Bright Tribe Trust: Academy group give up running six schools

An academy trust accused of misusing government funds is to give up running six schools.

Bright Tribe Trust trustees have voted to find new sponsors for four Suffolk schools, Colchester Academy in Essex and Werneth Primary School in Oldham.

It comes after allegations the multi-academy trust had received public money for building and safety work which had not been completed.

The trust's founder has denied work was not carried out to required standards.

New sponsors will be sought by the Regional Schools Commissioners and Department for Education for all the trust's institutions, which also include Ipswich schools Castle Hill Infant School, Castle Hill Junior School and Cliff Lane Primary School and Alde Valley Academy in Leiston.

The trust had already announced plans to walk away from four schools in the north of England.

Angela Barry, interim chief executive officer of Bright Tribe Trust, said: "It is absolutely right that Bright Tribe's academies are able to start afresh.

"This will be a new chapter for each of them, under strong and well-run new academy trusts.

"It is a very positive step that will provide long-term stability and ensure pupils get the first-class education they deserve."

Bright Tribe Trust has been accused of claiming public cash for building projects which have then been done at a lower cost, including work repairing walls at Colchester Academy.

Following a BBC Panorama investigation into allegations £255,000 of government funding for fire safety work had not been used correctly, a fire safety audit was carried out by Essex Fire Service at the Colchester school on Thursday which found standards were "satisfactory".

Bright Tribe was founded by businessman Michael Dwan, who strongly denies the allegations that money obtained to carry out fire safety work was used for anything other than that work, and says it was completed to the necessary standard.