Officials at a Bournemouth-based academy trust have been asked to justify senior pay after recently published accounts showed a marked rise in top salaries, with one post listed in the £240,000–£250,000 band for the year ending 31 August 2025.
Department for Education seeks evidence on pay decisions
The Bishop of Winchester Academy Trust, which runs schools including the Bishop of Winchester Academy in Mallard Road, was one of 56 trusts contacted by the Department for Education (DfE) in November 2025 as part of an engagement exercise over executive pay. The DfE said trusts were selected because their highest-paid executive fell within the top one per cent nationally, or the top five per cent when pay was compared with peers.
Officials requested documentation from trust chairs showing that pay awards had followed the rules set out in the Academy Trust Handbook, which requires pay to represent value for money and to be defensible in the public sector.
"The engagement programme is intended to ensure high standards of transparency and accountability across academy trusts," the DfE said.
Accounts show rising numbers earning six figures
Published accounts for the trust show a steady upward movement in higher-paid roles over recent years. In 2023 the trust reported six staff receiving more than £60,000, including one in the £160,001–£170,000 bracket. By 2024 there were seven staff above £60,000 and the top salary band increased to £180,001–£190,000.
More recent figures for the year to August 2025 show three employees paid over £100,000, and the top earner recorded in the £240,000–£250,000 range.
| Financial year | Staff > £60,000 | Top salary band |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 6 | £160,001–£170,000 |
| 2024 | 7 | £180,001–£190,000 |
| Year to 31 Aug 2025 | 3 (£100,000+) | £240,000–£250,000 |
Local questions, national context
The trust was approached as part of a national review amid heightened scrutiny of academy pay. Reports earlier this month highlighted that a substantial number of academy chief executives nationally earn more than £200,000 a year, prompting government concern about pay levels in the sector.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is expected to propose a cap on academy trust leader pay of £174,000, with any salaries above that threshold requiring explicit government approval. The proposals are also likely to link future rises to teacher pay scales, aiming to constrain large increases at board or executive level.
The Bishop of Winchester Academy Trust publishes its financial statements in line with statutory reporting obligations. NEXO RADAR colleagues contacted the trust for a response to the DfE approach but had not received a reply at the time of publication.
What this means for Bournemouth parents and staff
For parents, pupils and staff in Bournemouth the inquiry raises questions about how public funding is allocated and whether executive pay reflects local priorities for education. Concerns often centre on whether large salaries at the top divert resources from classrooms and frontline services.
- Parents may want clarity on how salary levels are set and how they link to educational outcomes.
- Staff could seek assurances that pay awards are consistent with workforce pay policies and fair pay practice.
- Local councillors and community groups may press the trust for transparency over governance and value for money.
This is likely to be an unfolding story as ministers set out formal policy changes and the trust responds to the DfE’s request. For now, Bournemouth’s schools remain subject to the same national rules on reporting and accountability as all academy trusts, but the scale of recent pay increases at this trust has brought it into sharper local and national focus.
As ever with local education matters, the fine details of governance are what will determine whether public concern eases or grows. NEXO RADAR will follow any response from the trust and subsequent action from the DfE.
