HEART chief executive resigns: Parents' warning over 2019 at the trust

The HEART Academies Trust had been hoping to make major changes at Cauldwell, Shackleton and Shortstown primary schools, including a raft of redundancies.

That overhaul has been put on hold, with the chief executive and chairman of the trust both resigning.

But parents say that seven members of the teaching staff – and five members of the teaching, finance, and facilities teams – are leaving Shortstown and Cauldwell.

A spokesman for the SSC Action Team, which represents parents from all three schools, said: “We are alarmed by the recent discovery from the trade unions that a total of 12 employees have recently resigned from the primary schools citing reasons relating to the management of the trust and the appalling way the redundancy process has been managed.

“We strongly feel that the main sponsor the Harpur Trust is simply allowing this to continue without any evidence of direct intervention.”

The proposed changes across HEART Academies Trust provided outrage from parents at all three affected primary schools.

In addition to meaning the loss of three headteacher roles, thee deputy heads, and seven assistant heads, it would mean the schools no longer had separate parent governors.

One insider said that the move was designed to give the trust maximum control with minimal scrutiny.

Parents responded by threatening to take both Shortstown and Cauldwell schools out of the trust.

Background:

What comes next?

Parents’ warning over 2019 at the trust’s primary schools

HEART and the Harpur Trust’s official statements over Claire Smith’s resignation

Claire Smith’s resignation

Hanif Patel’s resignation

Heart Academies Trust parents head to Parliament

Plans to make headteachers redundant put on hold

School bosses accused of “betrayal”

Parents’ response Reasons for the proposed changes

Details of the proposed changes

What comes next?