A single-academy trust which failed to balance its books has blamed the government for not covering all its extra costs and lost income during Covid.
One expert said standalone academies faced particular challenges facing Covid without central trust or council support, but most schools’ finances had improved rather than worsened during the pandemic.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency issued Bamford Academy in Rochdale, north-west England, a notice to improve last month.
The move slaps spending controls on the 335-pupil primary school, and it must now make “every possible economy” and consider joining a larger trust by October.
