A SUSPENDED school leader will continue to be paid his full six-figure salary for the foreseeable future.

Nardeep Sharma was suspended from his role as chief executive of the Thrive Partnership Academy Trust in March.

The reason is still unknown.

Latest available trust accounts show in 2017 Mr Sharma took home a salary between £130,000 and £135,000 and received up to £25,000 in pension contributions.

The trust had been running Colne Community School and College, in Brightlingsea, and Philip Morant School and College, in Colchester.

However Mr Sharma has not indicated if he will resign or when.

A Thrive trust spokesman said: “Mr Sharma remains suspended on full pay until the investigation process is concluded, as he is still employed by the trust.

“We are unable to comment further while this process is on-going, but we hope it will be finalised as quickly as possible for all concerned.

“The situation will become clearer once the investigation process has completed. “

Catherine Hutley, the trust’s former executive principal, was also suspended on full pay in March but resigned on August 31.

Mrs Hutley took home a salary between £110,000 and £115,000 – a pay rise of at least £5,000 from the year before.

It is understood she came to an agreement to step down - with colleagues recently calling for her to be issued with an apology.

Sigma Academy Trust is due to take over the schools.

But it will not appoint permanent headteachers until later on this academic year.

A number of headteachers were seconded to help run each school.

Neil Gallagher, principal at Clacton County High School, was appointed as interim executive headteacher at the Colne School and at Philip Morant School, Gillian Marshall, headteacher at Colchester County High School for Girls, was appointed interim executive head working with acting headteachers, Colin Green and Michelle Myer.

From this term Scott Holder, previously co-headteacher at Stanway School, has been appointed as interim executive headteacher at Philip Morant School.

A trust spokesman said: “Neil Gallagher will remain as interim headteacher until a new head is appointed later in this academic year.

“Scott Holder remains interim headteacher at Philip Morant until a new head is appointed later this academic year.”

The legal transfer of the schools is scheduled to take place by Christmas.

The group of individuals who decided Mr Sharma and Mrs Hutley should have been suspended said they did so following “risk assessments”.

Neil Jones, chairman of the Thrive Partnership Academy Trust, previously confirmed he was among those on the governance board who decided it was the best course of action.

He was on the trust board along with three members and several trustees, the latter of which had included Mr Sharma.