Barnfield Federation chooses to split from sponsor - minister to decide

The BBC has reported that the Barnfield Federation has chosen to split from its sponsor Barnfield College - two damning reports were published on the organisation in February.

Daily Mail quadruples size of Haberdashers' Aske's fraud and names suspect

The Daily Mail has claimed that an accountant called Samuel Kaymode has been told by the High Court to pay back £4.1 million to Haberdashers' Aske's - the paper said he had worked at the federation's Hatcham College since 1997.

North East Regional Schools Commissioner explains her role

In a piece for the Northern Echo, Janet Renou, the Regional Schools Commissioner for the North of England said: 'Put simply, my role is to take action swiftly where an academy is faltering, and to approve the creation of new academies across the North...'

The Kemnal Academies Trust Ofsted inspection

Ofsted Press Release: 'Today Ofsted has published the outcome letter for the recent focused inspection of academy schools in Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT).

CET Westminster wants Reach2 to take it over

CET Westminster, which is based in an office block in Edgware Road (part of CETPS - one other school in Tower Hamlets), is looking to be taken over by Reach2, an academy chain charity

Eden Project approached by private school in free school bid

David Rowe, head of media relations at Eden, told the Cornish Guardian: 'The Eden Project was recently approached by Roselyon School, based near us in Par, to see if we could support them in their desire to become a free school. We are currently exploring the potential for...

EFA buys 5 storey block for free school in Kingston

A report in This is Local London said: 'It is understood the agency plans to turn the five-storey office block into a one-form entry free school.' The report said the building is still occupied by 12 to 14 businesses including developers CNM Estates 'which is based inside the building and has had it under option for the past five years from owner Chalford Property'. Kingston-based property consultants Cattaneo have been appointed property manager for the Secretary of State.

72% of SBMs say they don't get a fair wage

The NAHT's survey of school business managers had 560 respondents, 20% of them from academies and free schools - page 7 has a chart showing the many roles in which they either lead or have some responsibility, including marketing and educational visits.

Fallibroome MAT to take on E-Act's Winsford Academy

The Fallibroome Multi-Academy Trust  - accounts - has been confirmed as the new sponsor of Winsford Academy, effective from September 1, after the Department for Education withdrew E-ACT’s right to sponsor the secondary school - according to the Chester Chronicle.

Harris wants new Merton free school to meet demand - Chapel Street to open one in Sept

The Harris Federation which runs Harris Academy Merton and Harris Academy Morden, has approached Merton Council to build a third free school in the area to plug the shortage of secondary school places in the borough - according to the Wimbledon Guardian.

New primary academy looks at opening free school to meet demand

A report from Get Surrey said: 'Pyrford CofE Primary School recently became an academy... governors are currently asking parents to register their interest for the new school – to be called Newark CofE Primary School.'

Laura McInerny loses FOI battle for free school applications

Education writer and recently appointed deputy editor of Academies Week, Laura McInerney wrote this account of her unsuccessful attempt to release free school applications - the DfE said it would have cost £171,875 to redact the personal information in the forms.

MAT swaps free school plan for existing school

The Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMat) -  will take control of Stamford Queen Eleanor School in Stamford after initially backing a parent-led bid to build a free school in the town. A report in the Stamford Mercury said the Government encouraging CMat to work with Queen Eleanor school after rejecting the bid. The trusts accounts do not appear to show central service charges.

Costa coffee to open in West Country academy

Education catering company Taylor Shaw won a three year contract worth £400k to provide catering services to four schools in Camborne including a Costa coffee shop at Camborne Science and International Academy - accounts - the academy provided a response saying students will be employed in the cafe which will only cater for sixth formers - from a report from This is the West Country. 

UCAT's Chester Cathedral free school loses permanent site

University Cathedral Free School in Chester can no longer relocate next to the cathedral for ‘on-going legal reasons’ according to the University of Chester Academies Trust (UCAT). A report in the Chester Chronicle said the permanent base was due to open in January this year but was delayed because the floors needed strengthening.

Enfield MAT-to-MAT swap to go ahead in September

Enfield Heights Academy will swap from CfBT to Cuckoo Hall by September 1 according CfBT as reported by  the North London Newspapers which said the schools founders sought help from CfBT and opened in September 2012 but 'less than 24 months later... has asked Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust, run by Patrica Sowter to take over.

UCL sponsored academy requires improvement

The UCL Academy in Swiss Cottage, London, had an Ofsted report saying it requires improvement. The academy was defended by Michael Gove - and a report in the Camden New Journal also notes differing views between head and sponsor, UCL.

DfE survey: finance is source of greatest change and great stress for academies

A government survey published this month found that the freedoms associated with academy status have been put to the greatest use in finance. However they also found that higher financial reporting requirements caused some stress.

