An academy boss who resigned as CEO amid an investigation into non-payment of taxes is still employed as head of one of its biggest schools, it has emerged.

Last week, the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) said the Education for the 21st Century trust had failed to pay tax and national insurance on £145,006 of payments made to its chief executive Paul Murphy through his personal service company for his duties as CEO.

The trust runs eight schools in Kent and Bromley, including one free school, Eden Park High.

Responding to the report’s publication, the trust said it had “already appointed a new acting chief executive officer”.

However, Robert Neill, the Conservative MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, today demanded an urgent meeting with Damian Hinds after it emerged that Mr Murphy is still employed by the trust, as head of Ravensbourne School in Bromley.

Mr Neill said: “We have excellent academy schools in Bromley but we have been badly let down by the failings unveiled by the Education and Skills Funding Agency in the Education for the 21st Century trust.”

He asked education secretary to meet him to discuss the “extraordinary circumstance where the chief executive who presided and profited from these failures has been allowed to remain in post as headteacher of one of the largest schools”.

The trust told Tes that Mr Murphy was suspended as head of the school last week, pending a disciplinary hearing.

Mr Hinds said MPs that “where there are issues, where there are problems, we must act on them quickly”.

However, he added that “in the vast, vast majority of academies and multi-academy trusts this had been a great force for good in our education”.

Mr Hinds told Mr Neill he would be “very happy” to meet him.

A spokesperson for Education for the 21st Century said: “We are proud of the excellent education we deliver to over 6,000 pupils and students in our schools. All our schools have been inspected by Ofsted and have been rated Good or better.

“We accept that some of our processes and systems centrally have not kept pace with our growth and we are working closely with the regional schools commissioner’s office and the Education and Skills Funding Agency to strengthen these areas as quickly as possible.

“We have already appointed a new acting chief executive officer, and our actions will also include bringing in some new trustees to join the existing trustees, all who have excellent experience and expertise, so that our oversight and governance is as strong as the education we deliver every day.

“Paul Murphy is no longer CEO and last week was suspended as head of The Ravensbourne School pending a disciplinary hearing.”