An academies chief executive is a governor for 19 of the schools he heads up – contrary to the recommendations of a recent government report.

Sir Dan Moynihan is head of the Harris Federation which has nine schools across the News Shopper patch including ones in Welling, Shortlands, Bromley, Beckenham, Crystal Palace and Eltham.

He is a governor on more than half of the 35 primaries and secondaries despite a recent government inquiry which said a person should not be governor for more than two schools at one time.

The ‘Trojan Horse’ report looked at extremism in Birmingham schools and explored how educational establishments could be made more accountable.

The report’s author Peter Clarke recommended people should not be governors for more than two schools to prevent one person having “undue influence”.

He said: “Unless there are genuinely exceptional circumstances, there should be a presumption that an individual will only be a governor at a maximum of two schools at any one time.

“All local authorities and multi-academy trusts should review their current governor arrangements and where they identify an individual holding multiple positions they should consider the appropriate steps to ensure that a wider range of people are able to hold governor positions and no single individual has undue influence over a number of schools.”

This Is Local London: Harris Academy South Norwood

A Harris Academy spokesman said: "As a multi-academy trust, governance ultimately lies with the Harris Federation, so it is wholly appropriate the chief executive of the Federation is accessible through governance at a local level.

“We believe that this maintains and strengthens the relationship between the Federation and its individual schools, improving accountability.

“This may be why so many of the Federation’s schools receive an outstanding rating from Ofsted on their leadership and management."

One of the schools Sir Dan Moynihan is governor of is Harris Academy in The Green, Welling. It recently won an ‘Outstanding’ rating from Ofsted.

The role of a school governor is to help with school strategy, hold the headteacher to account and ensure the budget is properly managed.

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