E-ACT

{{Short description|British educational trust}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox organization | name = E-ACT | named_after = | logo = E-ACT Logo.png | logo_size = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | abbreviation = | predecessor = | merged_into = | successor = | formation = {{Start date and age|2008|03|06|df=yes}}<ref name="CompaniesHouse" /> | founder = | founding_location = | extinction =  | merger = | type = Multi-academy trust | vat_id = | registration_id =  | status = | purpose = | headquarters = The Orangery | location = 28 Headlands Kettering NN15 7HP | coordinates = | region_served = | services = Education | products = | methods = | fields = | membership = | num_members_year = | language = | owner =  | secretary_general = | leader_title = Chair of trustees | leader_name = Jim Knight<ref name="Leadership">{{cite web|title=How we work|url=https://www.e-act.org.uk/how-we-work/|website=E-ACT|accessdate=20 July 2023}}</ref> | leader_title2 = CEO | leader_name2 = Tom Campbell <ref name="Leadership" /> | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | board_of_directors = | key_people = | main_organ = | parent_organization = | subsidiaries = | secessions = | affiliations = | budget = | budget_year = | revenue = | revenue_year = | disbursements = | expenses = | expenses_year = | endowment = | endowment_year = | num_staff = 2,500<ref>{{cite web|title=Work for us|url=https://www.e-act.org.uk/work-for-us/|website=E-ACT|accessdate=17 January 2018}}</ref> | num_staff_year = | num_volunteers = | num_volunteers_year = | website = {{URL|www.e-act.org.uk}} | remarks = | former_name = * Edutrust Academies Charitable Trust (2008–2010)<ref name="CompaniesHouse">{{cite web|title=E-ACT|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/06526376|website=Companies House|accessdate=17 January 2018}}</ref> * Edutrust Academies Trust (Mar–May 2008)<ref name="CompaniesHouse" /> | footnotes = }}

'''E-ACT''' is a multi-academy trust responsible for 38 academies in England.<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news|url=https://www.e-act.org.uk/our-academies/|title=List of E-ACT Academies|date=23 September 2019|work=E-ACT|accessdate=23 September 2019}}</ref> Over 93% are now rated as “Good” or better by Ofsted.

As an academy trust, it is an exempt charity regulated by the Department for Education.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulation-of-schools-and-academies-with-exempt-charity-status|title=Regulation of schools and academies with exempt charity status|publisher=GOV.uk|date=17 May 2021}}</ref>

==Recent Success== In August 2019, David Moran stepped down as CEO. When he joined the organisation in 2013, 17% of E-ACT's academies were rated good or outstanding by Ofsted. By the time of his departure, that figure was over 70%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.e-act.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Annual-Report-2017-18.pdf|title=E-ACT annual report 2017-2018|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=}}</ref> E-ACT's Board of Trustees announced Deputy CEO Jane Millward as David's successor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.e-act.org.uk/news/2019/4823/|title=David Moran to step down as chief executive at the end of August 2019|date=2019-03-20|website=E-ACT|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-09-23}}</ref>

The trust continued to improve during her tenure. After 3 years in the role Milward stepped down as CEO at the end of 2022, and was replaced by Tom Campbell, previously education director at Greenwood Academies Trust, in January 2023.

As of August 2023, the percentage of academies rated either Good or Outstanding by Ofsted stands at 93%, with 100% rated as either Good or Outstanding for leadership and management.

Under the leadership of Campbell the trust has refreshed it's 'Opening Minds, Opening Doors' strategy that focuses on ensuring that coming from a disadvantaged background does not determine your future, by creating the conditions where children, young people and staff can thrive.

In June 2023 E-ACT was awarded MAT of the Year at the MAT Excellence Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.matexcellence.co.uk/winners/winners-2023|title=MAT Excellence Awards - Winners 2023|website=www.matexcellence.co.uk|access-date=4 August 2023|archive-date=19 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719103811/https://www.matexcellence.co.uk/winners/winners-2023|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In March 2023, it was announced that E-ACT Blackley Academy has been nominated for the Community Engagement Award and E-ACT Nechells Academy for EYFS Setting of the Year.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/revealed-tes-schools-awards-2023-shortlist | title=Tes Schools Awards 2023 shortlist | Tes }}</ref>

In November 2022, E-ACT Bourne End Academy was recognised as the top secondary comprehensive school in Buckinghamshire,<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Ofsted report 2022 |url=https://bourneendacademy.e-act.org.uk/about-us/our-results/ofsted-reports/ |access-date=September 28, 2024 |website=Bourne End Academy}}</ref> according to performance data from the Department for Education. The academy was rated as Good with Outstanding for effectiveness of its leadership and management by Ofsted, and is currently oversubscribed.

