Governor rationalisation post conversion gave 'trojan horse' plot cover?

From They Work For You: Responding to Khalid Mahmood's question - why did 8 out of 13 of Park View Academy governors resign after it became an academy? Edward Timpson said: 'Park View Educational Trust has told the Department that there was a need to rationalise the governing body to ensure it could operate more effectively, and in order to comply with the Department's preferred model when other academies joined the trust to form a multi-academy trust.'

Schools minister re-iterates 'batched inspections'

From They Work for You: Responding to a question from Bill Esterson, Edward Timpson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education, said: 'Ofsted already inspects academy chains through batched inspections of schools within chains. It has recently undertaken focused inspections of academies within the E-ACT multi-academy trust and has previously inspected a group of academies within the AET chain. This has shown to be an effective approach and there are no plans to widen Ofsted's role to inspect head offices.'

Leaked document report.

TES profiles James O’Shaughnessy and Floreat's model

From the TES: 'Floreat is planning to submit a body of research, called the Virtue and Knowledge School Model, which it hopes will receive funding so it can then be implemented as a curriculum in the two schools.'

Leaked document reveals sponsor grading system

From the Guardian/Observer: says a 40 page document 'reveals the existence of an internal DfE grading system for the sponsors... (adding) that of the 72 sponsors in the new "north-east London and east region" set to be monitored by a regional commissioner, 71% are in the two worst categories out of four.'

Leaked document admits that running a free school is different to an academy

From the Guardian/Observer:  From a leaked document, entitled Future Academy System: Lord Nash session: 'Experience has shown us that free schools in their first years of operation are different from other open academies, and face problems that are often not educational in origin...

New head for Kings Science

From the Yorkshire Post: 'The Kings Science Academy in Bradford has appointed Jane Tiller to work in the school on an interim basis until September.'

Security guards in Birmingham academy

From the Birmingham Mail: 'St George’s Academy in Hockley confirmed it used guards to help ensure the “smooth running” of the school, which caters for almost 100 children with behavioural problems.'

Ofsted inspector is exec principal of failing schools

From the TES: 'Last February, Derek Davies was appointed executive principal at the troubled Richard Rose Federation in Cumbria... two further monitoring visits ...the most recent... “not making enough progress”... Mr Davies continues to inspect schools himself, working for private provider the CfBT Education Trust.'

Council sees Windsor free school 'tremendous value for money'

From the Windsor Observer: 'cllr Simon Dudley, cabinet member for finance, said: "From a local taxpayer’s perspective, RBWM (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead) has put £700,000 into this, but I think the EFA will put £1.1m into it. We are getting a new, one-form entry primary school for £700,000 when we are building another, two-form primary school [Oldfield Primary’s relocation to Bray Road] nearby for £8.4m. That is tremendous value for money for our residents."'

Arrests at Glendene Arts Academy

From The Independent: 'Among those understood to have been held in a series of early morning raids by detectives is Eric Baker, founding principal of Glendene Arts Academy in Easington, Co Durham, and his wife.'

GEMS Learning Trust wins sponsorship of Oxford primary school

From the Oxford Mail: GEMS Learning Trust was yesterday confirmed to run the new school to open on the Great Western Park development in Didcot in September 2015.

Latest DfE research questions include two on finance

From the DfE's Accountability and governance Research priorities and questions: The DfE said it hopes to 'identify evidence gaps and promote discussion of them with the research community, practitioners and other stakeholders' -  There were two specific finance questions:

Temporary site for one free school - permanent site dashed for another

UPDATED (April 5 2014) from West End Extra -

From the Kilburn Times: 'Marylebone Boys’ School has announced... it will be located at the building in Priory Park Road... The news will bring an end to speculation that Gladstone Free School will open on the site.'

Catholic primary becomes Anglican primary academy

From the BBC: 'Sacred Heart RC Primary School in Lynwood Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, will become an Anglican academy (because of falling numbers of Catholic pupils)... (it) will be sponsored by the Cidari Trust... the school is currently overseen by the Catholic Diocese of Salford.'

Closure of two cumbrian secondaries to create a new academy

From the Times and Star: Cumbria 'county council's Cabinet... agreed to launch a formal consultation into closing Southfield Technology College and Stainburn School and Science College... and merging them into a new single academy (Workington Academy)...  the preferred sponsor is the Lakes College West Cumbria's Lakes Academy Trust, which beat off competition from the Good Shepherd multi-academy trust, set up by the Diocese of Carlisle and Bright Tribe.'