Boss of under-fire academy resigns after MPs' letter

The chief executive of an academy trust has stepped down after a group of MPs wrote a letter asking it to address "significant concerns" raised by parents and staff over planned job losses.

The letter was sent after St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi-Academy Trust - which runs several schools in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and East Staffordshire - announced redundancies and pay cuts.

Trust bosses said it was forced to make "unpopular" decisions after operating at a "considerable deficit for the past four years".

It has now been announced that chief executive Kevin Gritton has resigned following the letter's release along with the launch of a petition calling for him to step down.

Staff members at nine of the trust's schools began strike action in April over the decision to cut jobs.

National Education Union (NEU) said the move was taken in response to "mass job cuts" and the downgrading of posts across the trust, which runs 20 primary schools and five secondary schools.

In their letter, MPs said they had held meetings with parents, staff, pupils, and former pupils, who wanted to express their "alarm at the impact these changes may have on children's education".

They listed concerns about the distribution of cuts among the schools and the effect on students and SEND provision.

The letter was signed by Erewash MP Adam Thompson, Derby North MP Catherine Atkinson, Derby South MP Baggy Shanker, Mid Derbyshire MP Jonathan Davies, Derbyshire Dales MP John Whitby, High Peak MP Jon Pearce, South Derbyshire MP Samantha Niblett, Amber Valley MP Linsey Farnsworth and Juliet Campbell, MP for Broxtowe.

"We fully recognise that multi-academy trusts face financial pressures and that difficult decisions are sometimes unavoidable," the letter said.

"However, it is essential that such decisions are made transparently, fairly, and with a clear focus on protecting the quality of education and support available to pupils."

In response to the letter, Sarah Noon, chair of the trust's board, said it had been "operating at a considerable deficit for the past four years and has become reliant on additional financial support from the government".

She said savings identified across their schools were based on the report written by a school resource management adviser, who was deployed by the Department for Education to the trust in September 2025.

"All decisions have been made with headteachers to ensure that every school is able to deploy staffing as effectively as possible for pupils, based on the school's funding and pupil numbers," she said.

She added the trust "operates a culture of openness and transparency" and had shared all the data it had been asked to provide.

A petition calling for a vote of no confidence in the leadership was launched by the Unison union last week and has had more than 1,300 signatures.

A statement with the petition said the decisions "risk undermining the quality of education, support for vulnerable pupils, and the Catholic mission of schools within the trust".

Kevin Gritton and the Department of Education have been approached for comment.

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