CLOSING Poole’s troubled St Aldhelm’s Academy must be an option if it cannot be turned around quickly, an MP has claimed.

The Rossmore academy, one of the worst performing in the country, closed its doors to all pupils on Friday except those in year 11 and will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday. 

Bournemouth Echo:

The sudden closure, blamed on staff shortages and health and safety concerns, was announced by text and Facebook page at 9.45pm on Thursday, giving parents very little time to make childcare arrangements.

Several Year 11 pupils who did turn up to lessons were immediately sent home for not wearing school uniform.

Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West and Alderney, said: “We need ground zero now. We must step right back and refocus on the situation. Every option has got to be on the table, whether it’s closure, splitting the campus so St Aldhelm’s becomes a studio school or bringing in a new sponsor.

“There is no difference in my judgement between the calibre and talent of the students who go into the Bourne Academy and those who go into St Aldhelm’s. Something is fundamentally, unacceptably wrong there.

“What we need is a new governing body, because the old governing body are inextricably linked to the previous failure, and a new sponsor who is absolutely committed to the academy and it just needs to happen quickly.”

It’s understood around 50 year 11 pupils turned up at school on Friday. Angry parents of younger pupils took to the school’s Facebook page to comment on the post about the closure.

One parent said: “What a time of night to put this on for people who work. Trying to sort childcare.”

Another added: “This school is failing all its pupils.”

When the Daily Echo contacted the school it was told “no comment”. 

A spokesman for the Diocese of Salisbury, which part-sponsors the academy, said: “Due to a large number of staff remaining absent through illness, Years 7-10 at St Aldhelm’s Academy, a school the Diocese sponsors in Poole, will remain closed on Monday, February 9, and Tuesday, February 10. Year 11 and the Sixth Form will remain open as normal.

“Parents have been informed of this decision this afternoon.

“The Diocese regrets the inconvenience this will undoubtedly cause to many parents. It is a decision we have only taken after exhausting all other options.”

The academy in Herbert Avenue, which teaches 469 pupils aged 11 to 19, was again among the worst performing schools in the country when league tables were released last week. It was ranked inadequate by Ofsted in October and placed in special measures.

Cllr Tony Trent, who represents Alderney for the Liberal Democrats and is an “old boy” of the school, described the situation as “very frustrating” and said one of the problems was that it had no long term sponsor, after the Diocese of Salisbury stepped aside.

“There are a lot of youngsters in that school that could do well and will do well but it’s going to drag quite a few others down with this vacuum. You can’t plan for the future when you don’t know who your future is with. It needs sorting out sooner rather than later,” he said. 

Cllr Janet Walton, cabinet member for families and young people at the Borough of Poole, said: “We have been notified by the school and its sponsor of the decision to close today, and we are in regular contact with them.

“We will continue to support the school, sponsor, Department for Education and Regional Schools Commissioner to improve outcomes for all students at St Aldhelm’s.”

Pupils and parents shocked by decision to close 

St Aldhelm’s Academy pupils and parents hit out at the school for its shock decision to close to all but year 11 students.

Kyra Bartlett, 15, was one of those sent home for not wearing school uniform. She said: “The notification on Facebook didn’t say anything about wearing uniform but as soon as I walked in the door someone stopped me and just sent me home. It seemed a bit silly, why do you need to be in uniform when there’s hardly anyone there?

“They hardly have any staff, the day before I had no teacher for my last two lessons.”

Her mother Dawn Cummings, of Livingstone Road, said: “I think it’s disgusting. It’s her GCSE year and she is willing to knuckle down and study but gets to school and there are no teachers.

“There has been lots of empty promises and meetings but they’ve all come to nothing. It’s so frustrating because it’s totally out of my hands. I can’t send her to a different school, it’s her last year.”

Courtney Sherman, 16, who was also sent home for not wearing uniform, said: “I thought it was pretty stupid. The school was almost completely closed, it’s not going to make a difference if you are in uniform or not.”

Asked to describe what it was like studying at the school, she said: “It’s chaos, I will admit that. The open space learning doesn’t work at all, you’ve got year nines and 10s in the same room, it distracts you from learning.

“I’ve had an English teacher leave and two maths teachers leave, it’s not good.”

Parent David Wood, a hotel consultant and charity co-ordinator, said he was “disgusted” the school had been closed.

“I missed an important appointment this morning so I was fuming, I wanted an explanation,” he said.

“We spoke to the principal who said the school would be closed on Monday and Tuesday as well – he put it down to not having enough teachers.”

But another year 11 pupil, who did not want to be named, said: “There were just a few people who turned up in non-uniform and were sent home.

“As far as we’re concerned it was just a normal school day, just without the younger pupils. There have been quite a few teachers in and we’ve been having normal lessons.

“I’m on target or above target in all my subjects and I really don’t have a problem with the school.”