Exclusive: Free school principal and founder is sacked

THE PRINCIPAL and founder of one of the country’s first free schools has been sacked following a disciplinary investigation
Sajid Raza at Kings Science Academy, Bradford.Sajid Raza at Kings Science Academy, Bradford.
Sajid Raza at Kings Science Academy, Bradford.

A statement from the Kings Science Academy said Sajid Raza has been dismissed from his post and the school was now looking for extra support from the Department for Education (DfE).

Mr Raza has previously been arrested by West Yorkshire Police over alleged fraud at the school in Bradford. However a statement from Kings said his dismissal was not linked to the ongoing police investigation. When asked why Mr Raza had been dismissed the school’s chairman of governors John Bowers said the decision had been taken because “governors needed to ensure the success of the academy moving forward.”

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The school’s interim head Jane Tiller will continue in post at the school until December.

She was brought in earlier this year by the Bradford Partnership - an organisation representing head teachers across the city.

A statement from the Kings Science Academy said; “Following a disciplinary investigation Sajid Hussain Raza has been dismissed from his post. Jane Tiller will continue as executive principal until December 31, 2014. “The school will continue to be supported by the Bradford Partnership.

“The trustees and governors have asked the Department for Education to find a suitable multi-academy trust for the academy to join.”

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A DfE spokesman said: “The department is committed to working closely with the governors of The Kings Science Academy to ensure its long term success. The school has confirmed it would like to join a multi academy Trust, and has asked us to identify a suitable partner. We are now working with the school to secure the right sponsor to build on the improvements already underway at the school.”

The Yorkshire Post has been unable to contact Mr Raza this afternoon.

Mr Raza was arrested in January by West Yorkshire Police after a DfE audit investigation team report alleged that the school had submitted fabricated invoices to claim public money from the Government when the free school was being set up.

He answered his bail in June and was arrested and released on bail again over separate allegations. This investigation is ongoing. Mr Raza has been suspended from the school since January.

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In the last month of term protests were held outside the school’s gates by a group said to be parents concerned that standards were dropping at the academy in Mr Raza’s absence.

The allegations of fraud against the school were found by the DfE in Spring, last year, but were passed to West Yorkshire Police in October - six months later and only after they had been leaked to the media.

The DfE and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau which originally dealt with the case have faced questions over why they failed to ensure there was a police investigation until the matter was leaked.

The DfE has blamed an administrative error by a call centre which handled the report for the case being treated as an information report rather than as a potential crime.

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Alleged fraud is now reported to police through an organisation called Action Fraud which then passes them on the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.

When the DfE reported its findings with a phonecall to Action Fraud, in April last year, it was wrongly classified as being an information report before it was passed to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). This is said to be the reason why it was not looked at for criminal investigation.

Action Fraud are said to have notified the DfE and apologised for this error on November 1 last year - after the matter was leaked.

However The Yorkshire Post has since revealed that the both the DfE and the NFIB were aware that the matter had only been dealt with as an information report before the scandal broke but failed to take action to ensure the matter was investigated by police.