Dear Colleagues, Families, and Local Governors,

The Boards of Trustees at both Inspiring Primaries Academy Trust ('IPAT') and Learn Academies Trust ('LAT') are writing to inform you of a significant change regarding how the future Trust would be governed if our proposed merger goes ahead. As this alters the basis of the original proposal, the consultation period is being restarted to ensure full ongoing transparency and that you have full opportunity to consider this change and provide your response. The new deadline for responses is now 5:00pm on Friday 11 September.

What has changed?

In the initial consultation document issued on 19 May, it was stated that the two existing Boards of Trustees would automatically come together to form a single board. Both trust boards firmly believe this is the best way to retain the vast experience, talent, and institutional knowledge of both teams, giving our school communities total confidence in the future, and ensuring appropriate representation of both trusts at board level.

However, the Leicester Diocesan Board of Education ('DBE') has since changed its direction. Although the DBE previously approved the draft consultation letter, it decided late last week that IPAT trustees will not be permitted to join the post-merger board automatically. Instead, the DBE has directed that the future board is limited to a maximum of 12 trustees and that it is formed via a skills audit of the existing LAT Board of Trustees followed by an external recruitment process to fill any gaps that may be identified.

This means current IPAT trustees would have to apply through the external process for potentially very few places available on the future Board. Further, the outcome of that recruitment process would still ultimately be subject to the DBE's approval.

For the avoidance of doubt, the DBE continues to support the proposal that the two trusts become one, and both trusts remain fully committed to this exciting partnership of 28 schools.

Furthermore, while both IPAT and LAT are church trusts that protect the Christian ethos of our church schools, we also include community (non-church) schools within our families, and we want to explicitly reaffirm how greatly we value them and their distinct identities.

Board Leadership Changes

This late change of direction by the DBE is deeply disappointing and opposed by both trusts. As a direct result of these developments, the Chair and Vice-Chair of IPAT, Graham Read and Katherine Campbell, have, with heavy hearts, made the decision to step down from their roles with immediate effect. We wish to place on record our profound thanks to Graham and Katherine for their years of exceptional service, under which IPAT schools have achieved significant educational and financial improvements.

Jane Robson has assumed the position of interim Chair of Trustees for IPAT. Alongside the remaining trustees, the IPAT board remains fully operational and legally compliant. We also wish to reassure you that day-to-day schooling, school leadership, and your child's daily education remain entirely unaffected by these changes.

Why your feedback matters

Discussions with the DBE over the last few days have unfortunately failed to resolve this issue, and we regret we have been left in a position where we have no choice but to send this letter. To give you all a full and fair chance to consider the proposals in light of this new information, the consultation is restarting. The proposal to merge remains exactly as set out before, except that the Diocese is no longer committing to appointing IPAT trustees to the new Board.

A full summary of all consultation responses will be shared directly with the DBE so that they must take them into account when making their final decision on whether to approve the merger plans.

We strongly encourage you to share your views on the merger and these governance changes. If you have already provided feedback, your comments are securely recorded, but please feel free to add any further thoughts via the link below.