LIVERPOOL’S three academies are owed more than £1m in sponsorship from their private backers – government accounts obtained by the Daily Post reveal.

In return for sponsoring the Government-backed schools, backers are able to play a pivotal role in the way it is run and have an input into its curriculum.

But, according to official government tables, as of March, the North Liverpool Academy in Anfield is still waiting to see a penny of its £1m from sponsors Granada Learning – nearly three years after opening.

Despite a number of attempts yesterday, neither the academy nor Granada Learning were available to comment on the lack of payment.

Belvedere Academy, in Princes Park, which opened in 2007, had not received any of its £980,000 from sponsors The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) and HSBC.

But last night a GDST spokeswoman told the Daily Post that “both the GDST and HSBC have completely met all our financial obligations”.

The spokeswoman said, as originally agreed with the Government, “contributions would be paid over four months from June this year” and the first instalment had been paid.