Well-connected primary academy, highlighted in government media campaign, now on its ninth headteacher in just over five years

An Ofsted-outstanding primary school, presided over by a former academies minister and Conservative peer, which featured as an exemplar to others in a government media campaign in the spring, is now on its ninth headteacher in just over five years.

Millbank Academy, part of Lord and Lady Nash’s Future Academies chain, saw yet another leader start work yesterday as David Ryan, who had been leading the trust’s teacher training arm until taking retirement over the summer, returned to the trust to take on the role, seemingly at very short notice.

This development came after the previous headteacher, Tessa Marwick, quit over half-term, less than five months after taking over from her predecessor, Kate Jefferson.

The news, which underlines Millbank’s position as the school with the highest turnover of leadership seen by this website, may raise fresh questions about both Ofsted’s inspection systems and about the government’s decision to highlight the well-connected school in newspaper articles.

The detail

As Education Uncovered reported in January, Millbank was already poised to appoint its eighth headteacher in less than five years when Jefferson was revealed as standing down. Jefferson had accepted a job at Westminster Under School, the prep school for Westminster School.