“Crisis” for David Ross academy brings scrutiny to Conservative donor’s chain of schools
David Ross (right) in his days as Chief Operating Officer of Carphone Warhouse, in 2001. Pic: Alamy.
A major multi-academy trust with multiple Conservative Party connections is facing sustained criticism over its management of a school which has been advertising for its 10th headteacher in 12 years.
Lodge Park Academy, in Corby, Northamptonshire, is facing behind-the-scenes calls to be removed from the 35-academy David Ross Education Trust (DRET), with a recent warning from teachers that their working environment is “unsafe and chaotic”.
The 1,000-pupil secondary has been part of the trust, founded and still chaired by the Carphone Warehouse co-founder and Conservative donor David Ross, since 2013 and currently retains that position despite never having achieved a “good” rating from Ofsted.
This month, the National Education Union launched a petition calling on the trust to make a succession of changes including employing more support staff, adding that “DRET only wants to employ more and more people into leadership positions”.
The trust has argued that many of the improvements being called for by staff are already being carried out.
The detail
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By Warwick Mansell for EDUCATION UNCOVERED
Published: 26 June 2024
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