The government tried to hide the fact that “quick growth and capacity” had become an “issue” at an academy trust where a schools minister had encouraged rapid expansion only two years previously, Tes can reveal.
The case is one of a series of revelations about the secret inner workings of the academies programme that the Department for Education was only persuaded to disclose after an intervention by the Information Commissioner.
Yesterday, Tes revealed that the DfE had tried to hide the fact that an academy trust it wanted to take over a primary school had been under investigation for payments to its directors.
The revelations have led to renewed concerns about transparency surrounding the operation of the eight headteacher boards that make critical decisions about schools across the country.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT heads’ union, told Tes: “NAHT has been concerned about the transparency of headteacher boards for some time. Like all public bodies, their work should be open and transparent, and open to the appropriate level of scrutiny.”
The case emerged through previously censored papers from the 22 October 2015 meeting of the headteacher board (HTB) for the East of England and North-East London.
They show details of proposals for the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust (Demat) to sponsor St Christopher’s Primary in Red Lodge, Suffolk.
A section entitled “issues” was covered up when the document was first released last year. But it reveals that Demat’s “rapid expansion was encouraged by Lord Nash and Theodore Agnew at a meeting in 2013”.
The document then identifies the trust’s “quick growth and capacity” as an “issue” when deciding whether it should take on another school.
Lord Nash became a schools minister in January 2013, and Sir Theodore was then chair of the DfE’s academies board.
Tes has learned that Demat then expanded from two to 13 schools within the space of a year - between the end of 2013 and the end of 2014. In 2015 - the year of the HTB meeting - the trust took on just five new schools.
But the DfE originally sought to hide Lord Nash’s role in that expansion from the HTB papers.
Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, said: “It seems to be that they are just covering their backs. In the case of the Lord Nash one, it seems pretty clear that he spoke out of turn and it would have caused a political ruckus if it came out.”
Asked about Demat’s rate of expansion, Peter Maxwell, chair of trust’s board, said: “Clearly, because a lot of schools we take on require improvement or special measures, we are conscious that we have to be able to turn those schools around in a relatively short period of time.
“This is a major challenge for us, but it is a challenge we take on because we hope and think we can improve the life chances of the children in those schools.”
He added that he did not think the trust initially grew too quickly.
The HTB document expressed confidence in Demat’s expansion plans, but said the trust’s capacity to sponsor more schools would be reviewed after it had taken on schools already in the “pipeline”.
The Department for Education declined to comment specifically on why Lord Nash’s comments were originally blacked out from the headteacher board papers.
A spokesperson said: “Where information is withheld under the Freedom of Information Act, an explanation of the exemption cited is provided. Following an appeal, this case was reviewed and the sensitivity of the information in scope was reassessed.”
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