Academy trust to be stripped of four Dudley primary schools
An academy trust will be stripped of its four Dudley schools after a "breakdown in trust" and serious concerns over how it is managed, a watchdog has said.
The Learning Link Multi-Academy Trust had been told to address the issue between those leading the academies and the trust's board in July.
Learning Link is responsible for Kates Hill, Netherbrook, Dudley Wood and Sledmere primary schools, two of which have requested to leave the trust.
The local governing bodies at each academy each took part in a vote of no confidence regarding the trustees and acting CEO earlier this year.
The move prompted the Regional Schools Commissioner for the West Midlands to issue the trust with a termination warning and criteria to improve.
Now Andrew Warren, commissioner for the region, has confirmed the Government will remove the trust's funding and move the schools to another sponsor after the trust "failed to take sufficient action".
Mr Warren said the trust had not appointed additional trustees from academy ambassadors or "turnaround directors" as they had been instructed.
Six new trustees were appointed in August but Mr Warren but are located across the country meaning the board lacks local representation, Mr Warren said.
The trust was told to set out its plans and timeline for confirming leadership of the trust at CEO and CFO level, with the schools instructed to hold a vote of confidence.
Mr Warren said it the vote had come back inconclusive with two schools confirming votes of confidence, but only if senior leaders at the academy trust were replaced.
Another unanimously voted it still had no confidence in the trust whilst two out of the four sent requests to the commissioner requesting to leave the multi-academy trust, the report said.
Mr Warren said there remained the "breakdown in trust between those who are leading the academies within the trust and the trust board" which led him to conclude the schools "are effectively operating as individual SATs [single-academy trusts] rather than benefitting from being part of a MAT [multi-academy trust]."
The Learning Link Multi-Academy Trust was also issued with a Financial Notice to Improve in January this year and has since "partially met" the conditions of the notice.
But the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is said to have "significant concerns" over the financial management of the trust, with its 2018/2019 financial statements still outstanding.
Draft documents over the same period show an overall cumulative deficit of £204,000 which shows the multi-academy trust is "financially vulnerable", the report said.
Mr Warren, in the report, said: "I am of the opinion that the trust has failed to take sufficient action to address my concerns fully and I do not believe the trust has the capacity to secure the necessary improvements.
"I am of the view that the four schools would be better served in an alternative trust and this letter serves as notice of termination.
"My team will be in touch with you shortly to agree next steps including to agree a suitable date of termination on or before January 1, 2021.
"If a date cannot be agreed, I will write under separate cover to notify you of the termination date."
Learning Link Multi-Academy Trust has been approached for comment. The full report can be read here.
