Full Breakdown
Investigation Finds Multiple Financial Breaches at Nottingham’s Stone Soup Academy
By Drooid · · How we work
Mismanagement and Rule Breaches
An investigation launched by the Department for Education (DfE) in 2025 concluded that Stone Soup Academy, a single-academy trust for pupils not in mainstream education, breached seven provisions of the Academy Trust Handbook. The breaches included:
- Spending £36,156 on a 2022-2023 enrichment trip to New York for six pupils, far exceeding the original £10,000 budget and the revised £16,000 estimate.
- Using £1,200 of publicly funded money on alcohol for an 10-year anniversary event that cost a total of £8,500.
- Granting a head teacher a 13.7 % pay rise without a documented, evidence-based process.
- Failing to provide a clear audit trail, procurement evidence, or value-for-money justification for the above expenditures.
Background and Governance Context
Stone Soup Academy originated from the Stone Soup Project, a social-enterprise founded in 2007. The project became one of England’s first free schools, opening officially as Stone Soup Academy in 2012. Founder Chris Manze returned as principal in July (year unspecified) after the investigation began, describing his role as “part-time” and noting that he had taken on accounting-officer duties to stabilise the school’s finances.
Data and Statistics
| Item | Reported Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New York trip (2022-2023) | £36,156 | Initial budget £10,000; revised budget £16,000 |
| 10-year anniversary event | £8,500 | £1,200 spent on alcohol, classified as prohibited use of trust funds |
| Head-teacher pay rise | 13.7 % increase | No documented justification found |
Official Statements & Responses
The Stone Soup Learns Trust, which oversees the academy, reported that the accounting officer and trustees responsible for the historic decisions left the organisation, and new trustees assumed control at the end of March 2026. The trust added that it has:
- Strengthened internal controls and finance systems so that expenditure cannot be approved without proper authorisation.
- Commissioned an external governance review by the National Governance Association (NGA).
- Appointed a new chief financial officer from a local multi-academy trust with DfE approval.
The academy retains an “outstanding” Ofsted rating, a status it has held since 2014.
Verbatim Quote
“The trust could not evidence the necessary procurement, value-for-money or approval processes, and we accept this was unacceptable.” — Chris Manze, school founder
What’s Next
The DfE’s forthcoming determination will set the next compliance actions for Stone Soup Academy. The trust’s board is actively seeking additional trustees to further reinforce governance.