WAT governed

Since that date, any criticism, by Ofsted or anyone else, of the governance of TLA can rest only with WAT. The decision by WAT to summarily dismiss the advisory council is therefore purely a smokescreen to hide their own shortcoming and deficiencies, and an attempt to deflect blame from themselves.

It beggars belief that either Ofsted, or the Department for Education (DfE) and Lord Nash (schools minister) might be deceived by this grubby manoeuvre.

It is also apparent that WAT has not involved their co-sponsors, West Sussex County Council, in any of their precipitate decision making, which of itself is very alarming, and indicative perhaps of a rather cavalier attitude by WAT.

Also it is worth noting that of the five academies run by WAT across England WAT has dismissed four out of their five headteachers, all of whom they had appointed in the first case. At the very least there appears to be a prima facie case for the DfE to investigate whether WAT is actually fit and competent to run any academy schools.

I wish TLA and its staff and pupils every success, but it will take a long time to re-build the shattered confidence of local community support.

And finally, can WAT please advise us all who the new ‘community reference group’ are, and just how they were selected and appointed?

Dr James Walsh

Town, district and county councillor in Littlehampton East and Beach

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