More timely GCSE league tables

New league table from academy United Learning and unions National Association of Head Teachers and Association of School Leaders 'will have an immediate advantage over official DfE league tables by being more timely' (Guardian) - the league table.

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.

ARK/United Learning veteran fills West London Free School gap

From Chiswick4.com:  'Toby Young, who led a group of parents in setting up the free school confirmed her role on Friday May 9, saying: "Dame Sally Coates (recently departed from ARK to United Learning) has very kindly agreed to keep on eye on the school this term and help us recruit a new head..."'

New head at Manchester Academy and new CEO at Landau Forte Charitable Trust

From the BBC: Andy Griffin will become principal at Manchester Academy (United Learning) in Moss Side... previously the head at Broadoak School in Partington.

United Learning replaces head with principal and executive principal

From This is Wiltshire: Julie Tridgel, headteacher at Nova Hreod Academy in Swindon, announced she was leaving in February... Ben Parnell and Darren Barton... existing heads at United Learning's Glenmoor and Winton (Where Mr Parnell is Executive Principal) academies in Bournemouth - they will become Interim Executive Principal and Interim Principal on May 1.

Academies can keep 10% of GAG payments for non-existent pupils

Following-up a piece in the Guardian and a tweet from Warwick Mansell it seems that academies can keep 10% of General Annual Grant (GAG) overpayments based on pupil estimates. This could provide a motive for consistently over estimating pupil numbers - which is what the DfE appears to be complaining about - it also puts into context the DfE's claim that it can recover money wrongly given to academies (i.e. only cash above the first 10%).

Emails suggest academies over-predict pupil numbers

From the Guardian: 'An email from the DfE says that "in the vast majority of cases", academies fail to recruit the predicted number of pupils.

Telegraph lists most sought after academy and free school places

From the Telegraph: 'Harris City Academy Crystal Palace, in south London, was the most sought-after comprehensive, with 2,016 applications for 180 places – a ratio of just over 11-to-one.'

Experience, understanding and independence

This week the EFA launched a survey on how academies are taking up their new freedoms: 'We’re particularly interested in whether academies are using the freedoms and flexibilities available to them and what difference this has made to schools.

United Learning says pool used by local primaries is not financially viable

From the News and Star: http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/closure-of-carlisle-school-s-pool-could-sink-pupils-lessons-1.1116216

...The academy spokesman added: “While the pool is currently popular, the decline in pupil numbers in the area means that the per user price will quickly become untenable.”...

Guardian: Chains fail to meet government targets

From the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/29/academy-schools-gcse-target

This story looks at GCSE results stripping out equivalent qualifications to standard GCSEs, such as BTecs. The original work was done by Local Schools Network which opposes free schools and academies: http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/05/the-academies-illusion-what-the-data-reveals/ 

Carlisle academy founders hand over to United Learning Trust

From In Cumbria: http://www.in-cumbria.com/scowcroft-united-learning-will-turn-round-failing-morton-academy-1.1109557

Brian Scowcroft, who helped set up Carlisle's two academies said: “The academies project has been the toughest that I’ve ever done. We delivered two fantastic schools, in terms of buildings and facilities, but they failed from an academic perspective.

“I’m confident that United Learning will rectify that. If I didn’t think they would rectify it, I wouldn’t have asked them in.”

Executive principal: Derek Davies

Academy chains expanding despite pre-warning notices

A list compiled by Janet Downs on Local Schools Network:
http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/12/academy-chains-sent-warning-notices-still-allowed-to-sponsor-more-academies/

The list consists of:
Academies Enterprise Trust (AET); United Learning Trust (ULT); The Kemnal Academy Trust (TKAT); E-Act.

Academy trust selects two heads for

News and Star (Cumbria):http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/new-head-teachers-appointed-for-carlisle-s-richard-rose-academy-schools-1.1105189



"The charity which is taking over the two schools has named the two new head teachers. Neil Hutchinson will lead Richard Rose Central Academy, while Des Bird has been named as head teacher at Richard Rose Morton Academy. Both will report to the federation’s executive principle Derek Davies. Mr Bird was part of the senior management team at Egremont’s West Lakes Academy..."


"The academies will complete their transition to United Learning, which has been described as a charity with Christian roots, in the New Year. Earlier this month, United Learning bosses admitted that they were braced for a critical Ofsted report following a snap inspection of its Morton site. The Central Academy, placed in special measures in February, has also been revisited by inspectors."

Reference: united learning trust does not disclose senior management pay in accounts

BBC:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20669621 

Martin Rausenbaum, BBC FOI specialist, wrote in December 2012:


Earlier this year United Learning received an FOI request asking for details of the pay and employment packages for its chief executive and other senior management. When it did not supply the information, the requester complained to the Information Commissioner's Office.

United Learning told the Commissioner that its senior management were actually employed and paid by a charity, the United Church Schools Trust. This is a separate but linked charity which is not publicly funded and does not come under FOI.

In a decision released today the Commissioner upheld United Learning's stance that it did not hold the requested information on how much its chief executive and senior management are remunerated. The Commissioner was told that they were not paid out of public funds.

I had hoped to ask United Learning to explain this unusual state of affairs, but the organisation's spokesman told me: "United Learning Trust has no view to express on the case".

Stephen Twigg on future of academies and free schools

From The Evening Standard: http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/stephen-twigg-more-academies-more-freedom--my-plan-to-keep-london-top-of-the-class-8834554.html

"Twigg is clear too about the growing role of chains run by charities and private sector. “There is clearly an important role in the future for chains like Ark and United Learning,” which now respectively run 18 and 25 academies. “I think we have to judge them by evidence, outcomes and results.”"