E-ACT

E-ACT is a multi-academy trust responsible for 28 academies in England.^[5] Over 93% are now rated as “Good” or better by Ofsted.

E-ACT

Formation	6 March 2008; 16 years ago (2008-03-06)^[1]
Type	Multi-academy trust
Headquarters	The Orangery
Location	28 Headlands Kettering NN15 7HP
Services	Education
Chair of trustees	Jim Knight^[2]
CEO	Tom Campbell ^[2]
Staff	2,500^[3]
Website	www.e-act.org.uk
Formerly called	Edutrust Academies Charitable Trust (2008–2010)^[1] Edutrust Academies Trust (Mar–May 2008)^[1]

As an academy trust, it is an exempt charity regulated by the Department for Education.^[6]

Recent Success

In August 2019, David Moran stepped down as CEO. When he joined the organisation in 2013, 17% of E-ACT’s academies were rated good or outstanding by Ofsted. By the time of his departure, that figure was over 70%.^[7] E-ACT's Board of Trustees announced Deputy CEO Jane Millward as David’s successor.^[8]

The trust continued to improve during her tenure. After 3 years in the role Milward stepped down as CEO at the end of 2022, and was replaced by Tom Campbell, previously Education Director at Greenwood Academies Trust, in January 2023.

As of August 2023, the percentage of academies rated either Good or Outstanding by Ofsted stands at 93%, with 100% rated as either Good or Outstanding for leadership and management.

Under the leadership of Campbell the trust has refreshed it's 'Opening Minds, Opening Doors' strategy that focuses on ensuring that coming from a disadvantaged background does not determine your future, by creating the conditions where children, young people and staff can thrive.

In June 2023 E-ACT was awarded MAT of the Year at the MAT Excellence Awards.^[9]

In March 2023, it was announced that E-ACT Blackley Academy has been nominated for the Community Engagement Award and E-ACT Nechells Academy for EYFS Setting of the Year.^[10]

In November 2022, E-ACT Bourne End Academy was recognised as the top secondary comprehensive school in Buckinghamshire,^[11] according to performance data from the Department for Education. The academy was rated as Good with Outstanding for effectiveness of its leadership and management by Ofsted, and is currently oversubscribed.

In 2022,  E-ACT Nechells Academy was shortlisted for the Community Engagement Initiative category, and in 2021, Emma Smythe at E-ACT Parkwood Academy was nominated for Classroom Support Assistant of the Year and E-ACT Nechells Academy for the Wellbeing and Mental Health Award.

In 2020, E-ACT Heartlands Academy was named both Secondary School of the Year and Overall School of the Year at the awards. ^[12]

E-ACT has often led the way in the sector on mental health provision; in 2017, the trust introduced a mental health first aid programme, aiming to train every member of staff to understand and recognise the early warning signs of mental health problems in pupils, and also announced plans to pioneer a pupil-led mental health curriculum in all its schools. By 2020, more than 1,000 E-ACT staff were trained in youth and adult mental health first aid.

History

Until 2009 the Chief Executive of the Trust was Ian Comfort, who left his post alleging whistleblowing concerns, whilst the trust claimed "poor performance" issues.^[13] In March 2013 an audit by the UK Department for Education concluded that "boundaries between E-ACT and its subsidiary, E-ACT Enterprises Ltd (EEL) are blurred" (page 3), "activities undertaken by the subsidiary have been paid for with public funds and so appear irregular" (page 3), and "there has been a flow of public monies into EEL that cannot be said to directly benefit teaching and learning in E-ACT academies" (pages 12–13).^[14]

A 2011 Guardian article reported that in 2010 its director-general Sir Bruce Liddington had a salary package of £280,017.^[15] Sir Bruce Liddington resigned in 2013 after E-ACT received an official warning from the government regarding "financial mismanagement".^[16] The investigation report into E-ACT found that internal financial controls were weak, there was a culture of extravagant expenses, governance procedures were unusual, and that payments were made to trustees in a manner unusual for the charitable sector.^[17]

In 2014, the Department for Education removed E-ACT as sponsor from 10 academies after Ofsted inspectors raised serious concerns,^[5] noting extravagant spending on expenses and £393,000 of spending with "procedural irregularities" including on unapproved consultancy fees.^[18]

E-ACT Enterprises LTD was dissolved shortly after Sir Bruce Liddington's departure. In addition, E-ACT has made considerable changes to its previous administration practices (including reducing back office costs by 73%) as audited in its public accounts and the salary of its subsequent CEO, David Moran, reduced significantly.^[19]

In January 2016, E-ACT moved to a centralised process for monitoring standards. There is now a single central governing body covering all academies in the group across the country.^[20] Ambassadorial Advisory Groups were introduced at a local academy level.^[21]

In 2017, E-ACT introduced a mental health first aid programme, aiming to train every member of staff to understand and recognise the early warning signs of mental health problems in pupils.^[22] E-ACT also announced plans to pioneer a pupil-led mental health curriculum in all its schools.^[23]

 

Academies

Primary

• E-ACT Blackley Academy
• Badock's Wood E-ACT Academy
• Braintcroft E-ACT Academy
• Chalfont Valley E-ACT Primary Academy
• Denham Green E-ACT Primary Academy
• Greenfield E-ACT Primary Academy
• Hareclive Academy
• Ilminster Avenue E-ACT Academy
• Mansfield Green E-ACT Primary Academy
• Merritts Brook E-ACT Primary Academy
• Nechells Primary E-ACT Academy
• Pathways E-ACT Academy
• Perry Court E-ACT Academy
• Reedswood E-ACT Primary Academy
• St Ursula’s E-ACT Academy

