Academy orders issued to schools in Hallam Diocese ‘unlawfully’, say education unions

Trying to force through mass changes to academy status is not only wrong-headed, it’s a complete distraction.

Academy chain failing to protect staff and pupils, say unions

UNISON and GMB make formal complaint about David Ross Education Trust to Health and Safety Executive

Victory for staff as academy chain drops plans to axe jobs

Up to 130 school staff across England would have been affected

Academy chain’s plan to axe staff could risk school safety

UNISON urges Ormiston to pause process for full consultation

UK’s biggest academy chain faces vote of no confidence from staff

Education unions representing staff at Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) – the largest academy chain in the UK – are today (Wednesday) launching a ballot asking if employees have confidence in the trust’s leadership. The move comes after AET failed to listen to staff concerns over proposed cutbacks and restructuring. The changes will put the wellbeing […]

Education unions warn academy trusts over cuts

The UK’s largest academy chain faces a potential dispute with seven education unions over job cuts, low wages and outsourcing.

Academy workers face jobs threat

UNISON is organising meetings and support after Cheshire academy chain announced 43 redundancies at seven schools across the county

Joint campaign secures protections for school workers

Support workers, teaching staff and leadership unions unite in campaign over threat of redundancies

UK’s largest academy trust’s caretaker cuts pose serious risk to pupils, say unions

Some schools face losing 50% of caretaking staff under an academy chain’s ‘controversial’ plans released today (Tuesday). Education unions have issued a warning over plans by London-based Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) to slash £1.4 million from its schools’ estates budgets. Under the plan AET is proposing to cut the number of buildings and estates staff in […]

Yorkshire and East Midlands academy job cuts mean more pressure on classroom staff, unions warn

An academy chain with schools in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside has announced today (Thursday) that as many as 40 support staff could face redundancy over plans to cut budgets. The David Ross Education Trust launched a consultation exercise earlier today over proposals to cut nearly £1m in funding from its 32 primary […]

UNISON calls for council oversight of academy school finances

Friday 26 August 2016 For immediate release Responding to the Local Government Association call for councils to have oversight of academy school finances, UNISON national secretary for education Jon Richards said: “UNISON has raised cases of suspected financial irregularity with the Department for Education, Education Funding Agency and the National Audit Office, all of which […]

Academy chiefs helping themselves?

Leaders of academy schools are spending taxpayers’ money

Education dominates local government conference on final afternoon

Debates see delegates back a range of measures on pay, academies, funding and much more

UNISON welcomes government’s academies climbdown

Commenting on the news today (Friday) that the government has abandoned its plans to force all maintained schools still linked to local authorities to become academies, UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “It’s reassuring that ministers have listened to the many arguments put to them and decided against pursing their ill-thought-out plans to force […]

Academy chain job cuts are a lesson in how not to manage schools, says UNISON

Commenting on the decision today (Thursday) by the Academies Transformation Trust (ATT) to announce jobs cuts and a major restructuring across its secondary and primary schools in the East and West Midlands, and the East of England, UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “This decision has come as a bolt from the blue, and […]