Whitehaven Academy 'destroying futures', pupils claim

Bright Tribe, which runs Whitehaven Academy, said problems stemmed from a lack of investment before it took over

Pupils say problems at their school have become so bad their "futures are being destroyed".

Whitehaven Academy in Cumbria, which is now in special measures, has had six head teachers since the Bright Tribe Trust took it over in 2014.

Teachers have also expressed concerns, and taken strike action, over standards and the "unsafe" state of the building.

Bright Tribe said problems stemmed from a lack of investment before it took over and improvements were under way.

The student body wrote a letter calling for the removal of Bright Tribe.

It said that "enough was enough", and since the trust's arrival buildings had fallen into disrepair, there were no up-to-date text books for new curriculums, and grades had got steadily worse.

The letter ended by saying: "We cannot continue to stand and watch our futures being destroyed by a trust that feels that finance is more important than future."

The student body has expressed its frustration in a letter

Bright Tribe said in a statement improvements were under way and had been recognised in a recent Ofsted inspection, which described it as taking "effective action".

It said that it was aware of problems with the building, which were due to under investment before it took over, and would use new funding to replace windows and improve drainage and lighting.

An "extensive renovation" of other rooms, including classrooms, replace doors and heaters would take place, and security at the site had already been upgraded, it said.