Swindon school to open as planned despite education trust disbanding

Construction of the school is set to go ahead as planned, the council said

Construction of a new primary school will continue as planned, despite the trust which had been due to run it being disbanded.

Earlier this month, the Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust (DBAT) confirmed it will cease operating after a school was removed from its control.

But Swindon Borough Council said the All Saints Church of England Primary School will open as intended.

Councillors say they are "closely monitoring the situation".

Following a poor Ofsted assessment in September 2023, the Department for Education (DfE) removed The Deanery Academy in Wichelstowe from DBAT's management.

The trust then announced it would stop running all of its schools, including seven in Swindon and five elsewhere in Wiltshire.

Permission was granted in December to build a new primary school for 420 pupils, as well as a 72-place nursery at the Redlands New Eastern Village in Swindon.

'Parents will be worried'

Councillor Adorabelle Amaral-Shaikh, cabinet member for education, said: "We understand parents will be worried after hearing this news.

"We are closely monitoring the situation with the Diocese of Bristol Academy Trust"

As DBAT can no longer move forward with the plans, responsibility for the school is set to be transferred to another trust, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"If the trust is disbanded, we will continue to liaise with the trustees and Department for Education to work out the next steps and ensure the free school at Redlands transfers to a multi-academy trust which has the capacity to support children to reach their full potential," Ms Amaral-Shaikh added.

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