Academy trust to hand over schools after money row

A multi-academy trust in Sussex is to hand over its schools to other trusts after a series of protests over its financial management.

University of Brighton Academies Trust (Ubat) faced strikes from teachers for taking what they saw as unusually high sums of money from school budgets to use for backroom costs.

The trust says it will be working closely with the Department of Education (DoE) to ensure "stability and continuity" at its 11 primary schools and three secondary schools.

A National Education Union spokesperson said it reflected a "deeper problem" and called for all Ubat schools to be returned to local authority control.

In a letter addressed to parents and carers, Ubat said it had faced "times of challenge and change", saying that its "main aim" is to ensure each of its academies "delivers the best education possible for all its young people".

It added that it also wanted staff to "have the resources to support this on a daily basis".

Its decision to transfer its academies is "based on the fact its trustees are committed to improving the outcomes for all young people at every stage of their education".

Stating that it will be working with the DoE over the coming months, it added that "no decisions have yet been made about which school might join which trust".

Calling for all Ubat schools to be returned to local authority control, a National Education Union spokesperson said: "Financial mismanagement, lack of transparency and insufficient funding of frontline services have damaged Ubat schools and made our members' jobs harder."