Inspectors say that almost half of pupils at secondary schools run by the Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) are in schools that are “less than good”. Ofsted warns that poorer pupils do “particularly badly” in AET schools.
In response the trust said it was disappointed that its “significant achievements” had “not been sufficiently recognised”.
The Department for Education is threatening that unless standards are raised there will be “further action”.
AET runs 67 academies across England. Such academy chains are independent but publicly funded to run schools. AET has charitable status and a financial report up to August 2014 said there was annual expenditure of £333m.
‘Mediocre’
Inspectors say that 40% of pupils in primary schools run by AET are in “academies that do not provide a good standard of education”. “It is even worse in secondary, where 47% of pupils attend academies that are less than good,” says Ofsted.
The performance of AET’s secondary schools is described as “mediocre” and there has been a lack of progress since Ofsted highlighted weaknesses in the chain’s schools two years ago.
The report says there is a particular weakness in the progress of disadvantaged pupils.
Inspectors also warned about “unacceptably low” attendance levels.
And there was criticism of “insufficient detail” about how the trust is governed. …
Ofsted cannot give a judgement on an academy chain, but inspectors can carry out multiple inspections of individual schools it runs.
East Devon Watch 