In 2022, E-ACT Nechells Academy was shortlisted for the Community Engagement Initiative category, and in 2021, Emma Smythe at E-ACT Parkwood Academy was nominated for Classroom Support Assistant of the Year and E-ACT Nechells Academy for the Wellbeing and Mental Health Award.

In 2020, E-ACT Heartlands Academy was named both Secondary School of the Year and Overall School of the Year at the awards.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/tes-awards-2020-school-year | title=Tes Awards 2020: School of the year | Tes Magazine }}</ref>

E-ACT has often led the way in the sector on mental health provision; in 2017, the trust introduced a mental health first aid programme, aiming to train every member of staff to understand and recognise the early warning signs of mental health problems in pupils, and also announced plans to pioneer a pupil-led mental health curriculum in all its schools. By 2020, more than 1,000 E-ACT staff were trained in youth and adult mental health first aid.

==History== Until 2009 the Chief Executive of the Trust was Ian Comfort, who left his post alleging whistleblowing concerns, whilst the trust claimed "poor performance" issues.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Curtis|first1=Polly|title=Government launches inquiry into academy funds allegations|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/nov/28/acadamies-school-funding-charity-mismanagement|accessdate=17 Dec 2015|work=The Guardian|date=28 Nov 2008}}</ref> In March 2013 an audit by the UK Department for Education concluded that "boundaries between E-ACT and its subsidiary, E-ACT Enterprises Ltd (EEL) are blurred" (page 3), "activities undertaken by the subsidiary have been paid for with public funds and so appear irregular" (page 3), and "there has been a flow of public monies into EEL that cannot be said to directly benefit teaching and learning in E-ACT academies" (pages 12–13).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/279545/Financial_management_and_governance_review_E-ACT.pdf|title=Review of Financial Administration and Governance at E-ACT: Final Report|publisher=External Assurance team, Education Funding Agency, Department for Education|accessdate=4 October 2017}}</ref>

A 2011 ''Guardian'' article reported that in 2010 its director-general Sir Bruce Liddington had a salary package of £280,017.<ref name=guardian>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2011/nov/07/bruce-liddington-eact-academies-salary|title=Academy sponsor defends high pay and high expectations|last=Wilby|first=Peter|date=7 November 2011|work=The Guardian|accessdate=21 April 2013}}</ref> Sir Bruce Liddington resigned in 2013 after E-ACT received an official warning from the government regarding "financial mismanagement".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10018962/Academy-boss-quits-over-probe-into-school-finances.html|title=Academy boss quits over probe into school finances|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|last=Paton|first=Graeme|date=26 Apr 2013|accessdate=10 May 2013}}</ref> The investigation report into E-ACT found that internal financial controls were weak, there was a culture of extravagant expenses, governance procedures were unusual, and that payments were made to trustees in a manner unusual for the charitable sector.<ref name="bbc-20130517">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22571711 |title='Culture of extravagant expenses' at academy group |author=Judith Burns |publisher=BBC |date=17 May 2013 |accessdate=18 May 2013}}</ref>

In 2014, the Department for Education removed E-ACT as sponsor from 10 academies after Ofsted inspectors raised serious concerns,<ref name=BBC/> noting extravagant spending on expenses and £393,000 of spending with "procedural irregularities" including on unapproved consultancy fees.<ref name="tes-20140203">{{cite news |url=http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6334927 |title='Extravagant' expenses and 393K 'irregularities' |author=Richard Vaughan |publisher=TES Connect |date=3 February 2014 |accessdate=8 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714151254/http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6334927 |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

E-ACT Enterprises LTD was dissolved shortly after Sir Bruce Liddington's departure. In addition, E-ACT has made considerable changes to its previous administration practices (including reducing back office costs by 73%) as audited in its public accounts and the salary of its subsequent CEO, David Moran, reduced significantly.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/feb/03/e-act-academy-gcse-league-tables-ofsted|title=E-Act academy chain abandons plans for world domination|author=Warwick Mansell|work=The Guardian|date=3 February 2015 }}</ref>

