MPs accuse DfE of failing to control academy leaders’ excessive salaries

Committee highlights a lack of transparency surrounding academy finances in its report on the sector

The government has failed to get a handle on excessive salaries paid to academy trust leaders, according to parliament's spending watchdog, which also criticised the use of tens of millions of pounds in public money to prop up" poorly managed trusts.

According to a report by the Commons public accounts committee, the number of academy trusts paying at least one senior staff member more than 100,000 went up from 1,875 in 2019-20 to 2,245 the following year. Meanwhile, a promised review of high pay by the Department for Education has still not been published.