AN education trust at the centre of a row over plans for redundancies at local schools has confirmed its chief executive has taken “a leave of absence”.
Teachers and support staff at sites in the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) are currently taking part in another week of industrial action.
The members of the National Education Union have call for a rethink by the trust on the proposed job cuts, with walkouts forcing schools to fully or partially close.
A statement from the ATLP said chief executive Richard Gill CBE had “decided to take a leave of absence for a period of time”.
It added:
“During this time, Lee Miller will assume the interim responsibility of accounting officer and CEO of the Trust while also acting as interim chief financial officer – the post he was appointed to on 1st January.
“Lee has many years of experience successfully supporting other academy trusts through times of significant challenge and financial recovery.
“Alongside the board, led by our new chair of trustees, Lee is focused on working productively and transparently with our trades union partners to resolve the current industrial action as swiftly as possible so that all pupils can attend their school as normal.
“At the same time, he is working with trust leaders to support the delivery of a sustainable financial recovery plan so that the trust returns to financial health as soon as possible.
“While strike action is ongoing, arrangements remain in place to ensure pupils can continue their learning and we are working as hard as possible to reach agreement and bring the dispute to an end.”
