Guardian cash cow questions

A brief look at some of the issues covered in Daniel Boffey and Warwick Mansell piece in the Observer: 'Are England's academies becoming a cash cow for business?'

Ramifications of closure of Oasis Academy Hextable

Kent Online looks at issues facing Kent County Council after the closure of Oasis Academy in Hextable. Oasis Community Learning statement on the closure of the academy.
According to OCL's 2013/14 accounts the academy had a £158k net funds deficit, the accounts also show that OCL charged the school £141,000 central services over the period (Sept 13 - August 14).

Redundancy and central services charges from MATs in the North

Two redundancy related stories for MATs in the north of England - and an increase in central service charges from a MAT in the North East.

Bucks Learning Trust finds it difficult to access academy

From the Bucks Herald reported Amanda Taylor-Hopkins, director of education at the Buckinghamshire Learning Trust said she was finding it ‘difficult to get in’ to the Aylesbury Vale Academy (requires improvement by Ofsted) asked why standards were so different between two schools she said: 'The answer about why they are so different at this point I can’t give an answer to because we have not at this point been into Aylesbury Vale Academy. We are trying to get an appointment there but as you know it is an academy and it’s more difficult to get into.'

Three Barrow primaries aim to form MAT to 'avoid topslice'

From North West Evening Mail: 'Greengate Infant, Nursery and Pre-school, Victoria Junior School and Yarlside Nursery and Primary School in Barrow have registered their interest with the Department for Education with a view to changing their status.'

Questions for Education Select Committee to put to Harris Federation

Witnesses facing the Education Select Committee at 9.30 tomorrow morning (Wednesday 3 September) include Prospects Academies Trust and the Harris Federation - below are some questions for Harris Federation.

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.

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.

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.'

EMLC Academy Trust submits bids for £20m school site

From Northampton Chronicle: 'EMLC Academy Trust (which sponsors three primary schools in Northampton) is making a bid to run a new £20 million school on the site of a former Royal Mail sorting office.'

Head departs before turning his school around - exec principal stands in

From the Nuneaton News: William Branney, headteacher at troubled Nuneaton Academy (Ofsted: inadequate)  is stepping down... 'to return to live with his family in the north of England. The academy is part of the Midland Academy Trust which said in its 2012/13 accounts that 'the trust's budget for 2013-14 shows a planned deficit of £503,451 for that year.' (p17)

Three troubled Harlow primaries join NET Academies Trust

From the Harlow Star: 'NET Academy Trust have confirmed that they have been given the go-ahead to become academy sponsors of Longwood Primary & Nursery School in Paringdon Road, Latton Green Primary School in Riddings Lane and Abbotsweld Primary School in Partridge Road.

Have multi-academy trust accounts complied with new transparency rules?

(UPDATED June 16) The government provided a list 'of all academy sponsors with 10 or more academies' after an MP put the question to the Secretary of State for Education. This post looks at the accounts of the multi-academy trusts (MATs) on that list and what they have provided under new transparency rules.

Sir David Carter answers questions on academy finances

Sir David Carter, Chief Executive of Cabot Learning Federation and recently appointed Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) for the South West, has answered some questions originally published  in the run up to the Education Select Committee hearing on 13 May.

Questions for the Education Select Committee on Tuesday

Here are some questions that could be put to the first panel of the Education Select Committee on Tuesday: witnesses:
Frank Green, Schools Commissioner, Department for Education
Sir David Carter, CEO of Cabot Academies
Robert Hill, Education Consultant (Author of 'The Missing Middle')

Minutes from Academies Finance and Assurance Steering Group.

From DfE: Minutes from Academies Finance and Assurance Steering Group (11 February 2014)
Issues discussed: