Ben Maguire welcomes dissolution of multi-academy trust over discipline concerns

There have been a growing number of stories in recent years about extreme disciplinary regimes in schools run by multi-academy trusts.

One of these has come to a head today, with the announcement by the Athena Learning Trust that it will dissolve itself transfer its schools to other organisations. The trust runs nine schools across Devon and Cornwall.

Ben Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, reports BBC News, welcomed the announcement saying it was "an important step for pupils and parents". 

The report also says:

MP Ben Maguire said he had met a number of concerned parents, students, trust representatives and Department for Education officials in recent months following reports of "serious issues relating to SEND provision and concerns around student punishments".

In February. Cllr James Ball, the deputy leader of the Independent group on Cornwall Council, who has a child at one of the schools, organised a public meeting for parents after almost 3,000 suspensions were handed out, external at Camborne Science and International Academy during the 2023/24 academic year:

Ball said he had been told children had been removed from the classroom for reasons including a pen running out, putting their hand up at the wrong time and for looking out of the window.

The flourishing of such unreasonable regimes suggests there is a lack of democracy in British education today. Cornwall Council had no power to intervene because MATs are governed from the Ministry for Education in London.