If you listen to Michael Gove and some of the press you would think that the Academy programme has been an unbridled success. Yet the reality is that there is not a month that goes by without more problems hitting Academies and ‘Free’ Schools.
Below we list just some of the recent problems.
| Jan-14 | Kemnal Trust | Head disappears over holidays, Weyfield Primary | Parent Blog |
| Jan-14 | Kings Science | Link to Vice-Chair of Conservative Party | Yorkshire Post |
| Jan-14 | Woodard Trust | Kings Priory Head leaves after one term | BBC News |
| Jan-14 | Woodard Trust | Head resigns, Littlehampton Academy | Littlehampton Gazette |
| Jan-14 | Kings Science Academy | Vice Chair of Conservative Party denies ever being Chair | Telegraph & Argos |
| Jan-14 | Grindon Hall | Creationism row | TES |
| Jan-14 | Stem 6 | Ballot over refusal to recognise union | Southwark NUT |
| Dec-13 | Priory Federation | Police hand file to CPS on financial irregularities | this is Lincolnshire |
| Dec-13 | GEMS Education | Chief Executive resigns over Barnfield investigation | Luton Today |
| Dec-13 | Salendine Nook High | “Requires improvement” but before conversion “good” | Huddersfield Daily Examiner |
| Dec-13 | Chorley Career & 6th Form | Not opening after £211,821.43 spent on project | This is Lancashire |
| Dec-13 | Lancashire Schools | Staff being made redundant as result of new academies | Lancashire Telegraph |
| Dec-13 | University CoE Academy | Inadquate rating by Ofsted, following “satisfactory” | Chester Chronicle |
| Dec-13 | Greenwich Free School | Head resigns after just over a year | TES Connect |
| Dec-13 | Bau Foundation/Mentora | Peer quits over enquiry into fast tracking | Local Schools Network |
| Dec-13 | Academy 360 | Without head for 2 years, given warning notice to improve | Sunderland Echo |
| Dec-13 | Barnfield Federation | School pulls out of joining | Luton Today |
| Dec-13 | Shirley High School | Good as LEA school, requires improvement as academy | Your local Guardian |
| Dec-13 | Durham Free School | Low student nos means costing £25,000/pupil | The Northern Echo |
| Dec-13 | Furness Academy | Suspended head leaves, inadequate Ofsted | North West Evening Mail |
| Dec-13 | Nottingham | 3 Academies deemed inadequate in short notice inspections | BBC News |
| Dec-13 | National Audit Office | Report criticises £1.5 billion overspend on “free” schools | BBC News |
| Dec-13 | Overton Grange | Con. Academy “inadequate”, previously “good” | Ofsted |
| Dec-13 | Luddendenfoot Academy | con.Academy “requires improvement”, | Ofsted |
| Nov-13 | 34 Academies | Pre-warning letters to improve – 6 sponsors ‘sacked’ | The Independent |
| Nov-13 | Equitas Academies Trust | prosecuted for Health and Safety – asbestos | H & S Executive |
| Nov-13 | Kings Science Academy | Police investigating finances. | TES |
| Nov-13 | Kings Science Academy | Fined for refusing to reinstate excluded pupil | Yorkshire Post |
| Nov-13 | Open Academy | Sponsor resigns after years of Ofsted failure | Eastern Daily Press |
| Nov-13 | IES Breckland, US owned | Cost of under occupied school | Ipswich Star |
| Nov-13 | IES Breckland, US owned | Head “resigns” in follow up from staff being removed | BrandonSuffolk |
| Nov-13 | Harris | Criticised for cutting SEN support at Roke | Guardian |
| Nov-13 | Academies generally | restricted powers of EWOs leading to children missing school | Unison |
| Nov-13 | S. Leeds Academy | Advertising for minimum/unqualified Maths teachers | Leed City Council website |
| Nov-13 | Barnfield Federation | DfE investigating finances & exam results | TES Connect |
| Nov-13 | Basildon Academies | 76 teachers leave in 2 years | Basildon Recorder |
| Nov-13 | Uni.of Chester CE Academy | “Inadequate” report following “serious weaknsses” | Ofsted |
| Nov-13 | AET | Head resigns – personal reasons | Isle of Wight News |
| Nov-13 | Bishop of Rochester Academy | Pre warning letter – unacceptably low standards | Government |
| Nov-13 | Taunton Academy | “Inadequate” -March 13 – not enough progress made Dec | Ofsted |
| Nov-13 | Al-Madinah | Minister imposes new governance – Greenwood Dale | TES Connect |
| Nov-13 | Richard Rose Morton | SM Ofsted following 3 years SW | Ofsted |
| Oct-13 | Academy chains | 25 chains “agree” to pause further expansion | Hansard |
| Oct-13 | Al-Madinah | Failed Ofsted, H&S concerns. Dysfunctional | The Guardian |
| Oct-13 | All Saints Academy | Head resigns mid term – pressure of work | Glos. Echo |
| Oct-13 | Barnfield | DfE & EFA investigating management & governance | Bedfordshire on Sunday |
| Oct-13 | Churchill Gardens | Head leaves – ?bullied by Future | The Guardian |
| Oct-13 | Floreat | Trust with no experience to run new academy | Wandsworth Guardian |
| Oct-13 | Harris | Academy which banned slang made spelling mistakes | Huffington Post |
| Oct-13 | Kings Science Academy | Financial irregularities | Independent |
| Oct-13 | Oasis | Salford head quits beginning of term – poor Ofsted | Manchester Evening News |
