Multi academy trust questions

Dear Sir,

The saga surrounding the Congleton Multi Academy Trust raises some interesting questions around autonomy, democracy and openness.Usually if you join an organisation you are free to leave at any time.

We don't know the details around the circumstances around the formation of this and other trusts.

If we stop seeing schools as individual entities, then who speaks up for the pupils of individual ones.

I am all for collaboration and sharing of resources but in this rather lop-sided relationship, surely there are safeguards in place to protect the weaker components of this and similar trusts.

It seems that the whole question of the rights and responsibilities of the individual components of such organisations should be looked at again.

Yours faithfully,

DR PETER HIRST

Middlewich.