Update June 9th: I have no criticism of the new Board of Trustees of Lilac Sky Academy Trust, in their decision, posted 8th June, to strike off, or dissolve the Charitable Company. They are clearly doing as they were probably instructed by the Regional Schools Commissioner on being installed in June 2016, to terminate the issue as soon as possible. As a comment posted below suggests however, this cannot have happened unless the Trust was previously funded by government to remove its indebtedness. Even more questions in this murky business.
Key details of the accounts, with examples of malpractice, show funds passing between companies associated with Lilac Sky, or else straight out of the system. An article I published earlier this week shows a successor company to Lilac Sky taking over a small but apparently successful private school in London, then taking the company running the school into voluntary liquidation. The school closed within nine months, owing debts of nearly a million pounds, mainly in staff salaries and rental costs, but as so often, where did the money go?
One of the most shocking examples of malpractice came after government ordered LSSAT to stop using associated companies to provide services at what are claimed to be exorbitant rates. The Trust defied this instruction and continued using Corporate Bespoke Services, Lilac Sky Outstanding Education Services, and Lilac Sky Schools, until June 2016, when the new Trustees took over. Corporate Bespoke Services is highlighted, majority shareholder Mr Averre-Beeson, founder of the Lilac Sky chain. The company provided services totalling £217,500 to LSSAT, although there was no competitive tendering. In addition, the company invoiced the Trust in advance for services to be performed from May to August 2016, (i.e. after the new Trustees took responsibility) at an increased rate and the Trust made payments to Corporate Bespoke Services Limited in advance as well.
Lilac Sky Schools appointed Trustees and Directors, against Governance guidance, as they were not formally connected with the Trust.
Four of the LSSAT academies were new build, and funding for these was inappropriately used, so that the DfE had to provide emergency funds to enable classrooms to open with necessary basic equipment and furniture.
The accounts identify multiple inappropriate business relationships between former Trustees, some senior staff and the Founder, whose names recur regularly through previous articles I have penned, including five relatives of the founder. The Trust Finance Manager was also Finance Manager of several of the above companies. Several of these names received severance payments during the year and were immediately rehired next day as consultants, fees not available. These included A Donaldson who retained her position as Director of Learning after becoming a consultant and so should have remained on the payroll. There is no evidence that Trustees approved these payments. Another Trustee was Christopher Bowler, who had seen a rotating range of responsibilities, like so many members of the inner circle. He resigned in August 2016 as Director of Schools and Academies, on a salary of £135,000.
Thistle Hill Academy carried a net deficit of £16,688 because the Academy was overstaffed in 2015/16 and the Principal in post at that time was paid a salary of £72,686 p.a., above expectations for the pupil roll of 231 for that academic year. She is the step-daughter of the Founder's wife, and school documentation shows she did not appear to attend the school full-time, having other responsibilities in the Lilac Sky portfolio.
Knockhall Academy carried forward a net deficit of £106,887 because the Academy was overstaffed in 2015/16, there was unexpected costs due to building works, a deficit loan repayment to the Local Authority and central Trust recharges.
The accounts provide a number of perhaps minor examples of malpractice: a credit card used by a non-employee; purchasing of IT equipment and a mobile phone contract for non-employed Consultants.
The accounts make clear there is no proper monitoring of expenditure, and indeed the founder also undertook internal audits for a period, although there appear to be no records of these and such an appointment appears contrary to the Academies Financial Handbook. The new Interim Accounting Officer of The Lilac Sky Schools Trust was 'very concerned at the apparent lack of compliance in several areas of the Trust's financial management which did give rise to multiple breaches of the Academies Financial Handbook 2015'.
Included within incoming resources are emergency grants received from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) totalling £345,440 (presumably to support the rebrokerage of the academies to new Trusts). The EFA reserve the right to request repayment of the emergency cash advances at a later date.
The Trust has run up a Pension Fund Deficit of £3,073,000 which will be passed on to successor institutions to be recovered through increased employer contributions, effectively a tax on the schools, along with the fixed assets (premises etc.).
'The Trustees' indemnity 'provides cover for the Academy Trust's costs incurred as a result of allegations of negligence following a wrongful action resulting in a subsequent financial loss. This is against both the entity and individuals'. So that's all right then, except there is a difference between negligence and wrong doing!
