Wakefield City Academies Trust

Wakefield City Academies Trust (WCAT) was a multi-academy trust (MAT) that managed 21 schools (14 primary and 7 secondary) across West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and the East Riding of Yorkshire.[1][2] As an academy trust, it was an exempt charity regulated by the Department for Education (DfE).[3]

Wakefield City Academies Trust
Founded2010 (2010)
TypeAcademy Trust
FocusEducation
Location
Key people
Chris Pickering, CEO
Websitewcatrust.org

In September 2017, WCAT announced it would cease operation and dissolve once new sponsor organisations have been found for its schools.[4]

Schools

Primary

The trust operated 14 primary schools across South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.[1][2]

  • Barkerend Academy, Bradford
  • Bell Lane Academy, Pontefract
  • Brookfield Primary Academy, Mexborough
  • Carr Lodge Academy, Doncaster
  • Havercroft Academy, Wakefield
  • Heathview Academy, Wakefield
  • High Crags Academy, Shipley
  • Kinsley Academy, Pontefract
  • Montagu Academy, Mexborough
  • Morley Place Academy, Doncaster
  • Thornbury Academy, Bradford
  • Waverley Academy, Doncaster
  • West End Academy, Pontefract
  • Willow Academy, Doncaster

Secondary

The trust operated seven secondary schools across East Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.[1][2]

Create Studio, a 14–19 studio school in Goole, was managed by WCAT prior to its closure in August 2015.[1][5]

History

Wakefield City Academies Trust was founded in late 2010, with its first school, Wakefield City Academy, joining the trust in January 2011.[1]

Alan Yellup, CEO of the trust, was awarded an OBE for services to Education in the Queen's 2014 Birthday Honours.[6]

In July 2015 WCAT became the third academy trust to receive a focused inspection by Ofsted. The trust was praised, with the report finding it to be "making a positive difference" to pupils.[7][8]

In November 2015, WCAT was one of 5 "top performing" academy trusts to receive a share of £5m government grant funding to improve schools in the north of England.[9][10]

During autumn 2016 the trust was criticised for its financial practices. In October it was reported the trust had made payments of £440,000 to companies owned by its interim CEO, Mike Ramsey and his daughter. In November, a report by the DfE's Education Funding Agency of findings from an investigation into WCAT was leaked. It revealed "extreme concern" in response to Ramsey being paid £82,000 for 15 weeks' work, and in total found 16 breaches of official guidance.[11][12][13]

Request to stop operating

In September 2017, the Wakefield City Academies Trust requested to stop operating all of its 21 schools, because it could not make the "rapid improvement our academies need and our students deserve". Five of its schools had been rated inadequate by Ofsted.[4] The Department for Education agreed to the transfer of all WCAT schools to new sponsor organisations, with the trust continuing to operate during the "re-brokering" process. The announcement prompted a call from local MP Yvette Cooper for a review of accountability in multi-academy trusts, and public petition that the schools be returned to local authority control.[4][14]

In October 2017, records were released indicating that plans to transfer schools away from WCAT had existed since December 2016. At that time it was planned for the rebrokering of 10 schools to other academy trusts, leaving WCAT "with a viable, manageable and sustainable MAT".[15]

The Department for Education announced details of which academy trusts were its "preferred sponsors" for the WCAT schools in October 2017, and began a period of consultation with interested parties.[16]

Transfer of assets

In October 2017, Wakefield City Academies Trust stood accused of "asset stripping" when it was reported to have transferred funds away from the schools it managed, including hundreds of thousands of pounds raised for the schools by volunteers.[17][18][13] Wakefield City Academy could lose up to £800,000 of its reserves. Hemsworth Arts and Community Academy, a mixed secondary school in Wakefield, could lose £436,000 of its reserves. Heath View primary school, Wakefield, could lose £300,000. High Crags Academy primary school in Shipley was put into special measures by Ofsted and instructed to join WCAT by the DfE in April 2016. They will lose their surplus of £178,000.[18]

In December 2017, West Yorkshire Police confirmed they were looking at the conduct of WCAT after being passed information by Wakefield Council.[19][20] The investigation came to an end in April 2018, the police concluding in a statement that "no crimes have been recorded."[21]

New sponsors

The Department for Education confirmed the new sponsors for the majority of WCAT schools during January 2018,[22][23] and the sponsor for Balby Carr Community Academy at the end of March 2018.[24][25] After the consultation period, it was decided that Kinsley Academy and West End Academy, two primary schools previously earmarked for transfer Outwood Grange Academies Trust, would instead join Waterton Academy Trust, decisions that "reflect the views of parents and staff".[23]

Mexborough Academy joined the DfE's preferred sponsor, Delta Academies Trust, in November 2018. The transfer had been delayed due to concern over high costs relating to the school's Private finance initiative contract.[26][27]

