Falmouth Multi Academies Trust's (MAT) interim CEO has left her role less than two months after being appointed.

A decision on re-brokering the trust to a different organisation has also been delayed, signalling more uncertainty for parents, children and staff.

Sarah Karkeek, who is the CEO of Newquay Education Trust (NET), took over the Falmouth trust from Brett Miners last month after June's 'inadequate' Ofsted report.

Read more: Falmouth MAT trustee apologises to parents 

She had been dividing her time between Falmouth and Newquay and was expected to leave her Newquay role this year.

Ms Karkeek will instead now be returning to work with the Newquay trust full-time.

In a letter to parents, Falmouth MAT's trustees said that the Newquay trustees had asked Ms Karkeek to return to work with them.

They added that the Falmouth role requires "substantially more" of a time commitment than the two days per week Ms Karkeek had been working.

Falmouth trustees are "urgently" seeking to appoint a new CEO.

The week before Ms Karkeek was appointed, it was announced that Falmouth MAT would be re-brokered to a different trust after its Ofsted finding.

Read more: "Come and speak to us and we will listen," says new Falmouth MAT trustee 

The Headteacher board for South-West England had originally planned to come to a decision about the re-brokering at its October 21 meeting with a view to complete the process by September 2020.

This decision has now been deferred to the November 18 meeting, which means a "slightly longer period of uncertainty than expected," according to Falmouth MAT trustees.

Phil Orwin, interim chair of Falmouth MAT's trustees, said that the delay will not affect the proposed September 2020 re-brokering date.

Falmouth MAT trustees' letter in full:

Dear Parents and Carers,

Falmouth MAT – Interim CEO.

We wanted to let you know that our Interim CEO, Sarah Karkeek will be leaving her role with Falmouth MAT with effect from the end of this month, Thursday 31st October.

This may come as something of a surprise, given the short period of time Sarah has been with us, but a number of factors have combined to make it clear that this is the right decision for both Sarah and the MAT.

Sarah’s primary employment is still with Newquay Educational Trust. She had expected to be enjoying a phased retirement from this role but the NET Trustees have requested that she return to work with the Trust on a full-time basis for another year.

It has also become apparent that the role of Interim CEO of Falmouth MAT, in order to give proper attention to all three of our MAT schools, requires a commitment of substantially more than the two days per week initially envisaged and which Sarah agreed to undertake.

This has only been reinforced by the fact that a decision on the re-brokering of the MAT by the Head Teacher Board has now been deferred to their November meeting, meaning a slightly longer period of uncertainty than expected.

The Trustees are already in the process of urgently seeking a new full-time Interim CEO to take forward the excellent work already underway.

We would like to thank Sarah warmly, on behalf of the Trustees and the Governors, staff, pupils and parents of Falmouth, St Francis and King Charles Schools, for all that she has achieved over the past seven weeks and we wish her well as she returns to the Newquay Educational Trust.

Best wishes,

Phil Orwin, Karen Bond, Bill Stuart-White, Dave Baker, Mark Eades,

The Trustees