Job cuts at under-fire Telford schools

Wrockwardine Wood Arts Academy was put in special measures, along with three other Telford schools, in April

More than 50 jobs are set to go at four failing academies in Telford.

Within the space of a week the Phoenix, Lakeside, Wrockwardine Wood and Sutherland academies were all put into special measures after visits by Ofsted.

All four are run by the Telford Co-operative Multi-Academy Trust (TCMAT).

A trust spokesperson said 54 jobs were being cut as part of a restructuring process, 16 of them compulsory redundancies.

TCMAT said some of the cuts were due to the planned merger of Sutherland and Wrockwardine Wood schools, with pupils moving to a new site near Oakengates Leisure Centre.

A new sponsor is expected to take over the running of the academies from September.

"The TCMAT board has worked co-operatively with the new sponsor to identify which areas needed to improve and how best to streamline the organisation to make it fit for purpose going forward," TCMAT chairman Peter Lawley said.

Reports published by Ofsted in April criticised TCMAT's lack of support for the schools.

Inspectors also criticised standards of teaching and said there was a "culture of low expectations" in some of the schools, rating all four as "inadequate".

From September the schools will also be renamed.

• Phoenix Academy will become Telford Langley School

• Lakeside Academy will become Telford Park School

• The merged Sutherland and Wrockwardine Wood will be named Telford Priory School