Contested academisation of two Sussex schools shines light on private control of taxpayer-funded institutions

A federation of two local authority schools is poised to academise and join an organisation which is ultimately controlled by a for-profit private company operating in the United States, despite a fierce campaign in opposition by parents and its council.

In what seems the clearest case of looming privatisation to come this website’s way in recent years, governors at the West Hove Infant School and Hove Junior School, in Brighton and Hove, have proposed that they join the seven-school Aurora Academies Trust (AAT).

What appears not to being made as fully clear as it could be to the community, however, is that the academy trust is ultimately completely in the control of the American firm Pansophic Learning, an education company whose operations including the running of for-profit charter schools in the US.

How the academy trust’s control structure works

AAT’s website states that three “representatives” of Pansophic Learning currently sit on the academy trust’s board of trustees, including Martha Burnige, its chair, and Ron Packard, its vice-chair.

But what is not spelt out, either on AAT’s website or in a question and answer document provided for parents by the federation running the two local authority maintained schools, is that Pansophic Learning effectively enjoys complete control of the academy trust, through the ability to appoint the majority of trustees on AAT’s board.