Hanson Academy towers over neighbouring houses in north Bradford, its imposing white-and-orange building dominating the skyline. The troubled secondary school also looms large in recent educational history 鈥 an 鈥渙rphan鈥 school left waiting longer than any other for a turnaround academy sponsor. But last year 鈥 11 years after first being rated 鈥榠nadequate鈥 and getting an academy order 鈥 it finally converted. The school is now part of Delta Academies Trust, whose name is proudly printed on the big sign at the school gate where new leaders welcome pupils in new blazers. Trust chiefs say they are now rapidly transforming its teaching, finances and culture. Yet for many pupils it is too late – and questions persist over why it took so long to find a sponsor. The school whose long wait shamed ministers Hanson Academy principal Dave Hewitt Former education secretary Nicky Morgan once said of the government鈥檚 flagship academy policy that 鈥渁 day spent in a failing school is a day too long when their education is at stake鈥. Since its 2011 鈥榠nadequate鈥 Ofsted, seven cohorts of 11-year-olds had started and finished at Hanson Grammar by the time its academy conversion was completed last July. A rough estimate is that equates to 1,500 pupils. Three trusts provided temporary support, but then backed out. Delta鈥檚 predecessor, Schools Partnership Trust Academies (SPTA), left in 2015, Wakefield City Academies Trust (WCAT) in 2017 and the GORSE Academies Trust (TGAT) in 2019. Staff were left 鈥渨eary and wary,鈥 according to one ex-teacher, with 鈥渨onderful ideas that never seemed to come to fruition鈥. By the time of its third 鈥榠nadequate鈥 in 2020, the then-Hanson School had been in special measures for six of the previous ten years and was on its fifth headteacher. Revelations about its spiralling, multi-million pound deficit became a . It symbolised academisation鈥檚 failures. But the attention had one silver lining. 鈥淚 was watching (schools minister) Nick Gibb getting grilled by a select committee, saying 鈥榳hat are you doing about this Hanson School鈥?鈥 said Paul Tarn, Delta鈥檚 chief executive. 鈥淚 said 鈥 we鈥檒l sort it out.鈥 Delta takes over after sports site breakthrough Delta CEO Paul Tarn But his proposal, in 2020, took 鈥渁 while to get off the ground鈥 and the trust took over last July after Bradford council achieved a key breakthrough. 鈥淭hey did a great thing 鈥 they bought out the attached sports centre,鈥 Tarn said. Bradford spent a reported 拢1.3 million to end a decade-old contract that 鈥渟ignificantly鈥 hampered Hanson鈥檚 finances through 鈥渃ostly鈥 annual charges, according to the council. 鈥淯ntil that was sorted, no chain would touch Hanson with a bargepole,鈥 said Mike Pollard, a councillor and finance spokesperson for the opposition Conservative party. He understood why the Labour council did not 鈥渂ite the bullet鈥 earlier, saying the 鈥渉orrible鈥 costs involved made the purchase a brave decision. But he said Hanson 鈥済ot into problems originally by signing contracts without the expertise to handle it to their advantage鈥. Vicky Beer, the Department for Education’s regional director and responsible for finding Hanson a sponsor from 2015, has also blamed the 鈥減rivate gym contract鈥. But Imran Khan, Bradford鈥檚 cabinet member for education, said in a statement that the 鈥渒ey stumbling block鈥 was the DfE鈥檚 鈥渋nability 鈥 to reach agreement on liabilities the school entered into鈥. The council and DfE declined interview requests. PFI woes or trust ‘cherry-picking’ Hanson is also a private finance initiative (PFI) school, which Beer described as 鈥渞eally challenging鈥. Private companies build and maintain sites in exchange for mortgage-style payments under such deals. They are 鈥渘otoriously complex and expensive鈥, according to Ian Denison, director of PFI consultancy Inscyte. Constrictions on site use and high costs limit leaders鈥 capacity to transform struggling schools 鈥 even if pupil numbers fall, Denison noted. Some trusts shun PFI schools altogether. Chris Young, a journalist at Bradford鈥檚 Telegraph & Argus who has covered the story, said local people were 鈥渢old that being an academy was a silver bullet, whereas it was almost a perfect example of how it doesn鈥檛 always work鈥. Howard Stephenson, a professor of education at the University of Nottingham, has said unwanted schools are in fact a 鈥減redictable鈥 result of a competitive trust system, as 鈥渕arkets encourage cherry-picking鈥. Tarn said he could not speak for SPTA before he joined, while WCAT has since collapsed and a TGAT spokesperson said it only ever planned to stabilise rather than convert Hanson. Staff cuts ‘save 拢1.4 million‘ Tarn said the sports centre and PFI mattered – but the former was an 鈥渆asy鈥 thing to blame and the latter 鈥渕anageable鈥. Hesaid the school鈥檚 deficit was crucial 鈥 and mainly reflected another issue. 