| Oct-13 | Future | ? 27 year old unqualified head leaves after 6 months | The Guardian |
| Oct-13 | IES Breckland, US owned | 6 teachers removed over a few days | James Hargrave |
| Oct-13 | Lymm High School | Head suspended, accusations of bullying, complaints by parents | Warrington Guardian |
| Oct-13 | Future | 2nd head leaves | The Guardian |
| Oct-13 | AET | Head resigns over exam results | Andover Town |
| Oct-13 | Oasis, Media City | Head, Media City, resigns mid term | Salford Star |
| Oct-13 | DfE | Checks on free school heads scaled back | BBC News |
| Oct-13 | Brook Learning Trust | Confustion with Ebbsfleet Academy | Kent Independent Ed.Advice |
| Oct-13 | Kemnal Trust | Warning notice issued re Bridgemary School | Government |
| Oct-13 | Berwick Academy | con. Academy “requires improvement”, previously good | Ofsted |
| Oct-13 | Cottenham Village College | con.Academy “requires improvement”, previously | Ofsted |
| Sep-13 | AET | Chief Executive quits following criticism | Schools Improvement net |
| Sep-13 | Chatham Grammar | Head gives 1 week notice – poor Ofsted | BBC News |
| Sep-13 | Wellington Academy | Head resigns after poor results | Local Schools Network |
| Sep-13 | E-Act | Crest Boys ‘Inadequate” | Wembley Matters |
| Aug-13 | Quintin Kynaston | 25 members of staff leave | Camden New Journal |
| Aug-13 | West London Free School | Head leaves after 2 years | |
| Jul-13 | AET | Excessive payments made to bosses | The Guardian |
| Jul-13 | JB Education | Collapse of Swedish “free” school chain | TES |
| Jul-13 | Nishkam “Free” | Ofsted deem is to need improvement, head leaves | Alliance against Birmingham Academies |
| Jul-13 | Woodard | Kings Priory: private school has debts paid off by becoming academy | blog |
| Jun-13 | AETs Eston Park | Head resign immediate affect – school not making progress | Gazette Live |
| Jun-13 | Woodard | Merger with private school with £5m debt | Chronicle Live |
| Jun-13 | S.Leeds Academy | “Inadequate” by Ofsted for 2nd time | Ofsted |
| Jun-13 | Chatham Grammar | “Good” before conversion, “Inadequate” after | Ofsted |
| May-13 | E-Act | Financial irregularities | Daily Telegraph |
| May-13 | Kings Science Academy | Report by EFA on financial management | Education Funding Agency |
| May-13 | Quintin Kynaston | Head resigns following expenses investigation | Daily Mail |
| May-13 | Quintin Kynaston | Report by EFA on financial management | Education Funding Agency |
| Apr-13 | Academies generally | NAO says academies overspent by £ 1 billion | Guardian |
| Apr-13 | Sir John Gleed School | Con. Academy “Inadequate”, previously “good” | Ofsted |
| Mar-13 | AET | Barred by DfE from further expansion | On the Wight |
| Mar-13 | E-Act | Report by EFA on financial management | Education Funding Agency |
| Mar-13 | E-Act | Notice to improve financial management | Education Funding Agency |
| Feb-13 | Rickmansworth Academy | Finances probed | Watford Observer |
| Jan-13 | Basildon Academies | Head of 6th form resigns after less than a year | Echo |
| Jan-13 | Bishop of Rochester Acad. | Up to 30 staff sacked | Kent on line |
| Jan-13 | General | taxpayer-funded academies paying £millions to private forms | The Guardian |
| Jan-13 | Newark | ex Al Madinah head applies to open new school | BBC News |
| Jan-13 | Various | Academies paying £millions to companies linked to directors | Telegraph |
| Dec-12 | Maharishi Free School | Ex-private school fails to enter pupils for SATs | BBC News |
| Dec-12 | Denefield School | Converter Academy “Inadequate”. Satisfactory before conversion | Ofsted |
| Nov-12 | National Audit Office | Academy heads paid too much | Daily Telegraph |
| Sep-12 | E-Act Leeds East | Sudden resignation of head and chair of governors | Yorkshire Evening Post |
| Apr-12 | Priory Federation | employing family members, financial irregularities and more | Daily Mail |
| Jan-12 | University Aca.of Birkenhead | Principal and vice principal resign | Wirral Globe |
| Nov-11 | Marlowe Academy | Still special measures | Kent Independent Ed.Advice |
| Sep-11 | Waterhead Academy | Creationist head appointed after 2 heads resign in 2 years | Oldham Chronicle |
| May-11 | Bishop of Rochester Academy | Head leaves; complaints by parents; student poor behaviour | Medway Messenger |
| Jan-11 | Canary Wharf College | Criticised for failure to enrol FSM | Mirror |
| Nov-10 | Bishop of Rochester Academy | Students protest at management | medway messenger |
| Oct-10 | Marlowe Academy | Special Measures | Kent Independent Ed.Advice |
| Sep-09 | ULT | Sheffield Springs fails Ofsted | The Guardian |
| Mar-09 | E-Act | Misspending of money | Daily Mail |
| Nov-08 | Oasis Mayfield | Head resigns after student riots | S. Daily Echo |
| Nov-08 | Oasis Media City | 19 staff resign over time-tabling chaos | Southern Daily Echo |
| Oct-08 | Oasis Mayfield | Students riot | Southern Daily Echo |
| May-08 | Unity City + | Head asked to resign | TES |
If you liked this post please share it:
Follow Us:
