Star Academies

Star Academies
FounderSir (Mufti) Hameed Patel
TypeAcademy Trust
Registration no.07353849
HeadquartersShadsworth Rd, Blackburn BB1 2HT
LocationBlackburn
Region served
United Kingdom, primarily England
Services4-18 education
Key people
Sir (Mufti) Hamid Patel, CEO
Websitestaracademies.org
Formerly called
Tauheedul Education Trust

Star Academies is a multi-academy trust (MAT) that operates 36 free schools and academies. There are nineteen secondary schools and nine primary schools under the jurisdiction of the trust.

As a multi-academy trust, Star Academies is an exempt charity regulated by the Department for Education. 21 of the schools under Star Academy have Muslim religious character, 10 of which have been rated Outstanding by Ofsted, with the other 5 still waiting to be graded.

The trust's change of name from Tauheedul Education Trust followed its change of focus; it had originally only been responsible for Islamic schools, but expanded to secular and Christian schools. In 2022, the school was planning to open three additional free schools in the north of England in partnership with Eton College. After a pause to review the proposals, in 2025 it was announced that two of the schools would be approved whilst the proposed college in Middlesbrough would be cancelled.

Controversies

In February 2019, specific concerns about the performance of Highfield Leadership Academy led the DfE to issue a "minded to terminate" letter to the trust, suggesting that they might remove the trust's funding for this school.

However in September 2019, Ofsted stated that the academy had much improved. In February 2020, Ofsted wrote:

Since the last monitoring inspection, more pupils are benefiting from high-quality teaching. Many teachers present subject matter in a way that helps pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding." Although, Ofsted have still identified areas for improvement, the academy stands today as a good school, albeit a strict one.

In 2025, members of the National Education Union at The Valley Leadership Academy voted in favour of striking over Star Academies' introduction of a virtual maths teacher, eventually taking part in two days of strike action in December 2025. The virtual teacher, based 300 miles away in Devon, was a part of a pilot scheme by the trust that aimed to overcome difficulties finding subject-specific teachers. In response to the backlash, Star Academies stated that they did not intend for the scheme's rollout, which currently includes three virtual teachers across its schools, to be widespread.

Secondary schools

References

  1. ↑ Diamond, Colin; Waters, M. (2022). The Birmingham Book: Lessons in urban education leadership and policy from the Trojan Horse affair. Crown House Publishing. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-78583-609-1. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Star Academies". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Department for Education. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "Regulation of schools and academies with exempt charity status". gov.uk. Department for Education. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  4. ↑ Robertson, Alix (22 July 2018). "Tauheedul rebrands as 'Star' as non-faith provision expands". schoolsweek.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  5. ↑ Lundie, David (2022). School Leadership between Community and the State: The Changing Civic Role of Schooling. Palgrave Studies in Global Citizenship Education and Democracy. Springer International Publishing. p. 193. ISBN 978-3-030-99834-9. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  6. ↑ Miah, Shamim; Sanderson, Pete; Thomas, Paul (2020). 'Race,' Space and Multiculturalism in Northern England: The (M62) Corridor of Uncertainty. Palgrave Politics of Identity and Citizenship Series. Springer International Publishing. p. 232. ISBN 978-3-030-42032-1. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  7. ↑ Halliday, Josh (21 March 2022). "Headteacher defends plan for free 'Etons of the north' sixth forms". the Guardian. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  8. ↑ Adams, Richard (22 October 2024). "Ministers pause plans to open 44 new state schools in England". the Guardian. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  9. ↑ Camden, Billy (11 December 2025). "Eton gets go-ahead to develop 2 of 3 elite sixth forms". Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Middlesbrough's Eton Star Partnership free college scrapped". BBC News. 14 December 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  11. ↑ Hazell, Will (22 February 2019). "Star Academies school threatened with funding termination". Tes Magazine. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  12. ↑ Allen-Kinross, Pippa (22 February 2019). "Star warned it could lose 'inadequate' academy". Schools Week. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "Letter to the school from Ofsted, 2 July 2019" (PDF) – via Highfield Leadership Academy.
  14. ↑ Chantler-Hicks, Lydia (19 November 2025). "Staff to strike over school's use of 'dystopian' virtual teacher". Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "Valley Leadership Academy staff on strike over "virtual teacher"". BBC News. 3 December 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "Bacup school pupils to be taught maths by teacher 300 miles away". BBC News. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "Are remote teachers and AI deepfakes the answer to recruitment issues?". BBC News. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  18. ↑ Lucas, Ruth (4 August 2025). "Virtual teachers: No plans for widespread rollout, says Star". Retrieved 4 April 2026.