New sponsorSchool
Outwood Grange Academies TrustBell Lane Academy
Havercroft Academy
Heath View Academy
Hemsworth Academy
The Freeston Academy
Wakefield City Academy
Delta Academies TrustMorley Place Academy
Goole High School
Mexborough Academy
Montagu Academy
Tauheedul Education TrustBarkerend Academy
High Crags Primary School
Thornbury Academy
Astrea Academy TrustWaverley Academy
Balby Carr Community Academy
Waterton Academy TrustKinsley Academy
West End Academy
Aston Community Education TrustBrookfield Primary Academy
Brigantia Learning TrustYewlands Academy
Inspiring Futures Academy TrustWillow Academy
Exceed Learning PartnershipCarr Lodge Academy

Winding up

WCAT ended its 2018 financial year with a cash balance in excess of £2m. The trust said it expected to still have reserves when wound up and stated that any surplus would be used for the benefit of students.[28] Its February 2019 accounts stated a cash balance of over £1m. In June 2019, WCAT confirmed it had returned an undisclosed sum to the Department for Education. Mary Creagh, MP for Wakefield, called for the funds to be returned to "the schools who were so badly affected by the trust's collapse".[29]

In October 2019, WCAT entered into liquidation and ceased operation. The remaining funds were sufficient to cover outstanding liabilities, but not for any money to be returned to the trust's former schools.[30]

References
  1. "Wakefield City Academies Trust". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Department for Education. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  2. "Wakefield City Academies Trust pulls out of 21 schools". BBC News. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  3. "Regulation of schools and academies with exempt charity status". gov.uk. Department for Education. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  4. "Failing academy trust to pull out of 21 schools". The Guardian. Press Association. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  5. "Create Studio". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Department for Education. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  6. "Queen's birthday honours list 2014: OBE". the Guardian. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  7. Scott, Sophie (10 July 2015). "Wakefield academy trust praised in Ofsted's third focused inspection report". Schools Week. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  8. "Focused inspection of Wakefield City Academy Trust". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  9. Dickens, John (2 November 2015). "What do we know about the five academy chains set for £5m windfall to improve northern schools?". Schools Week. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  10. Dickens, John (28 April 2017). "The trusts given cash under £10m northern powerhouse pot". Schools Week. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  11. Pells, Rachael (5 November 2016). "'Extreme concern' over academy trust that paid CEO £82k just three months". The Independent. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  12. Busby, Eleanor (3 November 2016). "Exclusive: 'Extreme' DfE concern over academy trust that paid CEO £82K for 15 weeks' work". Tes. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  13. Sodha, Sonia (22 July 2018). "The great academy schools scandal". The Observer. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  14. Ward, Helen (12 September 2017). "Petition calls for Wakefield City Academies Trust schools to return to councils". Tes. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  15. Robertson, Alix (10 October 2017). "RSC pushed to rebroker WCAT schools NINE months before official announcements". Schools Week. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  16. "New sponsors for WCAT schools revealed". Schools Week. 10 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  17. Perraudin, Frances (21 October 2017). "Collapsing academy trust 'asset-stripped its schools of millions'". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  18. Perraudin, Frances (24 October 2017). "Labour urges ministers to 'come clean' over collapsed academy trust". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  19. Perraudin, Frances (6 December 2017). "Police investigate multi-academy trust accused of asset stripping". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  20. Hazell, Will (4 December 2017). "Police 'looking at' Wakefield City Academies Trust". Tes. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  21. "Collapsed academy police probe closed". BBC News. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  22. Staufenberg, Jess (11 January 2018). "Sponsors confirmed for 11 WCAT schools". Schools Week. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  23. Hazell, Will (30 January 2018). "Outwood Grange confirmed as sponsor of six schools from failed Wakefield City Academies Trust". Tes. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  24. Edwards, John (29 March 2018). "Dear parents and carers" (pdf). Department for Education. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  25. Jackson, Sam (3 April 2018). "New trust takes over at Doncaster secondary school following shock withdrawal of sponsor". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  26. Kessen, David (2 March 2018). "Cost of PFI at Doncaster school hindering efforts to find new trust". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  27. Kessen, David (20 November 2018). "Delta Academies Trust completes takeover of Mexborough School". www.thestar.co.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  28. Roberts, John (31 January 2019). "Doomed WCAT chain finished year with £2m". Tes. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  29. Whittaker, Freddie (12 June 2019). "Give WCAT's leftover cash to schools it left behind, says MP". Schools Week. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  30. Perraudin, Frances (18 November 2019). "Yorkshire schools will not get back millions lost in trust's collapse". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 November 2019.

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