WHO BLOWS THE mehwash kauser: world class? WHISTLE ON OPENING DOORs FOR Not quite, says ACADEMIES? MUSLIM GIRLS Becky Allen page 7 page 16 page 18 SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017 | EDITION 110 THE RISE OF HOME EDUCATION PAGES 8 & 9 Ofsted slate PA/WIRE wiped clean for 700 schools WHO GOT Rise in rebrokered academies skews trust league tables WHAT BRIEF IN GREENING’S ‘Dropping failing academies minimises damage to the brand’ TOP TEAM Exclusive BILLY CAMDEN | @BILLYCAMDEN PAGE 2 PAGE 3 JO BS FIND YOUR NEXT DREAM EDUCATION JOB. educationweekjobs.co.uk | @EduWeekJobs 2 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, JULY 7 2017 EDITION 110 NEWS SCHOOLS WEEK TEAM Ofsted ratings ‘wiped clean’ in 700 schools Editor: Laura McInerney BILLY CAMDEN CONTINUED found 718 sponsored academies yet to year. Features editor: Cath Murray @BILLYCAMDEN FROM FRONT have Ofsted visits after having their past Eight of the trust’s schools were Head designer: Nicky Phillips inspection records wiped clean. rebrokered between December 2014 and The Ofsted ratings of more than 700 schools The data does not include figures for how April 2015 after government intervention. Designer: Matthew Willsone have been wiped clean after becoming an many pupils are in each of these schools. Ten academies under the E-ACT Sub editor: Jill Craven academy or rebrokering, a Schools Week But based on average school sizes, we trust were rebrokered in 2014 after Chief reporter: John Dickens analysis reveals. calculate they could be teaching more than Ofsted inspectors raised concerns over Political reporter: Freddie Whittaker There are hundreds of thousands of pupils 300,000 young people – or about 4 per performance. in these sponsored academies, many of cent of the 8.67 million pupils in England’s The Sutton Trust report ranked 48 Reporter: Billy Camden which were categorised as underperforming schools. established trusts based on the results of Reporter: Jess Staufenberg by the education watchdog before having Schools Week revealed in February that their disadvantaged pupils. It found E-ACT Junior reporter: Sam King their Ofsted grades removed. 235 academies had been handed to new was ranked ninth, an improvement of nine Photographer: Ellis O’Brien Ofsted classifies failing schools that have trusts in the past two calendar years, up places from last year. AET was ranked 15th become sponsored academies or academies from just 26 in 2014. this year, compared with 27th in 2016. Cartoonist: Stan Dupp that have been rebrokered to a different trust Academies can be rebrokered for a The report only includes trusts that have Financials: Helen Neilly as “new” – giving them a three-year respite number of reasons, but the most common two sponsored academies, and which have Victoria Boyle from further inspections. is low performance and it is deemed that operated at least three academies for at Sales executive: Wallace Williams While the respite has been welcomed for the school would perform better under a least three years. giving trusts more time to drive sustainable different trust. But academy leaders have previously Administration: Frances Ogefere Dell improvement, a rapid rise in the number Ofsted says that historical information said the three-year respite gives a new of rebrokered schools appears to be having about a school can be found on the trust time to put in place foundations for Contributors: Mehwash Kauser other consequences, says a major study by watchdog’s website under a “related improvement. Michael Pain the Sutton Trust, published last week. providers” tab. Sir Steve Lancashire, chief executive Phil Beadle Its report, Chain Effects, flags how However, when Schools Week looked of REAch2, said last year that regional Jill Berry multi-academy trusts (MATs) move up for Ofsted records for ten rebrokered schools commissioners must provide close performance league tables after their low- academies, two did not have this tab monitoring of rebrokered schools, with the Becky Allen achieving schools are rebrokered. available. transferring academy to be “at least good Marie Power The findings have prompted questions Becky Francis, the co-author of Chain by the time Ofsted inspect at the three-year over whether trusts should be given Effects, told Schools Week the government point”. substantial numbers of new schools while needed to “urgently” find ways to “monitor An Ofsted spokesperson said the some of their current academies are yet to really tightly those schools that have watchdog has the right to inspect a school Managing director: Shane Mann have an Ofsted inspection. been rebrokered to make sure they are at any time if it has concerns, regardless of And tweet us your thoughts @schoolsweek or Janet Downs, from the state school rebrokered with successful MATs”. its status. with the hashtag #schoolsweek campaign group Local Schools Network, She added regional schools A spokesperson for the Department for said she was “concerned” about