PM praises £5m gift for United Learning's state and private school collaboration

United Learning received a £5m donation from hedge fund manager Alan Howard (Brevan Howard) which the prime minister described as 'one of the most generous this country has seen to a schools organisation'. It will be used to establish the United Learning Partnership Fund, which will see a collaboration between ULT's 50 schools and other independent schools - including: Marlborough College, RGS Guildford, JAGS, Manchester Grammar School, Bolton Boys' School and St Paul's Boys.

Funding agreement signed for Brixton free school

Brixton free school, Trinity Academy London, had its funding agreement signed by goves days before re-shuffle. A report in Brixton Buzz said that the funding agreement had been signed and the school's share of land had been purchased.

Site swaps for Bellevue Place Education Trust free school in Kilburn

Bellevue Place Education Trust was given permission to open a primary free school (Kilburn Grange School) in September 2015 - before then the site will be occupied by Marylebone Boys’ School, a free school due to open in September 2014 - according to a report from The Kilburn Times.

Sixth-form college bids to open 16-19 free school

The TES reports that NEW College Pontefract has submitted a bid to the Department for Education to open a new 16-19 school in nearby Doncaster.

Over-populated converter requires improvement

Ofsted has said that Armthorpe Shaw Wood Academy in Doncaster requires improvement. According to Edubase the school has a capacity of 420 but 486 pupils.

Dixons Trinity Academy had asbestos improvement notices

The Telegraph and Argus (Bradford) reported Health and Safety Executive visits to 153 non council controlled schools around West Yorkshire enforcement action was taken against 20 of these schools...

New Catholic MAT in Coventry

Coventry secondary school Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, is joining six Catholic primary schools to become a multi-academy trust called the Romero Catholic Academy according to the Coventry Telegraph.

Chapel Street will triple the number of schools it runs this year

In a Guardian round-up (mainly about Ofsted and prior warnings to academy chains) one piece mentions a 'budget deficit' at Benedict School in Mitcham Surrey which joined the Chapel Street Community Schools Trust in January.

A seven-year £914k fraud at Haberdashers' Aske's Federation

A letter to parents from Haberdashers' Aske's gave details of a £914,000 fraud and warned against speaking to the media - according to a report in the News Shopper newspaper. The letter said: 'In October 2012, we discovered that a serious financial fraud had been committed by an employee of the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Federation... over a period of seven years, during which time the perpetrator appears to have set up a large number of small fraudulent transactions in order to commit these crimes unnoticed.'

Trusts approached to run 'Trojan Horse' academies

Jahangir Akbar, acting principal of Oldknow Academy, one of five schools put into special measures following Ofsted 'Trojan Horse' inspections (four of the five were academies) 'said he believed at least one trust which runs academies in Birmingham had already been approached about taking over schools' - according to the Daily Mail.

Eastbourne free school given sixth form go ahead

Gildredge House free school has been given permission to take a maximum of 72 sixth form pupils from September 2015 according to the Eastbourne Herald.

AET academy to be handed to Inspiration Trust

According to a report in the EDP: 'AET is in talks about the Norfolk-based Inspiration Trust taking over (the East Point Academy has been in special measures since April last year)'. The paper said it was the only AET school that would leave the trust.

Lion Academies Trust to take over E-Act's Hartsbrook free school

Lion Academy Trust will take control of E-Act's Hartsbrook free school from September, with Hartsbrook being renamed and rebranded, according to Haringey Today and The Tottenham Journal (which said: 'LAT, based in Leyton, north-east London, already runs three primary academies in Leyton and Walthamstow. Only one has been visited by Ofsted inspectors, who decided during a brief visit that the school was maintaining its good practices.)

Academy responds to Private Eye over £100k for linked companies

The June/July issue of Private Eye ran a story about the way North West Academies Trust spent its start-up funding on firms that the trust's leadership has links to. The multi-academy trust runs a new free school St Martin's Academy in Chester and was also joined by Oakview Primary Academy in April.  Chester First and the Chester Chronicle provided coverage of Private Eye's piece and the school's response. The trust's accounts did not appear to be available on its website.

Harlow academy pupils will take GCSEs from age 13

The Harlow Star reports that pupils at Burnt Mill Academy: 'Will be sitting GCSE examinations from the age of 13 under a new structure starting in the autumn.'

Nottingham trust told to improve

A negative Ofsted inspection in the wake of Djanogly City Academy being put in special measures was reported in the Nottingham Post : 'The Torch Academy Gateway Trust, which took over sponsorship of the Forest Fields school (Djanogly City Academy), has been told it must do more to improve. It was one of six placed in special measures during a blitz of inspections last year.'

