TRUSTEES responsible for the running Hassenbrook Academy and Corringham Primary School have spoken of their disappointment after the government threw out plans for them to transfer to the borough's highly-regarded Gateway Learning Community Trust.

The Ortu Federation, which currently is responsible for both schools, is to be disbanded in the wake of the controversies at Gable Hall School, where further government intervention saw its management transferred to the Harris Foundation.

Before its demise Ortu was charged with managing the transfer of the other schools and in January its chair Georgina Clark said: "Our trustees are working closely with the Department for Education to ensure that there is a seamless transition of Ortu schools to new trusts.

"We are currently in the due diligence phase with the Harris Federation which is the preferred trust to take over Gable Hall School.

"We have a shortlist of trusts for the remaining schools and anticipate that the final decision will be made in February.

"We are working to ensure that all three schools will be with their new trust for the start of the new academic year."

That resulted in an announcement in February that the Gateway Learning Community, which runs the Gateway Academy and a number of primary schools in the area, was the preferred choice.

That prompted a further statement from Mrs Clark who said: "We are grateful to each of the trusts that bid for Hassenbrook and Corringham, but in the end all five trustees voted for the GLC citing its family ethos, track-record of school improvement and its ambition for every young person as key reasons for their decision.

Whose name will eventually be above the door at Hassenbrook?

"Above all, we saw the realisation of the GLC's mantra 'all different all equal together improving upon our best' everywhere we looked and with everyone we spoke to.

"We are totally confident that both Hassenbrook and Corringham will thrive within the GLC."

That, appeared to be that, with Hassenbrook and Corringham in new safe hands and the Gateway started its integration by offering expertise to both schools in the wake of formal confirmation.

However, the Department of Education has delivered a bombshell by saying it won't approve Gateway following a meeting of its East of England Advisory Board last month.

No details of why the advisory board reached its decision has yet been released, though Nub News understands the DfE has questioned the capacity and experience of the Gateway Learning Community to turn troubled Hassenbrook around – despite the fact the trust has an excellent record of improvement at Gateway Academy.

The DfE is believed to prefer the Ilford-based Loxford Trust – which runs a number of schools across east London and Essex. A member of the advisory board which rejected Gateway is Tim Coulson, who has formerly been linked with Loxford Trust's expansionist aims.

As regional schools commissioner for the East of England he approved its creation of sixth form centres at its schools – a contentious move later successfully challenged by the Association of Colleges and overturned on the day a hearing was due to be held at the Royal Courts.

The judicial review alleged that Mr Coulson had flouted government rules when approving the request from Loxford.

The Department of Education appears to favour certain trusts, which come with attached to allegations of political expediency.

For example, the Harris Foundation, which has been given control of Gable Hall, is the creation of carpet retailer Philip Harris, now Lord Harris.

The founder and current chairman of the trust had donated hundreds of thousands of pounds both to the Conservatives and to the offices of senior Tory politicians.

While the Harris Federation is not allowed to make a profit, it has created the template, supported by the government, of privately run schools, supported by companies who make a return on their investment.

The soaring salaries paid to leaders of education trusts has been frequently highlighted in the education media, exemplified by this cutting from Schools week about Sir Dan Moynihan, the man at the top of the chain running Gable Hall. When his pension contribution was included, his remuneration package was between £530,001 and £540,000 in 2021-22, according to trust documents.

Big business has become intrinsically linked to education through some trusts - and salaries in the sector in some instances have soared.

Sir Dan Moynihan, CEO of the Harris Foundation, for example, earns close to half a million a year.

Anita Johnson, the CEO of the Loxford Trust and head of Ilford's Loxford School, is in the top bracket of highly paid Trust CEOS, earning around £250,000 a year!

There's another parallel with big wages, a trust and a Thurrock school across the borough in Aveley where Thurrock Council pushed through the controversial building of the Harrier Academy, despite local opposition. The school is part of the Reach2 Trust, headed by Sir Steve Lancashire, another in the £250,000 a year bracket.

Plans for the supposedly 'urgently-needed' new school to be built and opened in September this year have been scrapped as the building contractors selected to erect it went bust!

Meanwhile, the future of Hassenbrook and Corringham Primary remains in limbo. Despite the support of borough MP Stephen Metcalfe and local trustees of both Ortu and The Gateway Trust.

A source close to Hassebrook told Nub News that the DfE decision was 'nonsensical' and the arguments put forward about the capacity of the GLC to improve the school, which is acknowledged as struggling, did not stand scrutiny.

We were told: "GLC has already made a hugely positive impact and a clear path has been laid out for improvement that we definiteley believe can be achieved quickly. The input and expertise is there and it comes with a proven track record.

"This was local knowledge, local expertise and local care being put to good use in a sustainable way geared to the children at this school. We are already seeing at Gable Hall - which no doubt was in difficulites and needed change - some of the positive aspects of what has been achieved scrapped in favour of a 'one size fits all' programme. Education is not like that. It is not a business, schools and communities differ and their management needs to differ as well.

"It seems though, it's all about the money and influence coming from the wrong places."

Today (Thursday, 20 April) Mrs Clark, said: "We would like to take the opportunity to thank colleagues at the GLC for their professional generosity in stepping forward to support local schools.

"In the few months the GLC has been involved with Hassenbrook and Corringham, trusted links have been established which have already had a positive impact on provision.

"I am pleased that these links will remain in place albeit outside of a formal partnership."

Ironically the work of the GLC, who had several teachers and staff involved in honours nominations, was recognised at last year's Thurrock Education Awards and its former CEO, Kevin Sadler was highlighted for his contribution to raising education standards in the borough.

Mr Sadler received a special Director's award for outstanding contribution to education in Thurrock.

Gateway's former CEO Kevin Sadler was honoured last year for his work in raising standards

Later last year he retired but was quickly brought back into the local education scene when he was asked to become Ortu's acting CEO and help its efforts with Gable Hall, Hassenbrook and Corringham!