Two academy trusts in the South West are in serious difficulties, it emerged today.

Both have received official warnings over their performance, and one has had key powers taken away and is trying to find other sponsors to take on its schools.

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) has stripped the Ridings’ Federation of Academies, based in south Gloucestershire, of various delegated powers relating to finances, and said that all its transactions under these powers - “regardless of size” - must be put to the EFA for approval.

In September, Claire Emery, chair of the board of trustees, emailed teachers for ideas to help cut its reported £1 million forecast deficit.

The federation runs Winterbourne International Academy, a secondary, and the Yate International Academy, an all-through school.

In a financial notice to improve, dated November 14 and published today, Mike Pettifer, director of the EFA’s academies and maintained schools group, said he recognised the “historic challenges” Ms Emery had faced since taking on her role in September, and that progress had been made.

However, he said his concerns remained, and the notice “reflects the weak financial position of the trust and continued concerns around governance and oversight of financial management by the board”.

The trust has been ordered to commission an independent review of its financial management and governance, and to draw up a plan showing how it will balance its budget by the end of 2017-18.

If it does not meet the requirements of the notice, the federation could see its funding agreement terminated.

The trust confirmed today that it was already trying to find new sponsors to take on its schools.

A spokesman said three organisations - Oasis Community Learning, the Greenshaw Learning Trust, and Olympus Academy Trust, together with Castle School Education Trust - had recently visited the academies, and were expected to present their proposals to the Department for Education in the next two weeks.

He said it was not yet known if a new sponsor would take on both of the schools, or whether they would be split up, but he expected a decision by the end of the year.

‘Significant decline’ in some schools

Meanwhile, Ofsted has published a highly critical report about Plymouth CAST, a Catholic multi-academy trust which runs 34 primary schools and two secondary schools.

The report, which followed a focused review triggered by the inspectorate’s concerns about standards in some of its schools, found the trust was “failing to provide effective challenge and support for school improvement”.

Inspectors visited 10 of the trust’s schools in the week of October 10, resulting in one going from “outstanding” to special measures - a category another two schools fell into.

The report highlighted a “significant decline” in some schools since joining the trust, and said the chief executive and directors “do not have a sufficient understanding of school performance”.

It also raised particular concerns that trust leaders could not account for the impact of £2 million of additional funding for disadvantaged children.

The letter from Bradley Simmons, Ofsted’s regional director for the South West, said: “Trust leaders do not have the capacity to bring about improvement with the necessary urgency. They have been too slow to recognise and tackle weaknesses in the quality of provision. They have not intervened quickly enough to secure or maintain the quality of teaching and leadership required for pupils to achieve well.”

His five recommendations included a call to “urgently address identified weaknesses in provision, particularly in schools that are not yet good”, and an improved focus on the achievement of disadvantaged children.

Sandy Anderson, chairman of Plymouth CAST, said: “I know that pupils, parents and teachers will be as disappointed as we are by the Ofsted report. I want to reassure all of them that we are determined to put this right and are working tirelessly to do so.

“Our trust is founded on the vision of putting the child at the heart of everything we do. Everyone involved in the Plymouth CAST is working together to ensure all of our schools perform well and give all of our children the best education possible.”

He said the trust has reformed and strengthened its board, had taken on extra leadership support from Lisa Mannall, the chief executive of the Learning Academy Trust, and was recruiting a new chief operating officer.

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