Active Learning Trust: 'keeping work and rewards in-house' must be addressed

The Active Learning Trust was one of the academy chains mentioned in a Guardian's story which fuelled this week's Public Accounts Committee questions. The Guardian said: 'The Active Learning Trust, which oversees five schools, has paid £16,943 to a company owned by trustee, Marilyn Toft.'




Writing a piece in the Telegraph Active Learning Trust chief executive Clive Bush said: 'Another area of concern for parents is the perception that academies are run by big corporates with more of an eye on the bottom line than on education.

'This is a perception that has been perpetuated by a regular stream of stories in the media claiming to expose failings and corruption within academies and free schools.

'This is an issue we must not duck; there have been some unreasonably high salaries paid, there has, among some academy chains, been a culture of keeping the work and rewards in-house and, counter to the whole motivation of converting to academy status, some high profile organisations have seen some of their academies failing...'