‘Super head’ in fees row received extra £14,000 expenses payments

Michael Wilkins, whose work has been championed by Education Secretary Michael Gove, was given the money as a car user allowance shortly after his pay was increased by £48,000 to £178,000 a year.

Mr Wilkins, chief executive at Outwood Grange Academy in Wakefield, also received a further £14,000 in expenses – including £7,000 to help buy a flat in York.

The Yorkshire Post revealed yesterday that Mr Wilkins had been asked to repay more than £90,000 paid to his personal company after council auditors said the payments were not properly authorised.

His pay has increased rapidly since he was made a National Leader in Education, one of a select group of headteachers providing specialist support for struggling schools. Over the last four years, his services at five schools, plus his primary role at Outwood Grange, have cost the taxpayer in excess of £1m, three-quarters of which has been paid to Mr Wilkins.

Wakefield Council has been investigating the school’s finances between April 2007 and March 2009 and last July wrote to Outwood Grange calling on Mr Wilkins to repay £91,692 paid to his personal company, on top of his salary, for specialist support at Harrogate High School and North Doncaster Technology College.

Outwood Grange, which left council control when it became an academy in September 2009, has insisted the payments were authorised and says Mr Wilkins will not repay the money.

But it can now be revealed the letter also questioned why governors approved a one-off payment of £14,000 as a car user allowance in June 2009. Two months earlier, they had increased Mr Wilkins’ salary to £178,000 in recognition of his promotion to chief executive and his increased workload at other schools. His salary had increased by £28,000 the previous year.

The council letter said: “A lump sum payment of £14,000 was approved by governors in June 2009 as part of considering the revised arrangements within the chief executive role. Whilst approval (from governors) was granted, it is difficult to understand why such a payment would be made to an individual from public funds.”

Last night Outwood Grange said the payment “was approved in recognition of the cost burden associated with Mr Wilkins’ growing role under the NLE programme, which required him to travel significant distances on a regular basis”.

The letter also highlighted Mr Wilkins’ expenses claims for his NLE work which were “at least £7,000” in mileage and £7,000 for accommodation. Mr Wilkins, who retained a home near Middlesbrough, used the accommodation cash to help buy a property in York.

The letter questioned why Mr Wilkins claimed mileage from wherever he began his journey, and said: “As Mr Wilkins’ home is in Teesside and he also relocated to a house in York during the period under review, this has resulted in a number of journeys being undertaken whereby the mileage claimed is in excess of that to which he is entitled under the applicable policies.” It was concluded “there has been an element of overpayment in respect of mileage expenses” which Mr Wilkins should repay.

Outwood Grange said it was carrying out a full review of its financial operations, but did not indicate whether Mr Wilkins would make any repayment.

Asked about the accommodation, the academy said the one-off accommodation allowance was “paid to Mr Wilkins in recognition of the increased travel and time burden associated with his ever expanding role under the NLE programme”.

It added that the schools Mr Wilkins supported were located across a wide area, making it sensible to relocate to York.