Local MP calls for “clean slate” at beleaguered academy trust

A crisis-hit academy trust is seeing its board of trustees revamped following strong criticism by the Department for Education –but critics are questioning whether there has been sufficient accountability for recent events.

The Education for the 21^st Century trust (E21C), based in Bromley, south London, has seen eight directors step down this year, with four incoming trustees and a new trust member appointed in the past fortnight, after the chain was hit with a “financial notice to improve” by the DfE last month.

This came following a government investigation which had focused specifically on the payment of £145,000 to a company owned by the then-chief executive, Paul Murphy, for which the investigation report stated had not seen tax and national insurance contributions deducted by the trust.   

The local MP, Bob Neill, stated a week ago, however, (see below) that there remained “serious” concerns about recent goings-on at the trust, adding that a “clean slate” was needed at E21C.

The incoming directors have been appointed by the government’s regional schools commissioner for the area. The trust has also told Education Uncovered that Dr Calvin Pike, an experienced consultant who has worked with multi academy trusts and whose “expertise is known to the ESFA [Education and Skills Funding Agency] has been contracted to work as a “consultant education officer” for the seven-school chain.