Plea for probe into academies collapse

TUC delegates call for ‘thorough’ review

EDUCATION: Union leaders intensified pressures on the Government to investigate the collapse of an academy chain, in calls for reassurances.

Delegates were told that the Department for Education must commission an independent inquiry into a decision by Wakefield City Academies Trust to offload all of its 21 schools.

UNION LEADERS yesterday intensified pressures on the Government to investigate the collapse of a Yorkshire academy chain in calls for reassurances to the staff and communities affected.

Delegates at the TUC Congress were told that, for the sake of thousands of students, parents and staff, the Department for Education (DfE) must urgently commission an independent inquiry into a decision by Wakefield City Academies Trust (WCAT) to offload all of its 21 schools.

An emergency motion, passed at the event in Brighton, expressed shock at last week’s announcement, which was revealed in The Yorkshire Post on Saturday.

It said: “This is the largest multi-academy trust so far to collapse, only two years after being chosen as one of five “top performing” academy sponsors given a £5m handout to take over more schools.

“Congress calls on the Government to hold immediate talks with unions representing staff at WCAT and with the relevant local authorities to guarantee the continued employment of all staff, and to address the impact of this collapse on the communities affected.

“Congress calls for a thorough and urgent independent review into the failures at the WCAT, the regulation and accountability of academy sponsors and the role of the Government in preventing future failures in the academies sector.

“Congress calls on the General Council to intensify its campaign to ensure all schools in receipt of public funding are subject to effective democratic control, scrutiny and public accountability.”

Supporting the motion, NASUWT’s Robert Barratt, who is a teacher in Doncaster, told delegates that the Government is “playing Russian roulette” with the lives and futures of children.

An urgent, independent inquiry into what happened at WCAT is needed,” he said.

“The sponsors of this and other failed academy trusts cannot be permitted to simply hand schools back to the Government and walk away. It is important that lessons are learned and those responsible are held to account.”

The DfE said academy trusts operate “under a strict system of oversight and accountability”.