Ark Schools: paying our cleaners the London Living Wage would harm our students

Ark Schools, the major academy trust set up by hedge fund executives, has said it cannot currently afford to pay its cleaners the London Living Wage, suggesting that to do so would damage the education of its pupils.

A statement sent by the 37-school chain, most of whose academies are in the capital, implies that there is a trade-off between cash spent on its support staff and that allocated for its pupils’ education, with its wealthy trustees and benefactors currently unable to help out on the former front through donations.

The response came after Education Uncovered reported that cleaners at Ark Globe Academy in Southwark, south London, have only been receiving statutory sick pay of less than £20 for their work – which their union says stands to put lives at risk during Covid-19 – and the UK-wide minimum wage of £8.72 an hour.

These terms and conditions had come via an outsourced cleaning company which is employing the workers, called Ridge Crest. All the cleaners are from black and minority ethnic and/or immigrant backgrounds.

Ark’s statement comes despite Ark Schools’ latest accounts showing that Ark Globe Academy had reserves of nearly £1 million in 2018-19, while its central headquarters function reported £6.6m reserves.