Academy chief executive, operating 19 schools in region, appointed to that region’s Headteacher Board

Future meetings of one of England’s eight regional Headteacher Boards (HTBs) seem likely to run the risk of descending into farce following the latest under-the-radar appointment to the advisory bodies, whose recommendations can be crucial to schools’ futures.

The chief executive of one of England’s larger academy trusts has been appointed onto the board operating in a region in which his own chain already controls no fewer than…wait for it… 19 schools.

In a little-noticed development – little-noticed, because, as with so much of England’s now in-private system for deciding school control, there was no official announcement* – Paul West of the Spencer Academies Trust has joined the East Midlands and the Humber headteacher board, advising the DfE’s Regional Schools Commissioner (RSCs) there, John Edwards.

The boards would appear to have a central role influencing the prospects of academy trusts operating in their regions, as they make recommendations to RSCs on which schools should join which academy trust, and even, increasingly now, on takeovers of one trust by another.

The government’s much-questioned way of dealing with any notions of possible conflicts of interest – with chains often desperate to expand, can those who lead regionally-active trusts really make recommendations entirely objectively? – is to get any board member in such a position to leave the room.