Online live course learning provider has changed its website to list Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and Commons Education Committee Chairman Robert Halfon as “supporters” rather than “sponsors.” , following concerns about their involvement.
Until earlier today, the Invicta National Academy had listed the two Tory MPs as “sponsors” in a list of people who it said had “provided significant public, personal and financial support for the establishment. initial “of the academy.
However, this has now been amended this morning to describe the two politicians as supporters who have “given significant personal support, including words of encouragement and praise”.
This follows controversy over an article in a national newspaper, which described the online academy as offering free live lessons to students who had been “failed by public schools.”
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Invicta National Academy was established last year in response to the Covid crisis by teacher and former Lance Corporal Stephen James and Anna Firth, a lawyer and Conservative District Councilor.
Mr. James is also the founder of the Conservative Friends of Education Group.
Mr Halfon tweeted his support for the project on the back of a Mail on Sunday article and said he said he hoped the Education Department would support him.
A must-read report by @MarkHookham @DailyMailUK on a new extraordinary disruptor of education @ InvictaAcadémie executed by @StephenJamesGBR @Anna_Firth educate thousands of students across England ‘for free’ in an interactive way in math and English. Hope @educationgovuk supports 👇 pic.twitter.com/6s0Kea01kt
– Robert Halfon MP -Working hard for Harlow- (@ halfon4harlowMP) January 24, 2021
However, this led to questions on social media about the academy’s ties to senior Tory politicians, as Mr Halfon and Mr Williamson were listed as sponsors until this morning.
However, Mr Halfon said Your today that he had no direct involvement with the Invicta National Academy.
He said, “I’m a supporter because I think it’s a great idea and it looks like they’re doing a great job, but I’m not a financial supporter. I have no contractual or financial implication with this.
As of 9:15 am today, the two were still included in a section on academy sponsors. However, it was later amended to refer to them as supporters.
The Ministry of Education and the National Invicta Academy have been approached for comment.
Invicta’s website states that its vision is to offer students in Milestones 1 through 4 the opportunity to receive ‘live’ and ‘interactive’ math and English lessons, which will allow them to gain experience. confidence and catch up on learning lost due to Covid-19.
He says he delivered over three million minutes of live learning.
