Redacted email shows financial “shortfall” facing school as it joined a multi-academy trust

A school’s governing body has backed down in a protracted freedom of information battle with local people, finally releasing the full contents of an email which appears to suggest it faced a financial “shortfall” as a result of joining an academy chain.

Governors at Ghost Hill infant and nursery school, in Taverham, Norfolk, had blocked the release of full details of the email. This had been sent from a senior figure within the Sapientia Education Trust, which was lined up to take over the school, to its headteacher.

The governors initially said full release of the information was exempt from freedom of information legislation, because to put all the details in the public domain would “prejudice the commercial interests” of the Sapientia Trust.

However, parent Tom Mitchell, acting on behalf of a group of other parents and local people, went to the Information Commissioner’s office (ICO) to challenge the decision, arguing that detail on the implications for public funds should be in the public domain.

The ICO contacted the school and, on August 6^th, then wrote to Mitchell to inform him that governors had “reconsidered” their position, and would release the full email.