A push by Catholic dioceses to convert schools into academies has sparked legal threats, governor revolts and cheerleaders-turned-whistleblowers condemning heavy-handed tactics.
The rapid conversion of Catholic schools is backed by ministers who want to turbo-charge their academy revolution.
But recent history suggests the conversion en masse of schools into new trusts – across huge regions – is the perfect recipe for academy disaster.
Just 155 schools are likely to be affected by a plan to move long-term underperforming schools into multi-academy trusts.
Ministers this week reaffirmed their commitment to consult on moving schools with successive ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ ratings into “strong” trusts. The policy will be focused on the Department for Education’s new “education investment areas”.
However, analysis published this week shows just 155 affected schools are not currently in trusts (0.7 per cent).
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has come under fire for handing £95 million to a school with an allegedly ‘toxic culture’.
Opposition councillors have criticised the council (RBKC) for spending so much money on Holland Park School – which is now being investigated after more than 100 pupils signed a petition complaining about the school’s allegedly toxic atmosphere.
The school’s finances have previously faced criticised after it spent £15,000 on luxury paint and £6,000 on scented candles between 2016 and 2019, according to School’s Week.
The academy has also been criticised for paying its headteacher Colin Hall £280,000 a year, which makes him one of the highest-paid teachers in the country.
https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/london-council-slammed-spending-95-22908255
The Government is looking at letting local authorities set up and run academy chains to finally achieve its ambition of every school in England being an academy.
Several sources have told i that as part of its planned Schools White Paper, the Department for Education (DfE) could relax current rules barring councils from founding trusts and appointing their boards.
While the Government has previously been hostile to the idea of local authorities having any role, there has been a softening of attitudes under the new Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi.
