Unions blast 'fat cat salaries' at Brooke Weston Trust amid looming redundancy programme

The Brooke Weston Trust, which runs 12 schools across two counties, has announced it has asked staff to take voluntary redundancy amid ‘budget pressures’.

But teaching unions say that the CEO Dr Andrew Campbell has just received a £25,000 payrise, and that the funding of backroom operations at the trust is much higher than the national average.

In a statement Brooke Weston said that the step had been taken following discussions with union representatives, school leaders and chairs of governors.

It said that the trust was dealing with the impact of ‘partially funded staff pay awards’, rising operational costs, and an overall funding settlement this year that does not keep pace with inflation.’

Chief Executive of Brooke Weston Trust Dr Andrew Campbell said: “While we welcome the recent pay increases for our dedicated staff, the reality is that they have not been fully funded by the government.

“This, combined with other rising costs, has increased the financial challenge for schools across the country. We are being asked to more with less this year. We do not agree with these funding decisions, but our top priority is to continue providing excellent education and care for our children.

“Over the last couple of years, we have already made substantial saving across all our non-staffing budgets, however these further unfunded rises mean we need to do more.

“To do that we are working with our staff, our leaders and union officials to open a voluntary redundancy process so we can proactively tackle the funding shortfalls in a way which can potentially benefit some of our staff for whom voluntary redundancy might be an attractive option.

“By opening a voluntary process now, we hope to achieve savings and prevent any more difficult decisions we could otherwise face further down the line. The voluntary process is something any employer can offer and it could be the right opportunity at the right time for some colleagues, depending on their personal circumstances.”

“Our focus remains absolutely fixed on protecting the quality of education and care our students receive and ensuring our schools can continue to thrive. This is a responsible and proactive step taken together as the Brooke Weston family that helps us deliver that mission.”

But union sources told this newspaper that the trust is believed to have already been ‘top‑slicing’ around 14 per cent of each school’s budget until last year to fund central operations—far above the national average.

In a staff-wide letter earlier in the year, Dr Campbell warned of a ‘significant financial short‑term challenge’ that must be overcome before the summer term ends.

It previously implemented cost‑saving measures such as freezing non‑urgent expenditure and pursuing late-arriving income, but these have been insufficient.

According to data obtained by Schools Week, academy trusts of Brooke Weston Trust’s size typically top‑slice between 5.5 per cent and 8.8 per cent of school budgets to cover central services which include senior leadership team, governance, IT infrastructure, and other shared services.

In contrast, union reps say internal figures suggest the Brooke Weston Trust had been deducting around 11 per cent last year —with a long‑term average closer to 14 per cent.

Phill Monk, district secretary for North Northamptonshire National Education Union (NEU), said: “Asking for voluntary redundancies on the back of a funding formula that already penalises front‑line education isn’t just disappointing - it’s deeply damaging. Schools have been squeezed for too long.”

Richard Kempa, NASUWT Local Secretary said: "It does not sit well with our members that the Brooke Weston Trust CEO has been recently awarded a £25,000 pay rise, equivalent to a 16.6 per cent increase in pay while our members feel lucky if they get a 4 or 5 per cent pay rise.

"This is against a backdrop of cost-cutting, voluntary redundancies and further cuts in the future. The academisation model is broken and the Brooke Weston Trust only reinforces this fact.

"Fat cat salaries at the expense of fewer staff and or resources is not a trade-off our members would choose. Academy trusts are not accountable enough and their value for money ought to be questioned. We need complete transparency and accountability over financial decision making, whether it is excessive top-slicing or fat cat salaries."

Simon Reilly, NEU branch secretary, added: “These redundancies won’t just hit the central team - they invariably filter down to classrooms. Pupils lose support staff; teachers take on extra duties. None of this helps education in our communities.”

While trust officials argue centralisation of backroom services yields operational efficiencies, critics say that every pound diverted to overheads is a pound not spent on teachers, classroom aides, or educational resources.

The NEU is now urging Brooke Weston Trust to fully account for the impact of its budget extraction and to clarify exactly where savings will be implemented.

Phil Monk added: “Staff aren’t opposed to efficiencies - but we demand transparency on what’s being cut, where the money is going, and how much schools are bearing the brunt.”

It has been indicated that final decisions on redundancies will be made after voluntary submissions close in mid-July. The trust says it will prioritise voluntary exits over compulsory redundancies.

The NEU will be holding an online meeting for its Brooke Weston Trust members on July 14 for discussion of the issues.