AN MP has called for a meeting with a school trust over the culture of fear its staff say they are working in.

James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, has called for a meeting with the Southend East Community Academy Trust (SECAT) following a report by the Echo on Wednesday.

An investigation into SECAT, which runs six schools in the Southend area, found staff and volunteers worked in a culture of fear and were afraid to question decisions for fear of victimisation.

Mr Duddridge said: “I am deeply concerned by this report and I will be requesting a meeting with the Southend East Community Academy Trust, who I hope will address these findings as a matter of urgency.”

The report was commissioned by SECAT trustees last year following the sacking of Thorpedene Primary School’s governing body in July.

Allegations have been made of bullying from the CEO Ruth Brock, and although the investigator ruled there was not evidence of intentional bullying, the defensiveness of management had led to people being left in fear.

Since the Echo published the report, concerns have also been voiced from parents of school children under SECAT about changes to teaching staff, and a reduction in personnel numbers.

One parent with two children in one of the schools said: “There’s a lot of people that are really unsettled by what is going on.”

A retired teacher with a long-standing history of education in Southend said: “The report was very accurate in that every headteacher has suffered immensely due to having to make cuts in staff, particularly office staff which has in turn caused extreme bad feeling and resentment in the schools.

“I went into teaching very many years ago for the good of the children and to do everything in my power to improve their lives and their education and, more importantly, encourage them to look for a happy and well-rounded outlook on life.

“It seems others must have entered the world of education for rather more personal reasons.”

Mum Gemma Adkins said staff morale can have an impact on the children.

She said: “I’ve got four kids in full time education and I have to admit the sudden change in teachers in and out is very confusing and is very alarming to them.

“Children are a lot more ‘with it’ than the teachers give them credit for and a lot more aware of the goings on around them.

“So much change in such a small time is very unsettling, it’s no wonder teachers are concerned.”

Shoebury Residents Association have previously said the trust had declined to talk to them in autumn after several meetings about their concerns.

SECAT was contacted by the Echo but did not respond.