, which runs 55 schools across the country. This morning, the organisations announced they received the green light from the Department for Education for the merger to happen later this year. Boosting ‘offer to every child’ Oasis CEO John Barneby believes it will strengthen what his trust “can offer to every pupil, in every community” it serves. “Oasis has always been clear that education sits within a wider set of relationships — with families, communities and the bright futures young people go on to lead,” he said. “Big Education brings an exceptional, evidence-informed approach to that work, built over many years through their schools and programmes.” Big Education was launched in 2018 by current CEO Liz Robinson and Peter Hyman. Hyman is a former adviser to Tony Blair and more …

Trust posts £3.4m deficit after raiding reserves

Trust posts £3.4m deficit after raiding reserves

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The bosses of a cash-strapped academy trust have blamed its £3.4 million deficit on a strategy that considered hoarding reserves “inappropriate” and saw them plough resources into securing ‘good’ Ofsteds. The ailing Brooke Weston Trust in the east Midlands has slashed “non-educational” budgets and green-lit dozens of voluntary redundancies in a bid to balance the books. Stephen Morales, the chief executive of the Institute of School Business, warns that the case shows that “anything” can tip trusts “over the edge” if they’re already close to their “fiscal limit”. Source link

Academy CEO pay rises again, but women miss out at the top

Academy CEO pay rises again, but women miss out at the top

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Almost 100 academy trust bosses are paid eye-watering salaries of more than £200,000, prompting calls from governors for an NHS-style executive pay framework. Schools Week’s annual investigation into chief executive pay – which analysed almost 1,100 trusts – also found 90 per cent of those above the £200,000 threshold were given rises and that six trust chiefs were paid more than £300,000 last year. Only a quarter of the top earners were women. Source link

Schools urged to ignore fake DfE letter about data breach

Schools urged to ignore fake DfE letter about data breach

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Trusts sent ‘fraudulent’ letter featuring ‘ministerial signature’ Trusts sent ‘fraudulent’ letter featuring ‘ministerial signature’ More from this theme Recent articles Schools and trusts have been urged to ignore “fraudulent” letters with “a ministerial signature” purporting to be about a data breach. The Department for Education has issued the warning over deceptive communications masquerading as a government “regulatory notice”. It said leaders should ignore the instructions set out in the missive, which claims “there has been a data breach” at a firm that maintains background check records for schools. In a notice, published this week, DfE stated the correspondence “is confirmed as fraudulent and has not been issued by the minister’s office”. Ministerial signature “We have been made aware that some academy trusts have received a letter presented as a DfE ‘national regulatory notice’,” officials said. “It includes a ministerial signature and claims there has been a data breach involving Online SCR/Intradev.” School have been told not to “follow any instructions in the letter” or “share data or comply with the directions”. They must also “ensure …

Delta trust teachers’ ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ St Helena move

Delta trust teachers’ ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ St Helena move

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Major trust partners with tropical island’s only secondary to send staff on ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ secondment Major trust partners with tropical island’s only secondary to send staff on ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ secondment More from this theme Recent articles One of England’s biggest trusts is sending a team of teachers thousands of miles to a remote tropical island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.  Delta Academies Trust has partnered with the only secondary on St Helena, the British territory where Napoleon was exiled after the Battle of Waterloo. Three of the 63-school trust’s staff will work on the island, which sits over 1,200 miles from Africa, its nearest continent and 4,500 miles from England, for a year. Delta CEO Andy Barnett said: “I am excited about the opportunities it will bring. Firstly, to the children in St Helena and, secondly, to the staff selected to experience a different way of life.  “It is a powerful demonstration of our commitment to develop colleagues and another benefit of being part of a large trust which is prepared to offer these experiences.” …

David Ross trust braced for redundancies amid falling rolls

David Ross trust braced for redundancies amid falling rolls

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Cuts loom at 36-school MAT after central team review failed to address funding reductions Cuts loom at 36-school MAT after central team review failed to address funding reductions More from this theme Recent articles A third of schools in a high-profile academy trust are set to make “staffing changes” as they wrestle with the falling rolls crisis. The David Ross Education Trust (DRET) is looking to make the cuts after a review of its central team failed to address the “scale of the funding reduction” caused by the fall in pupils. Bosses of the chain – which runs 36 academies across the country – stressed the changes will not impact all its schools but confirmed there will be redundancies. Central team review A trust spokesperson said: “Like many schools and trusts across the country, we are seeing the impact of the national decline in birth rates through falling pupil numbers. “Our priority remains providing a high-quality education for every pupil, while ensuring our schools are sustainable for the long term.” They added DRET has “taken …

More strikes ‘inevitable’ as trusts axe jobs to stay afloat

More strikes ‘inevitable’ as trusts axe jobs to stay afloat

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More from this theme Recent articles Ministers have been warned tensions are growing between unions and cash-strapped trusts, amid fears of job cuts to keep schools afloat. Dozens of schools have been rocked by strike announcements this week over planned restructures dubbed “neither fair nor sustainable”. But one multi-academy trust (MAT) chief emphasised he had already exhausted other cost-saving options, with academies struggling with falling rolls. Stephen Morales, Institute of School Business Leadership chief executive, warned: “If we continue to find ourselves in a tight fiscal environment, then it is inevitable that we’re going to see more of this.  Stephen Morales “You shouldn’t be surprised to see leaders make difficult decisions, and it’s inevitable disputes with unions will emerge.” Walk out by support staff Support staff in Unison will walk out next week at the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic MAT, affecting 14 schools in the east Midlands. The union claimed trust plans will see “pay significantly reduced” and “substantial reductions across key roles”, including teaching assistants, administrative staff and chaplaincy teams. Josie Lloyd, of Unison, …

New regional director revealed amid more DfE change

New regional director revealed amid more DfE change

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Nigel Minns’s arrival in the department makes it four changes to regional groups within the last year Nigel Minns’s arrival in the department makes it four changes to regional groups within the last year More from this theme Recent articles A former children’s services boss has been appointed the Department for Education’s regional director for the east Midlands.   Nigel Minns has moved into the role this month, having spent the last eight years working for Warwickshire council. This is the latest in a string of recent changes to the department’s regions group during a time of major reform. Writing for the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) earlier this year, Minns said: “Being a DCS has been the greatest privilege of my career and has become a part of my identity.” Minns started his career as a primary school teacher, before working with the regional schools commissioner’s office as an external deputy director. Nigel Minns He was most recently Warwickshire’s director of children’s services. He also held a national role with the ADCS. …

First academy trust set to surpass 100 schools in merger

First academy trust set to surpass 100 schools in merger

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United Learning’s proposal to merge with another trust would take its academy tally into three figures United Learning’s proposal to merge with another trust would take its academy tally into three figures More from this theme Recent articles Merger plans that would create England’s first 100-school academy trust have been revealed – four months after the trusts started sharing the same CEO. United Learning (ULT) – which already runs 96 primaries and secondaries – is looking to absorb southwest chain Authentic Education. The move would see ULT grow to 109 schools.   Jon Coles, its chief executive, was appointed Authentic’s interim boss in November, three months after former CEO Fay MacRitchie left the trust. Boards approach DfE In a letter sent to staff, the trusts said: “Our two academy trusts have been working closely together, with United Learning supporting Authentic Education’s schools and central team. Jon Coles “We are both extremely pleased with how this relationship has developed and our boards have therefore approached the Department for Education to seek to formalise a permanent arrangement …