College going it alone over finance woes
IT WILL SPLIT FROM TROUBLED ACADEMY CHAIN
A SIXTH form college is to split with a troubled multi-academy chain over financial concerns.
The Connell Sixth Form College in Beswick has confirmed plans to part ways with Bright Futures Educational Trust (BFET) after government intervention.
Bright Futures has faced uncertainties over its future due to cash shortfalls and low standards at several of its schools in Manchester, Wigan and Blackpool.
The trust’s financial problems were partly driven by low pupil numbers at Connell. BFET still faces ‘significant funding challenges,’ bosses say, but they add that ‘the future for the college is as strong as it has ever been.’
A Bright Futures spokesman said: “To ensure the very long term sustainability of both the college and the trust, the college’s future lies away from BFET, which is in line with the sustainable financial planning that we are continuing to work on with the DfE.”
In March 2016, Bright Futures was served a financial notice by the Department for Education amid concerns over its financial position and the way it was being run. Later that year, in September, Dame Dana Ross-Wawrzynski, former super-head guru, announced her retirement as chief executive of the trust. It is not clear whether a new provider has been found to oversee Connell.
A joint statement from Bright Future Educational Trust and the Connell said: “The college is now in the top 10 per cent of post-16 education providers nationwide. A level and Btec results this autumn, and student recruitment, is at an all-time high. The new and innovative curriculum put into place by college principal Jane Hopcroft is specifically-designed to meet the local needs of the young people of east Manchester.
“Alongside our continued and expanding partnership with Manchester City Football Club, the future for the college is as strong as it has ever been. As has been previously reported, BFET has been in constructive discussions with the DfE and other partners since February of this year regarding Connell Sixth Form College. BFET, like all other education organisations, faces significant funding challenges.”
The college was rated as ‘requires improvement’ in all areas by Ofsted inspectors in January this year. A Department for Education spokesman added: “Academy trusts operate under a strict system of oversight and accountability - more robust than in council-run schools - which means any issues are identified and we can take swift action. We issued a Financial Notice to Improve (FNtI) to Bright Futures in March 2016 following concerns about the Trust’s financial management, governance and oversight. The Department for Education is now working with the new leadership team to agree a robust recovery plan for the trust.” Bright Futures ran nine schools and colleges across the north west, including five in Manchester, Wigan University Technical College (UTC), Altrincham Grammar School for Girls in Trafford, and two in Blackpool. Bright Futures rid itself of Wigan UTC after extremely low pupil numbers led to a huge financial shortfall.