A CHARITY foundation has hit out at suggestions it wants to take over Darwen Vale High School and ‘run it for profit’.

As reported in the Lancashire Telegraph yesterday, the school is set to be forced into academy status by the Department for Education, which has chosen the Aldridge Foundation as its preferred sponsor to run it.

Council bosses and unions slammed the plans, which would see the charity, run by former Capita boss Sir Rod Aldridge, overseeing both of the town’s secondary schools.

NASUWT executive member John Girdley said yesterday: “If the DfE gets its way a predatory southern based academy chain will take over Darwen Vale to run it for profit and the children and staff will be the losers.”

A spokesman for the Aldridge Foundation said: “This is a matter between the DfE, Darwen Vale and the local authority.

“But we do wish to clarify that the Foundation is a registered charity which does not profit in any way whatsoever from sponsoring schools.

“Neither are we a chain. Each of our five sponsored academies are locally governed by its own independent charitable trust.

“The Aldridge Foundation is immensely proud of the success of Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, our first sponsored academy, and the achievements of DACA’s students and staff.”

Meanwhile, school governors, who last night rejected the DfE’s push for them to accept the Aldridge Foundation as sponsors, are set to meet next week to discuss their options going forward.

Blackburn with Darwen Council executive member for education Coun Dave Harling said: “We understand that the governing body is due to meet next week to look in depth at the options and we cannot comment further until that meeting has taken place.

“We will continue to work with the school to ensure the children’s education remains the highest priority throughout what is likely to be a challenging period.”