CHESHIRE West and Chester Council said it is ready to step in to support Winsford Academy until another sponsor is found.

Executive member for education and children, Mark Stocks, told the full Council meeting last night, Monday, March 3, that the authority is taking action following the announcement that E-ACT will no longer be a sponsor for the school.

He said: “I propose to write to the Government to say that the council is prepared to provide school improvement support to Winsford Academy in the medium term, until another suitable sponsor is found for the school.”

It followed a question from clr David Armstrong concerning the Winsford Academy, the University Church of England Academy in Ellesmere Port and the University of Chester Academy in Northwich.

“Can Councillor Stocks confirm that the three secondary academies, which cater for over 3,000 Cheshire West and Chester children, either require improvement or have been judged as inadequate by Ofsted?,” asked Councillor Armstrong.

“Can he also confirm that all offers of support from Cheshire West and Chester Education school improvement staff have not been accepted?”

Councillor Stocks said the most recent Ofsted inspections had judged the University Church of England Academy in Ellesmere Port as inadequate overall, and the Winsford Academy as requiring improvement.

He said the University of Chester Academy in Northwich was inspected in February 2014 and the report has not yet been published.

“The local authority provides a range of support and services to academies, for example around safeguarding, looked after children and special educational needs,” said clr Stocks.

He added: “I believe, however, that clr Armstrong is particularly referring to support around school intervention and schools causing concern, where we monitor and challenge standards.

“I can confirm that we have in the past offered support either to the sponsor or directly to the school for those academies in clr Armstrong’s question. I also confirm that so far that support has not been taken up.”

The Department for Education (DfE) announced last week that E-ACT will no longer be a sponsor for the Winsford Academy and nine others across the country.

The responsibility for brokering and securing a new sponsor for the school lies with the academies division of the DfE, working with the governors of the school.