A DECISION is due to be made next month on whether to temporarily close the sixth-form at Poole’s St Aldhelm’s Academy after it struggled to fill places.

The school in Herbert Avenue has currently only seven Year 13 students and one Year 12 student, and a consultation will decide whether it is financially viable for the school to continue running a sixth-form.

Principal Sian Thomas said no students were recruited into sixth form this year or last year, and the school would be focussing on achieving a good or outstanding Ofsted rating for the main body of the school in the meantime.

The academy has been endeavouring to improve after it was placed in special measures in October 2014 and given the lowest rating of ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted.

But since the Ambitions Academies Trust (AAT) took over the school in June and put in a new leadership team, it has been thriving and received glowing praise in its latest Ofsted report.

If the sixth-form closure goes ahead, it will take effect once Year 13 students have completed their studies. Current Year 11s have been applying to outside colleges and sixth-forms.

“Our decision to remain open as a sixth form depends on three factors: whether it’s in the best interests of the children, whether it’s in the best interests of the wider community, and, importantly, whether it is viable financially,”Ms Thomas explained.

“If we ultimately have 200 students in our sixth form, it will be a major turnaround for this school and we will be in a different situation to look at a sixth-form.”

She added if the school does close its sixth-form, it would look into partnering with at least one other school to provide a combined place of study for post-16 level students.

“It’s a long-term discussion for St Aldhem’s, but it’s an exciting opportunity,” she said.