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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 9h

Looking at accounts etc of a small MAT, running three schools, which until recently operated with just three trustees. How is this possible, I wonder?

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Department for Education officials listen as psychologists tell them that English schooling suffers from “design failure” educationuncovered.co.uk/news/departm... Presentation on behalf of Association of Clinical Psychologists comes following petition with nearly 3,500 psychologists' signatures.

educationuncovered.co.uk

Education Uncovered | News| Department for Education officials listen as psychologists tell them that English schooling suffers from “design failure”

90-minute meeting with civil servants comes after nearly 3,500 psychologists sign petition and open letter calling on DfE to carry out “urgent education reform to protect children’s mental health”.

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

New: Is governing body of school, at heart of controversy over Catholic diocese’s academisation drive, constituted in line with the law? educationuncovered.co.uk/news/is-gove... St Anthony of Padua primary, in Liverpool, has only one elected parent on its governing body.

educationuncovered.co.uk

Education Uncovered | News| Is governing body of school, at heart of controversy over Catholic diocese’s academisation drive, constituted in line with the law?

St Anthony of Padua primary, in Liverpool, has only one parent governor.

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

New: England’s most indebted multi-academy trust clears out half its board-but where are the replacements? educationuncovered.co.uk/analysis/dia... Plus: England’s largest academy trust still Teaching Like a Champion. And Camden dispute enters second year. New diary column.

educationuncovered.co.uk

Education Uncovered | Diary| England’s most indebted multi-academy trust clears out half its board-but where are the replacements?

Only five board members currently registered at St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust. Plus: TLAC reference at school about to join England’s largest academy trust. And Camden strike dispute e...

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Pay increase for teachers is to be fully-funded, NEU states in press release. "In a letter to the General Secretary of the NEU, Lucy Powell outlined her proposals for funding alongside a willingness to address issues around accountability, workload and well-being," it states.

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I googled st. Google AI responded: "When an academy trust fails to follow its Articles of Association, it is breaching its own constitutional rulebook. Because academy trusts are unique entities...a failure to comply triggers severe consequences across multiple regulatory fronts.” V funny: not true.

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Interesting by J Severs below. But may miss big picture: worsening NEET indicators for UK vs rest of Europe, as highlighted in yesterday's Observer, one of host of concerning ed-related data. Status quo, as backed by the Francis review, not working. tes-magazine-daily.beehiiv.com/p/a-problema...

tes-magazine-daily.beehiiv.com

Tes Daily: A problematic amnesia for Labour

Plus the week's talking points and events diary

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

This story arguably illustrates strange world we've got to with MATs. This chain is spread from Colchester to Plymouth, just as DfE seems to want them locally-focused.Deputy was last year involved in 3 chains simultaneously (educationuncovered.co.uk/analysis/dia...) schoolsweek.co.uk/prominent-tr...

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Points in this piece, about urgency of understanding the practice of internal exclusion and factors driving increases in these figures, seem well made. www.theguardian.com/education/20...

theguardian.com

‘Internal exclusion’ of England secondary school students almost triples in three years

Exclusive: New data shows poorer pupils and those with Send are disproportionately affected by the measure

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

New: 2025-26: the year of people power in the world of multi-academy trusts educationuncovered.co.uk/analysis/202... A look back at five controversies during the last academic year.

educationuncovered.co.uk

Education Uncovered | Analysis| 2025-26: the year of people power in the world of multi-academy trusts

Will this coming academic year see more of the same?

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Interesting and, it seems to me, sensible tightening up of academy regulation via the Academy Trust Handbook, esp around CFO qualifications and central spend reporting (£174k cap for adverts without DfE approval already widely discussed): schoolsweek.co.uk/plan-now-for...

schoolsweek.co.uk

Plan now for the changes in the academy trust handbook

Procurement, senior pay and financial leadership freedoms are narrowing

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Andy Day @andypday.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Whispers of the education pendulum swinging back? If these 3 ever chose to go into teaching after graduating, the way they would manage schools would surely reflect the values they indicate here. 15 years since the MCS model gained ascendancy, how will the apostles of that school's philosophy react?

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Interesting public letter from three Oxbridge-bound former students at 2ndary run by soon-to-dissolve Athena trust, in which they highlight staff departures, curriculum choices and call for end to "zero tolerance" behaviour policies. Trust response also interesting.. cornishstuff.com/latest-news/...

cornishstuff.com

Oxbridge-bound Launceston College leavers write to the Trust - CornishStuff

Three Launceston College leavers with Oxbridge places wrote to the college and Athena Learning Trust on results day, setting out six changes they want. The trust's interim leader replied next morning,...

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Andrew Collier @andrewcollier.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Putting them in breach of their funding agreement...

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Looking again at academy and LA accounts. It is amazing, 25 years into the academies policy, that one largish trust can still be reporting nothing more specific, in its accounts, than that eight people were paid "more than £100,000" in 24-25.

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

New: Anglican academy trust broke own asbestos management plan and exposed pupils and staff to the substance, parents allege in official complaint educationuncovered.co.uk/news/anglica... Long-read investigation piece on asbestos management at Lancashire’s biggest school.

educationuncovered.co.uk

Education Uncovered | News| Anglican academy trust broke own asbestos management plan and exposed pupils and staff to the substance, parents allege in official complaint

The Bay Learning Trust is at the centre of controversy surrounding asbestos removal works at Lancashire’s biggest school.