In January 2016, E-ACT moved to a centralised process for monitoring standards. There is now a single central governing body covering all academies in the group across the country.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35347602|title=Academy chain to scrap governing bodies|work=BBC News|date=18 January 2016 }}</ref> Ambassadorial Advisory Groups were introduced at a local academy level.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.e-act.org.uk/how-we-work/|title=How we work|publisher=E-ACT |date= 29 Nov 2017}}</ref>

In 2017, E-ACT introduced a mental health first aid programme, aiming to train every member of staff to understand and recognise the early warning signs of mental health problems in pupils.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.e-act.org.uk/news/2017/promoting-mental-health-awareness-across-trust/|title=Promoting mental health awareness across the trust|date=2017-10-09|website=E-ACT|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-09-23}}</ref> E-ACT also announced plans to pioneer a pupil-led mental health curriculum in all its schools.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tes.com/news/every-teacher-must-be-trained-mental-health-first-aid-academy-chain-says|title=Every teacher must be trained in mental health first aid, academy chain says|website=Tes|language=en|access-date=2019-09-23}}</ref>

==Academies==

===Primary=== *E-ACT Blackley Academy *Badock's Wood E-ACT Academy *Braintcroft E-ACT Academy *Chalfont Valley E-ACT Primary Academy *Denham Green E-ACT Primary Academy *Greenfield E-ACT Primary Academy *Hareclive Academy *Ilminster Avenue E-ACT Academy *Mansfield Green E-ACT Primary Academy *Merritts Brook E-ACT Primary Academy *Nechells Primary E-ACT Academy *Pathways E-ACT Academy *Perry Court E-ACT Academy *Reedswood E-ACT Primary Academy *St Ursula's E-ACT Academy *Ventures Academy Saint Annes E-ACT Primary Academy

===Secondary=== *Bourne End Academy *City Heights E-ACT Academy *Heartlands Academy *North Birmingham Academy *The Oldham Academy North *The Parker E-ACT Academy *Parkwood E-ACT Academy *E-ACT Crest Academy *E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy *Shenley Academy *West Walsall E-ACT Academy *Willenhall E-ACT Academy *E-ACT Ousedale Academy (Newport Pagnell) *E-ACT Ousedale Academy (Olney)

===All-through=== *Danetre and Southbrook Learning Village

==Academies previously sponsored==

===Primary=== *Aldborough E-ACT Free School (to 31 May 2014)<ref name="E-ACT">{{Cite news|date=11 April 2014|title=Ministerial Approval|work=E-ACT|url=http://www.e-act.org.uk/2014/04/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150408081939/http://www.e-act.org.uk/2014/04/|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 April 2015|accessdate=22 March 2015}}</ref> (now sponsored by Loxford School Trust), with effect from 1 June 2014. The school is now known as Aldborough Primary School. *Hartsbrook E-ACT Free School (to 31 August 2014)<ref name="Department for Education - Reference 1">{{cite web|title=Establishment: Hartsbrook E-ACT Free School - Summary|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=138259|website=Department for Education - EduBase|accessdate=22 March 2015|ref=Department for Education}}</ref> (now sponsored by Lion Education Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. The school was closed on 31 August 2014, and re-opened on 1 September 2014 as Brook House Primary School.<ref name="Department for Education - Reference 2">{{cite web|title=Establishment: Brook House Primary School - Summary|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=141209|website=Department for Education - EduBase|accessdate=22 March 2015|ref=Department for Education}}</ref><ref name="Department for Education - Reference 3">{{cite web|title=Establishment: Hartsbrook E-ACT Free School - Links|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/links.xhtml?urn=138259|website=Department for Education - EduBase|accessdate=22 March 2015|ref=Department for Education}}</ref><ref name="Department for Education - Reference 4">{{cite web|title=Department for Education - Performance Tables - Hartsbrook E-ACT Free School, 138259|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/schools/performance/school.pl?urn=138259|website=Department for Education - School and College Performance Tables|accessdate=22 March 2015|ref=Department for Education}}</ref><ref name="Department for Education - Reference 5">{{cite web|title=Department for Education - Performance Tables - Brook House Primary School, 141209|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/schools/performance/school.pl?urn=141209|website=Department for Education - School and College Performance Tables|accessdate=22 March 2015|ref=Department for Education}}</ref>

