Trust, which had said it was not getting rid of local governing bodies, replaces governing bodies at two of its schools

A much-scrutinised multi-academy trust, which said earlier this month that it was “false” to say that it was getting rid of governing bodies, has now replaced two of its governing bodies.

The Norwich-based Evolution Academy Trust, which controls 12 primary schools in Norfolk and Suffolk, earlier this week removed its local governing body at Wensum Junior School in Norwich.

I also understand that governors at Nelson Infant School, Wensum’s linked infant school, also in Norwich, were verbally informed yesterday that they had been removed by the trust.  

Some 17 days ago, on May 10^th, when I put it to Evolution that I understood that the trust was “getting rid of its schools’ governing bodies,” its chief executive, Lynsey Holzer, got back to say: “The information you have received to say that we are ‘getting rid’ of Governing Bodies is false. We are fully committed as a trust to ensure that there is a Local Governance Board representing each school.”

Evolution was, though, “currently reviewing governance structures across the trust as part of an ongoing process to ensure they are effective”.