Secondary

• Bourne End Academy
• City Heights E-ACT Academy
• Heartlands Academy
• North Birmingham Academy
• The Oldham Academy North
• The Parker E-ACT Academy
• Parkwood E-ACT Academy
• E-ACT Crest Academy
• E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy
• Shenley Academy
• West Walsall E-ACT Academy
• Willenhall E-ACT Academy

All-through

• Danetre and Southbrook Learning Village

Academies previously sponsored

Primary

• Aldborough E-ACT Free School (to 31 May 2014)^[24] (now sponsored by Loxford School Trust), with effect from 1 June 2014. The school is now known as Aldborough Primary School.
• Hartsbrook E-ACT Free School (to 31 August 2014)^[25] (now sponsored by Lion Education Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. The school was closed on 31 August 2014, and re-opened on 1 September 2014 as Brook House Primary School.^{[26][27][28][29]}

Secondary

• E-ACT Leeds East Academy (to 31 August 2014)^[30] (now sponsored by White Rose Academies Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. The school is now known as Leeds East Academy.
• Leeds West Academy (to 31 August 2014)^[31] (now sponsored by White Rose Academies Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014.
• Forest E-ACT Academy (to 28 February 2015),^[32] now sponsored by SGS Academy Trust, with effect from 1 March 2015. The school is now known as The Forest High School.
• Sherwood E-ACT Academy (to 31 March 2015)^[33] (now sponsored by Redhill Academy Trust). E-ACT was the sponsor until the end of March 2015. The school was then known as Sherwood Academy. The Redhill Academy Trust sponsored the school until Summer 2016, when the school site closed permanently.^[34][35]
• The Purston E-ACT Academy (to 31 August 2014)^[36] (now sponsored by The Rodillian Multi-Academy Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. The school is now known as The Featherstone Academy.
• Trent Valley Academy (to 31 May 2014)^[37] (now sponsored by The Lincoln College Group), with effect from 1 June 2014. The school is now known as The Gainsborough Academy.
• The Winsford E-ACT Academy (to 31 August 2014)^[38] (now sponsored by The Fallibroome Multi-Academy Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. The school is now known as The Winsford Academy.

All-through

• Dartmouth Academy (to 31 August 2014)^[39] (now sponsored by Kingsbridge Academy Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. Nick Hindmarsh, Principal has said that: "The name of the trust will change following a consultation exercise across the schools’ communities".

References

1. "E-ACT". Companies House. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
2. "How we work". E-ACT. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
3. "Work for us". E-ACT. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
4. "Our Mission". E-ACT. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
5. "List of E-ACT Academies". E-ACT. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
6. "Regulation of schools and academies with exempt charity status". GOV.uk. 17 May 2021.
7. "E-ACT annual report 2017-2018" (PDF).
8. "David Moran to step down as chief executive at the end of August 2019". E-ACT. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
9. https://www.matexcellence.co.uk/winners/winners-2023
10. https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/revealed-tes-schools-awards-2023-shortlist
11. https://bourneendacademy.e-act.org.uk/about-us/our-results/ofsted-reports/
12. https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/tes-awards-2020-school-year
13. Curtis, Polly (28 November 2008). "Government launches inquiry into academy funds allegations". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
14. "Review of Financial Administration and Governance at E-ACT: Final Report" (PDF). External Assurance team, Education Funding Agency, Department for Education. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
15. Wilby, Peter (7 November 2011). "Academy sponsor defends high pay and high expectations". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
16. Paton, Graeme (26 April 2013). "Academy boss quits over probe into school finances". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
17. Judith Burns (17 May 2013). "'Culture of extravagant expenses' at academy group". BBC. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
18. Richard Vaughan (3 February 2014). . TES Connect. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
19. Warwick Mansell. "E-Act academy chain abandons plans for world domination". The Guardian.
20. "Academy chain to scrap governing bodies". BBC News.
21. "How we work". E-ACT. 29 November 2017.
22. "Promoting mental health awareness across the trust". E-ACT. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
23. "Every teacher must be trained in mental health first aid, academy chain says". Tes. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
24. "Ministerial Approval". E-ACT. 11 April 2014. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
25. "Establishment: Hartsbrook E-ACT Free School - Summary". Department for Education - EduBase. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
26. "Establishment: Brook House Primary School - Summary". Department for Education - EduBase. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
27. "Establishment: Hartsbrook E-ACT Free School - Links". Department for Education - EduBase. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
28. "Department for Education - Performance Tables - Hartsbrook E-ACT Free School, 138259". Department for Education - School and College Performance Tables. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
29. "Department for Education - Performance Tables - Brook House Primary School, 141209". Department for Education - School and College Performance Tables. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
30. . Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
31. . Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
32. "The Forest High School - New name, new start for Forest Academy, Cinderford".
33. . Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
34. . Nottingham Post. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
35. "Ofsted". Archived from the original on 6 August 2012.
36. "The Purston E-ACT Academy - Message to All Parents & Carers". tpea.org.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
37. . Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
38. . Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
39. Hindmarsh, Nick (8 September 2014). "Welcome back to the new school year!". Principal's Blog. Retrieved 22 March 2015.