Demand for emergency financial help for academies is decreasing

Deficit funding is a source of emergency funding for academies. In most cases academies do not have to repay this cash. In some cases academies do have to repay the money but this can be done over a longer period than money provided as 'advances of funding' (more detail on this here).

£15k exclusion fine proposed by council - academy excluded 58 in 5 years

From the Nottingham Post: 'The city council is now seeking to re-introduce charging £14,900 after every second permanent exclusion from any school.' The paper reported that 'Since 2009, Djanogly City Academy has excluded 58 students, including 12 last year and eight so far this term.'

NASBM Stephen Morales: unacceptable disparity in SBM pay across the country

From Academies Week (now Schools Week): '...unacceptable disparity in SBM pay across the country.'

£11m Ingleby Manor contract announced

From The Construction Index:'BAM Construction has signed an £11m contract to build new premises for Ingleby Manor Free School and Sixth Form on Teesside.'

FOI on Regional School Commissioners performance indicators

From Academies/Schools Week: 'A freedom of information request to the Department for Education (DfE), however, shows that one of the eight key performance indicators (KPI) for RSCs relates to the number of academies in their region – including among schools not normally targeted for academisation.'

Academy food loophole

From the Daily Mail: 'Tough new rules for school meals came into force in England this week... But they do not currently apply to around 4,000 schools that became academies between September 2010 and last year.'

Guardian: not enough sponsors willing to take on tough schools

From the Guardian: looks briefly at figures showing less than expected numbers of poor performing schools converting to academies - speculates whether this is due to lack of sponsors willing to take on tough schools.

Bridging fund incentive for MAT to take on school with poor finances

In September the Bradford Telegraph reported 'Many of the academy chains who were approached to run a troubled Bradford school (Belle Vue Boys) were immediately put off when they saw its finances...' This week the paper reported: 'Bradford Council has been working on a proposal which would see a "bridging fund"...

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.'

Ex EFA man takes on monitoring role at Education Fellowship Trust

Education Fellowship Trust has employed Steve Artis: 'Mr Artis joins the trust with more than 25 years’ experience working within various disciplines of a public sector audit function. He spent the past three-and-a-half years working for the Education Funding Agency at the Department for Education where he undertook the lead role reviewing financial management and governance arrangements within academies...'

From the Northants Telegraph: http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/top-stories/new-monitoring-officer-for-trust-behind-nine-county-schools-1-6404633

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.'

Heads' pay debated

From the Times: 'School governors need to think very carefully before approving substantial salaries for head teachers, Nicky Morgan told MPs yesterday...“some very big numbers out there”.

PISA results undermine profit motive in schools

From TES: 'the government (of Sweden) intends to bring in legislation by 2016 that would force private companies to reinvest all profits back into their schools.

MAT approved to sponsor failing school hit with 'requires improvement'

Two months after taking on a failing primary school The Growth in Learning Trust - which runs Hareclive and no other schools and had received a ‘good’ rating in its previous inspection in 2010 -was given 'requires improvement' grading by Ofsted - from the Bristol Post.

Silver Birch MAT investigated over office expenses

The head of a MAT running two primary schools in East London spent £26k on office furniture prompting whistleblowers to call in the EFA which carried out an investigation according to the Daily Mail (19 Oct) - DfE investigation report from April 2014 said: 'The investigation has not identified fraudulent action by the Trust but has identified concerns in relation to poor procurement practice...'