Auditors give Telford school 'red' rating for mistakes
Primary school staff “frequently” used a government purchasing card to buy gifts, according to an auditors’ report.
Sir Alexander Fleming Primary School, in Sutton Hill, Madeley, was given a “red” rating after an inspection late last year.
In a new report due to go before councillors next week, principal auditor Tracey Drummond marked the 380-pupil school down for this and other accounting mistakes.
But Telford and Wrekin Council said the school had since been given a “green” rating in a follow-up audit.
In the report Ms Drummond states: “An audit review commenced in September 2018, to provide an opinion on the risk, governance and control environment for Sir Alexander Fleming Primary School and to contribute to the service area’s objectives and improvement of processes.
“At the time of the audit the findings determined that there were several areas of concern.
“These included the use of £20,000 from the single-status savings to balance the 2018-19 delegated budget, the frequent use of the Government Procurement Card to purchase of staff gifts, and VAT not being treated in the appropriate manner.”
A Government Procurement Card is a payment system for public-sector organisations. Staff authorised to use them are expected to comply with their department’s procedures.
Inspections
The report does not state the value of the gifts, nor the number of times the card was misused.
Sir Alexander Fleming Primary was given a “good” rating by Ofsted in March 2018, but was one of two schools to have been rated “red” by council auditors.
The other, Southall School in Dawley, was inspected in June 2018.
The secondary special school was criticised for its “lack of understanding regarding financial reconciliations” and “lack of verification” when checking payroll and financial records.
A fresh inspection was scheduled for this month.
Two other schools were audited during the same period. Queenswood Primary School, in Ketley Bank, received a “yellow” rating while Newport’s Burton Borough School was rated “green”. All four schools’ inspections took place over seven to 12 days.
The inspection details are in a report due to go before the council’s seven-member audit committee on Tuesday.
By Alex Moore, Local Democracy Reporter
