Beleaguered academy trust moves to scale down its controversial “iPads for all” scheme, while hinting at an uncertain future

Arthur Terry Learning Partnership has not denied rumours that its schools could be transferred to another chain or chains.

A multi-academy trust which saw its entire strategic leadership stand down last term amid huge controversy over its finances has announced a raft of changes, including a scaling-back of a super-contentious scheme in which all pupils and more than 1,000 staff have been provided with their own iPads.

The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), based in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, also announced what appeared to be a reduction in its huge central topslice and yet another financial bail-out from the Department for Education – but also hinted at uncertainty over its longer-term future.

The iPad scheme is to be cut in half, with more than 5,000 devices which had been available to pupils via a lease scheme to be returned, the trust has announced. Meanwhile, it said “a number of options” for the future of its schools were being discussed with the DfE.