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

"We can't just leave these kids out and hope for the best. It will cost us all in the end. We need a more inclusive approach." Steve Chalke, of the Oasis MAT, in R4 Today debate on school behaviour policies, and minority left struggling. ( www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... from 1.43)

bbc.co.uk

Today - 20/07/2026 - BBC Sounds

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Press release from NEU sees Daniel Kebede, its gen sec, criticising the government's decision to grant Oak National Academy "increased annual funding" of £22.8m for 2026-27. DK adds: "Schools simply don't rate what Oak provides. It is a narrow and uninspiring model and should be thing of past."

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

BBC South West news had piece yesterday on the demise of the super-strict Athena Learning Trust. Features Cornwall councillor reported to have taken his daughter with SEN out of one of its schs "over the school's behaviour policies, inc the use of reflection". www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis... (12:30).

bbc.co.uk

Spotlight - Evening News: 14/07/2026

The latest news, sport, weather and features from the South West of England.

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Breaking news indeed: Academy trust which has been under huge pressure over its super-strict behaviour management policies, seems to be confirming today that it is to be broken up: www.thepost.uk.com/news/controv...

thepost.uk.com

Controversial Athena Learning Trust set to dissolve amid community concerns

It comes after months in the spotlight following significant concern surrounding the trust’s approach to teaching and discipline

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Comments in this Schools Week piece on the government's new salary cap for academy trust executives, with some sector leaders critical, are pretty extraordinary: schoolsweek.co.uk/over-180-aca...

schoolsweek.co.uk

Over 180 academy bosses earn above Labour's £174,000 cap

Union boss says schools are struggling while salary 'gravy train' allows CEOs to get bumper rises

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Suspension rates for children with EHCPs are running at almost four times those for non-SEND pupils, latest DfE figs show. For PX rates, the increase in likelihood from non-SEND to EHCP is more than 4 to 1. Anyone defending/explaining this?

explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Wow: school leaders' union @ascl-uk.bsky.social states in press release: "We believe the time has come for business and executive leaders to fall within the remit of the STRB and be included in the STPCD." Time finally for a national structure for MAT executives' pay?

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Hi @arkschools.bsky.social , your exec pay disclosures don't appear to be in line with the Academy Trust Handbook. You've disclosed them without pensions payments: arkonline.org/wp-content/u... but ATH says pensions payments must be included: www.gov.uk/government/p... (point 2.29). Need to correct?

arkonline.org

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

There seems a clear problem in terms of "GAG pooling" in the academies sector, in that this puts all funds in a MAT into one big MAT pot, so you can't see school-level funding. Seems a big problem re transparency, therefore. Anyone here want to defend it?

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

MAT system we have now owes much to both Blair and Gove, I think. Under Blair (borrowing from Conservative City Tech Colleges policy), individuals could be handed control of schools, in small no of specific circs, bypassing LAs. Gove seized on model to use for entire state-funded system.

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

New: chart shows recent pay rises for England’s five most well-remunerated academy chief executives: educationuncovered.co.uk/analysis/dat... With the government reported now to be moving to cap pay at £174k, I thought I’d look at rises at top end, which provide some context.

educationuncovered.co.uk

Education Uncovered | Data| Chart: pay rises seen by England’s five most well-remunerated academy chief executives

Data going back five to 10 years shows the scale of rises, and may underline why the government has been reported finally to be intervening.

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Looks like a significant story, here, from Schools Week on academy CEO pay: Government plans NHS-style rules for academy CEO pay schoolsweek.co.uk/government-p...

schoolsweek.co.uk

Government plans NHS-style rules for academy CEO pay

'These are public funds, and executive pay must represent proper value for money'

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Harrowing BBC piece, based on File on 4 investigation, on use of isolation in schools. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Scrutiny stepping up on "no excuses" behaviour policies, it seems, following Mossbourne safeguarding review and Athena developments.

bbc.co.uk

Pupil put in isolation booth for more than half a school year, BBC learns

The pupil's experience in a Yorkshire school highlights concerns about zero-tolerance behaviour policies.

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Sue Cowley @suecowley.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

How can you not have Seamus Heaney???

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

New (open access) piece: Headteacher survey raises yet more questions for Ofsted educationuncovered.co.uk/analysis/hea... Think piece about today's "What heads really think about Ofsted" report, including highlighting a few themes in the responses.

educationuncovered.co.uk

Education Uncovered | Analysis| Headteacher survey raises yet more questions for Ofsted

Inspectorate’s modern set-up should be up for debate, alongside the wider incentives of school reform policies. Details of today’s report should also add to the pressure on Ofsted to do more to get it...

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Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

PR comes my way from TES, my employer of a long time ago and now apparently a "global tech company," re its annual awards. Have had people approach already with concerns about a couple of nominations.These things do sometimes feel like hostages to fortune. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

tes.com

Tes Schools Awards 2026 winners announced

This year’s awards, celebrating excellence and innovation across the sector, attracted a record number of nominations

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