Wolverhampton school paid out over £19k to staff to save cases going to court
A Wolverhampton primary school has paid out over £19,000 in settlements to three staff members in order to avoid cases reaching an employment tribunal. In 2020, Trinity CE Primary Academy paid two staff members £8,450, while in 2022, one staff member was paid £10,851.
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St Chad’s Academies Trust, which oversees St Jude’s CE Primary Academy and Trinity CE Primary Academy in the city, suspended two members of staff in September 2024 following a ‘disclosure from a whistleblower’. The trust never confirmed which members of staff were affected, and said there were no updates.
When asked about the suspensions, the trust told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that ‘in time there will be public disclosure’. It is understood that more than 30 teachers have left St Chad’s Academies Trust in recent years.
The figures regarding payouts were provided in a Freedom of Information response. The trust was asked how much was paid to current or ex staff members to settle a case in order to prevent it going to an employment tribunal.
This type of payment can be used by organisations to resolve disputes amicably, which can help avoid the costs and public exposure of the employment tribunals.
A spokesperson for St Chad’s Academies Trust said: “The trust provided the information required in response to the Freedom of Information request, as we are obliged to complete, relating to sums paid; we have neither provided reasons why settlements were reached, nor names.
“Settlement agreements are a tool available to HR teams to achieve consensual and cost-effective resolution. The trust has nothing further to add about the suspension; in time there will be public disclosure, as determined, and required.”
