The Education and Skills Funding Agency has committed to keep publishing investigations into academy trusts, despite the policy being reviewed as several reports gather dust. The government last published an academy trust investigation in November last year. But a freedom of information request to the Department for Education shows 11 trusts are 鈥渟ubject to ongoing investigation activity by the ESFA鈥. Major investigations into three scandal-hit academy chains 鈥 Bright Tribe, Lilac Sky and SchoolsCompany that were stripped of their schools between 2016 and 2019 鈥 still haven鈥檛 been published. It has now emerged the government has withdrawn its academy trust publication policy, pending a review. The most recent copy of the publishing policy said the government made a commitment to the to release “investigation reports into academy trusts within two months of completing its work鈥. It will aim to publish the documents 鈥渁s soon as possible鈥 following their completion, with officials 鈥渢aking account of any representations made by the institution or individuals鈥. Trusts and identifiable individuals who are criticised in the report, but who have moved on, are given 鈥10 working days鈥 notice of the publication date鈥. ‘Important accountability mechanism’ Dame Meg Hillier, the chair of the PAC, said she would read 鈥渢he ESFA鈥檚 updated investigation policy with great interest鈥, given the promises previously made. When asked at what stage each of the ongoing 11 investigations was at, the ESFA said in the FOI that the cases were listed as 鈥渓ive until such point as they are closed鈥. Hillier There was 鈥渘o formal classification of investigation stage鈥. It also noted that it was 鈥渧ery difficult to predict when reports will be published when investigations are ongoing鈥. Officials stressed no documents 鈥渁re published until all investigation, enforcement, and regulatory actions have been completed鈥. Education professor Anne West of the London School of Economics described the reports as a 鈥渃rucially important accountability mechanism鈥. 鈥淲ithout such reports there is a real risk that there will be no lessons learned with more taxpayers鈥 money being lost.鈥 Staff rehired after severance payments Schools Week previously revealed Bright Tribe, Lilac Sky and SchoolsCompany all faced a review over payments to companies linked to them or their founders. The cases fuelled wider controversy over academisation. Bright Tribe allegedly claimed hundreds of thousands of pounds for incomplete works, while Schools Week revealed claims of safeguarding breaches and unsafe premises at SchoolsCompany sites. Problems at Lilac Sky 鈥 which shut in 2017 鈥 included staff being rehired the day after receiving large severance payments. Accounts, published in the summer, for SchoolsCompany stated that the trust鈥檚 鈥渋ntention鈥 was for it to be wound up 鈥渁s soon as this becomes feasible鈥, but 鈥渢his is pending while鈥it] attempts to recover public funds鈥. Former trustees are being pursued through the high court in an attempt to recover up to 拢2.8 million of 鈥渓ost public funds鈥. Papers for Bright Tribe said it 鈥渋s in the process of finalising outstanding matters in relation to the previous operation of the trust before closing the trust down鈥. In its notice online, the ESFA said it would update its investigation policy shortly. Patchy council transparency However, councils are also patchy on transparency. For instance, Lambeth Council in south London has refused to publish its investigation into former superhead Sir Craig Tunstall, first launched in 2017. Councils now have to publish more financial information about their schools after Lord Agnew, the former academies minister, moved to bring them more in line with requirements on academies. The DfE said the review would not consider changing the publication policy. Instead it will make the policy “more transparent and up to date”. The new policy could be published next week. However it did not 鈥渃omment on ongoing investigations鈥, but stressed that 鈥渆ach case is dealt with robustly and as swiftly as possible, although the length of each鈥an vary鈥 depending on its complexity. The department also insisted current policy applied until it was updated.
Harold Davids 27 November 2023 Looks like ESFA changed their minds. Policy no longer marked as ‘withdrawn’ and no indication that the page has been updates.