Academy group rejects chain move

THE head of an academy group in Bradford which looks set to open its fifth school has dismissed the idea of it becoming a national chain which he said were like “local authorities but without local knowledge”.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Jun 2013, 01:01 BST

Dixons was one of the first academies to open in Yorkshire as it converted in 2005 from being a city technology college.

The academy now runs three other schools in the city as the sponsor of Dixons Allerton which replaced Rhodesway School and as the organisation behind two new free schools in Bradford which opened this academic year: Dixons Trinity – a secondary and Dixons Music Primary.

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The Department for Education has also given it the go-ahead to open another secondary free school from next year.

Dixons executive principal Nick Weller said the group could take on another cluster of schools in another nearby area but would not want to sponsor schools further afield.

He said: “I have reservations about national chains which have all the hallmarks of a local authority but without the local knowledge.”

Dixons City Technology College was one of the first of its kind set up by the then Conservative Government 23 years ago. The school was started from scratch in a new building and backed by Dixons the electrical giant.

Related topics:BradfordYorkshire