[7][8] In November 2015, WCAT was one of 5 "top performing" academy trusts to receive a share of £5m government grant funding to improve schools in the north of England.

In October, it was reported that the trust had made payments of £440,000 to companies owned by its interim CEO, Mike Ramsey and his daughter.

[4] The Department for Education agreed to the transfer of all WCAT schools to new sponsor organisations, with the trust continuing to operate during the "re-brokering" process.

"[18] In October 2017, the Department for Education announced details of which academy trusts were its "preferred sponsors" for the WCAT schools and began a period of consultation with interested parties.

[19] In October 2017, Wakefield City Academies Trust was accused of "asset stripping" when it was reported to have transferred funds away from the schools it managed, including hundreds of thousands of pounds raised for them by volunteers.

[20][21][14] The transferred funds stood to be lost included: In December 2017, West Yorkshire Police confirmed they were investigating WCAT's conduct after receiving information from Wakefield Council.

[27] Concerns over high costs related to Mexborough Academy's private finance initiative contract delayed its transfer.

Mary Creagh, MP for Wakefield, called for the return of the funds to "the schools who were so badly affected by the trust's collapse".