DfE keeping situation at Woodfield School under review including safeguarding and governance matters

 

Woodfield School strikers and supporters outside the Department for Education on Wednesday

 

The Regional Director of the Department for Education has responded to concerns raised by NEU officers regarding the situation at Woodfield School, managed by Compass Learning Partnership.

Dr Vanessa Odgen recognises the challenges of the situation at Woodfield but says that the responsibility for managing industrial relations lie with the trust as employer and the DfE cannot intervene directly.

On a particular safeguarding concern that has arisen during the strike, she says she expects trusts to provide assurance that they have effective arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils, and robust safeguarding policies and procedures that are implemented consistently across all academies.

Dr Ogden reveals that her team have been engaging with the Compass Trust to understand contingency arrangements in place on strike days: 

Our engagement is intended to ensure I am appropriately sighted on any risks, rather than to intervene in the trust's operational management of the dispute.

A central concern of the strikers has been high executive pay in the trust when the lowest paid are being asked to accept a cut in wages and when there is nearly £4m in trust reserves.

The Regional Director states:

You also raise concerns about the trust's use of public funds, including its reserves, deductions from school budgets, and support provided to Compass Futures. We are working with out Schools Financial Support and Oversight Team (SFSO) to assess the trust's financial position and these issues. Where there are concerns about transparency, value for money, or appropriate use of funding, we will seek assurances and take action if needed. The Secretary of State has emphasised that executive pay must be justified, transparent, and proportionate.  We challenge trusts where pay does not demonstrate value for money or align with the wider public sector, and we are strengthening expectations through the Academy Trust Handbook to ensure pay increases are clearly justified and reasonable.

Dr Ogden concludes by stating that the DfE will continue to keep the situation under review, including in relation to safeguarding assurances and governance matters, and 'will respond as appropriate should any significant concerns arise'.