鈥淚t鈥檚 over-staffed, and staff aren鈥檛 in the right places.” His first priority was slashing its deficit by restructuring and not backfilling staff 鈥 predicting it would otherwise have reached 拢2.9 million by 2026, despite Bradford council already covering the historic 拢6.3 million deficit. He said 18 teachers left last year, with no compulsory redundancies. Teams were now 鈥渇it for purpose鈥, saving about 拢1.4 million. Trust-wide curriculum resources and innovative marking policies 鈥渞eally free up teachers鈥, limiting workload, he added. Even Tom Bright, district secretary of the local National Education Union, said while some staff 鈥渨eren鈥檛 happy鈥 with restructuring, 鈥測ou can鈥檛 make an omelette without breaking eggs鈥. Tarn highlighted spending too, calling Hanson 鈥渘ot a cheap project鈥 鈥 including 拢100,000 on books, 拢130,000 on uniforms and 拢1 million on IT, from digital whiteboards to replacing decade-old laptops. Paul Tarn with reporter Tom Belger ‘You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs’ Hanson鈥檚 unappealing finances were exacerbated by unfilled places. 鈥淚t became an under-subscribed 鈥榮ink school鈥, said Bright. An ex-teacher claimed 35 colleagues left in one year. Ofsted highlighted poor attendance and behaviour in its 2020 report, much as it had in 2010. 鈥淲hen we came in, no one could teach 鈥 pupils were running around,鈥 said principal Dave Hewitt. 鈥淲e counted 140 kids in the corridors.鈥 Andy Barnett, Delta鈥檚 executive principal, said improving learning rested on first setting new 鈥渟tandards and routines鈥 鈥 from clampdowns on uniforms and littering to continually praising positive behaviour and sending pupils to trust-wide poetry and science events. Tarn called it 鈥渃arrot and stick鈥, adding that every pupil鈥檚 progress was now tracked and reviewed to target support. Home visits over absence have been ramped up, with 1,500 reported since September. 鈥楽ome parents will take time to adjust鈥 Corridors were quiet and largely empty during lessons when Schools Week visited. Hewitt said mock results and attendance had improved. Delta executive principal Andy Barnett Barnett added: 鈥淭he caretakers can鈥檛 believe how little litter there is. Dinner ladies can鈥檛 believe how respectful kids are. Staff appreciate our CPD, and they鈥檙e buying into what we鈥檙e doing.鈥 Four parents interviewed outside also applauded 鈥渟tricter鈥 rules, the praise notes sent home and improving grades. Of the few who used social media to criticise the changes, Hewitt said: 鈥淚nevitably some parents take time to adjust.鈥 The caretakers can鈥檛 believe how little litter there is. And change takes time, too. A fifth of current year 11s are still absent. Tarn said many 鈥済host children鈥 had been kept on roll despite never attending, adding: 鈥淚t鈥檚 unreasonable to have staff chasing children no longer in the city.鈥 Providing for 80 pupils admitted in-year since September is also a challenge, with Tarn accusing other schools of 鈥減retending鈥 they are are full. Fixing SNOWs across the country New books in Hanson Academys library Ministers have highlighted progress finding sponsors for other unwanted schools, with two 鈥turnaround鈥 trusts set up. But some still face long waits.聽 The conversion of London鈥檚 JFS school was shelved this week, with PFI blamed once again. Tarn said expanding trusts should be given schools in more attractive 鈥減ackages鈥, but also be forced to sponsor more challenging schools. He added: “The government needs to challenge trusts, rather than letting them go after plump middle-class schools.”
Arthur F. Brown 30 May 2023 I was a pupil at Hanson Boys’ Grammar School in the 1940s. Great school and resulted in my going to Leeds University, becoming a teacher myself and latterly a Headmaster. I look back to my time at Hanson with great affection. I am still in touch with at least one friend evan though we are not in our 90s!