The £100k school caretaker

A CARETAKER at a controversial academy trust was paid more than £100,000 in one year while it was being investigated over financial issues.

Brendan McShane earned a salary of around £60,000 as ‘premises manager’, which involved cleaning and maintenance at Durand Academy. This is more than double the going rate of £24,000 to £30,000 for such a job.

Mr McShane also received a one- off payment of £39,000 last year in lieu of holiday not taken over his eight years of employment. In total he was paid between £100,000 and £105,000 in 201617, according to academy accounts.

The previous year, he received £75,000 to £80,000 and this year looks set to earn a similar sum. In August, the Department for Education told Durand it would end funding from June 29 this year amid concerns about ‘financial mismanagement’.

Another academy trust is being sought to take over the south London school.

The latest revelation came as a shock to governors, many of whom are new after a change in management, a source told the Times Educational Supplement.

The holiday payment to Mr McShane is understood to have been signed off by the school’s former head teacher Mark McLaughlin, who left in August.

Mr McShane is a trustee of Durand Academy Trust (DAT) and a director of Durand Education Trust (DET), which owns the school’s land and where Mr McLaughlin is also a director.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has previously demanded that no DAT director was also a director of DET.

Durand Academy Trust said: ‘The payment was made for the holidays which Mr McShane was entitled to as per his employment contract.’

A spokesman added it was ‘seeking further advice’ on his DET directorship.

The DfE said: ‘Following previous findings of financial mismanagement, Durand Academy Trust’s funding agreement will be terminated on June 29 2018.

‘There have been serious concerns about the financial management and governance of the trust. We continue to have those concerns.’