===Secondary=== *E-ACT Leeds East Academy (to 31 August 2014)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.leedseast-academy.co.uk/News/White-Rose-Academies-Trust/ |title=Leeds East Academy - White Rose Academies Trust |access-date=2015-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101023210/http://www.leedseast-academy.co.uk/News/White-Rose-Academies-Trust/ |archive-date=2014-11-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (now sponsored by White Rose Academies Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. The school is now known as Leeds East Academy. *Leeds West Academy (to 31 August 2014)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.leedseast-academy.co.uk/News/White-Rose-Academies-Trust/ |title=White Rose Academies Trust |access-date=2015-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101023210/http://www.leedseast-academy.co.uk/News/White-Rose-Academies-Trust/ |archive-date=2014-11-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (now sponsored by White Rose Academies Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. *Forest E-ACT Academy (to 28 February 2015),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foresthigh.org.uk/news/New-name-new-start-for-Forest-Academy-Cinderford|title=The Forest High School - New name, new start for Forest Academy, Cinderford|publisher=}}</ref> now sponsored by SGS Academy Trust, with effect from 1 March 2015. The school is now known as The Forest High School. *Sherwood E-ACT Academy (to 31 March 2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sherwoode-actacademy.org.uk/|title=Sherwood Academy Home Page - Welcome to our website|publisher=|access-date=2015-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402200337/http://www.sherwoode-actacademy.org.uk/|archive-date=2015-04-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> (now sponsored by Redhill Academy Trust). E-ACT was the sponsor until the end of March 2015. The school was then known as Sherwood Academy. The Redhill Academy Trust sponsored the school until Summer 2016, when the school site closed permanently.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nottinghampost.com/Sherwood-E-Act-Academy-close-trust-confirms/story-21127644-detail/story.html|title=Sherwood E-Act Academy will close, trust confirms|work=Nottingham Post|access-date=2015-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402132251/http://www.nottinghampost.com/Sherwood-E-Act-Academy-close-trust-confirms/story-21127644-detail/story.html|archive-date=2015-04-02|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxcare_providers/urn_search?urn=122848&type=2&submit=Go|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120806001628/http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxcare_providers/urn_search?urn=122848&type=2&submit=Go|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-08-06|title=Ofsted}}</ref> *The Purston E-ACT Academy (to 31 August 2014)<ref>{{cite web|title=The Purston E-ACT Academy - Message to All Parents & Carers|website=tpea.org.uk |url=http://www.tpea.org.uk/ |accessdate=15 July 2014}}</ref> (now sponsored by The Rodillian Multi-Academy Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. The school is now known as The Featherstone Academy. *Trent Valley Academy (to 31 May 2014)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelincolncollegegroup.org/news/gainsborough-academy-launch.php|title=The Lincoln College Group|publisher=|access-date=2015-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402190711/http://www.thelincolncollegegroup.org/news/gainsborough-academy-launch.php|archive-date=2015-04-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> (now sponsored by The Lincoln College Group), with effect from 1 June 2014. The school is now known as The Gainsborough Academy. *The Winsford E-ACT Academy (to 31 August 2014)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.winsfordacademy.org.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=111 |title=The Winsford E-ACT Academy - Winsford Academy Joins The Fallibroome Multi-Academy Trust |access-date=2014-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714143707/http://www.winsfordacademy.org.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=111 |archive-date=2014-07-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (now sponsored by The Fallibroome Multi-Academy Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. The school is now known as The Winsford Academy.

===All-through=== *Dartmouth Academy (to 31 August 2014)<ref name="Nick Hindmarsh, Principal">{{cite news|last1=Hindmarsh|first1=Nick|title=Welcome back to the new school year!|url=https://dartmouthacademyprincipal.wordpress.com/2014/09/08/welcome-back-to-the-new-school-year/|accessdate=22 March 2015|work=Principal's Blog|date=8 September 2014}}</ref> (now sponsored by Kingsbridge Academy Trust), with effect from 1 September 2014. Nick Hindmarsh, Principal has said that: "The name of the trust will change following a consultation exercise across the schools’ communities".

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:E-ACT Category:Multi-academy trusts