MATs commissioners should be “looking very Education added: “When academies are subscribe “dumping” their failing academies. closely” at MATs that have had academies treated as new schools they must be given For an annual subscription to Schools Week for “Dropping underperforming academies or removed before handing more schools to a realistic amount of time for their new just £50 visit www.schoolsweek.co.uk and click those judged less than ‘good’ under a MAT’s them. leadership team to make the required on ‘subscribe’ at the top of the page. watch minimises damage to the MAT’s Schools Week revealed last month that improvements.” www.schoolsweek.co.uk brand. History is rewritten when references the country’s largest academy chain, They added that regional schools or call 020 8123 4778 to subscribe to earlier MATs are wiped.” Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), was commissioners will “constantly monitor Schools Week’s analysis of Ofsted monthly preparing to sponsor new schools, despite and challenge” performance in rebrokered ADVERTISE WITH US management data, published last month, two of its schools being rebrokered this academies. If you are interested in placing a product or job advert in a future edition please click on the ‘advertise’ link at the top of the page on school- Trusts take on Perry Beeches’ schools (at last) sweek.co.uk or contact: E: [email protected] T: 020 81234 778 JOHN DICKENS payments totalling £160,000 over two end up with the bill. @JOHNDICKENSSW years on top of his £120,000 salary. But the decision to rebroker all the Disclaimer Exclusive Schools Week is owned and published by Lsect Ltd. The views Nolan resigned in May last year, with schools comes after Perry Beeches’ acting expressed within the publication are those of the authors The controversial Perry Beeches academy the governing body also later standing leadership team, parachuted in by the named, and are not necessarily those of Schools Week, Lsect Ltd or any of its employees. While we try to ensure that the trust in Birmingham is finally set to be down. government, appears to be on track for a information we provide is correct, mistakes do occur and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of our material. disbanded, with its five schools handed Talks dragged on for more than a year, budget surplus this year. The design of the printed newspaper and of the website to other trusts, 15 months after financial but Schools Week understands a decision It has also overseen Perry Beeches III is copyright of Lsect Ltd and material from the newspaper should not be reproduced without prior permission. If you irregularities were first revealed. is expected in the next week with the five Free School moving to a “good” Ofsted wish to reproduce an article from either the printed paper or the website, both the article’s author and Schools Week must Schools Week understands that schools potentially handed to their new rating in February after it was put in be referenced (to not do so, would be an infringement on proposals to close the trust and rebroker sponsors from September 1. special measures in 2015. copyright). Lsect Ltd is not responsible for the content of any external its schools have finally been agreed, and Paul Wheeler, acting chief executive The trust, at the centre of one of internet sites linked to. Please address any complaints to the editor. Email are awaiting sign-off from the academies officer at Perry Beeches, said the trust highest-profile academy scandals, was [email protected] with Error/Concern in minister Lord Nash. “remains committed to our students once praised by David Cameron and the subject line. Please include the page number and story headline, and explain what the problem is. Four of the schools are set to be handed receiving the highest standard of Michael Gove. It is believed that political to the Core Education Trust, which was education and staff will be continuing to sensitives contributed to the decision Schools week is proud set up to take over two Birmingham deliver this. to close. to be a member of schools caught up in the Trojan Horse “We will be working hard with the Wheeler said that trustees, alongside affair. Ark will take on the other school. potential sponsors to ensure a smooth the area’s regional schools commissioner, The move ends a long spell of handover is achieved.” Christine Quinn, and the DfE, have uncertainty following a critical The trust’s deficit – believed to stand at “thoroughly examined all the options Learning & Skills Events, government investigation in March last more than £2 million – is thought to be available for each school”. Consultancy and Training Ltd year that found the trust had funnelled the main factor behind the delay. “We have concluded that transferring 161-165 Greenwich High Road £1.3 million to a private company without Schools Week understands the new the schools through rebrokerage will London SE10 8JA following proper procedures.