Chichester Academy Trust is set to take on its sixth school

The University of Chichester Academy Trust (CAT) is set to take on a sixth school with Fernhurst Primary School.

Politics and land deals fail Fulham Boys and Sulivan Primary

The apparently mutually exclusive schools Fulham Boys and Sulivan Primary...

Essex schools plan MAT after council closure plans overruled

From the Echo: 'Deanes school, Thundersley, is on course to form a multi-academy trust with the Billericay School. Councillor Ray Gooding, responsible for education, planned to close it due to falling pupil numbers but was overturned by a Government school adjudicator in February this year.

DfE publishes destination data 'to help parents choose the best schools'

The DfE has published data under the title 'Pupils' destinations data to help parents choose the best schools'.

Cambridgeshire heads meet Gove to discuss low funding

Cambridgeshire newspapers Ely Standard and Cambridge News both reported that Cambridgeshire headteachers had met with Michael Gove saying that: 'According to recent figures, Cambridgeshire has been receiving the lowest school block funding per pupil out of all of the 151 local authorities, which has resulted in larger class sizes and fewer qualifications among teachers.'

Mystery over Croydon free school withdrawal

The Department for Education told the Croydon Advertiser: 'The proposers of the Advance School have decided that they do not have the capacity to continue with this project. We have accepted the withdrawal of the application'... the paper said...'The school was due to open in September... Repeated attempts to contact the lead founder, Russell King, by phone, e-mail and via Advance's website have failed to get a response.'

However Croydon Council website said: 'The Department for Education has decided to defer the opening of Advance Free School until September 2015'. Other ideas from Inside Croydon.

Aldridge Foundation sponsorship model for Darwen Vale High School

UPDATE: Frank Green supports academisation despite consultation results

The Aldridge Foundation has agreed to sponsor Darwen Vale High School according to the Lancashire Telegraph - however this does not appear to be as part of a multi-academy trust but as a traditional sponsor.

ARK plans blended learning free school planned by 2016

From the Mail and the TES: '...Ark Schools, is setting up a new all-through school (Ark Pioneer Academy) based on the “blended learning” model – which is likely to result in pupils spending a significant percentage of their school day being taught by computer software packages.'

Twenty Four groups on New Schools Network Development Programme

A report in the Bromley Times says the Bromley-based Bullers Wood School for Girls, which aims to set up a free school for boys, has joined New School Network's Development Programme. The paper said: 'The school is one of 24 groups to have successfully applied for a place on the national Development Programme designed to support people who want to set up new free schools.'

New Oakwood Grange head steps in at Scunthorpe academy

A new head has started at a failing Scunthorpe converter academy as it joins Oakwood Grange Academies Trust. The old head left unexpectedly early. The Scunthorpe Telegraph reported: 'Angela Hull has taken charge of the school (Invenio Academy), which will become Outwood Academy Foxhills on September 1, replacing Richard Briggs – who has agreed to become the new head teacher at Baysgarth School from September.'

Private school aims to turn free and double intake

A £20,000-a-year private school, The Royal School, in Wolverhampton has applied to become a free school in 2015 and aims to double its size to 1000 places. The Express and Star reported: 'The Royal's international school, which houses 130 pupils from 25 different countries, will be unaffected by the move.'

Go ahead for Slough Association of Secondary Heads' free school

A 900 place free school, set up by Slough Association of Secondary Head Teachers, has been given the go ahead. The Slough Express reported: 'The green-light has also been given the new 900-place school in Ditton Park Academy.'

Councils vs academies over who should sustain service grant cuts

Councils have said that academies should bear the brunt of a proposed 20% cut to the Education Services Grant. The Local Government Chronicle reported: 'The basic local authority ESG rate for 2014-15 is £113 per pupil in mainstream community schools. Academies receive an additional “transitional protection” of £27, meaning a £140 rate per pupil... London Councils (and Sigoma)...(urged government) to remove the protections “at the earliest opportunity” to equalise funding for all schools.'

Academies take resources from council but will not end co-operation

From the Lancashire Telegraph: 'Five Blackburn with Darwen primaries are set to become Church of England academies... diverting funding... to the Church of England’s academy trust, Cidari. Education portfolio holder for the council Dave Harling said it would be a blow to other schools, but pledged to work with the church as a partner.'

Boris gives permission to use old police stations as free schools

From The Evening Standard: 'Six disused London police stations will be sold and given to free school groups struggling to find suitable buildings to open in, Boris Johnson announced today.'

DfE closes free school due to low pupil numbers

From the Birmingham Mail / BBC / and The Voice : 'The Kajans Hospitality and Catering Studio College was opened in Whitehead Road, Aston, last September offering catering courses for 14-18 year olds.