A TROUBLED academy trust which runs Bournemouth’s only inadequate-rated school is closing down with its four schools transferring to a bigger organisation.

Senior staff at the Avonbourne Trust have confirmed it will “no longer exist” from August 1.

They have denied claims that boys and girls from Avonbourne and Harewood Colleges will be taught together in the future although there are already some mixed classes in foundation subjects.

The Avonbourne Trust runs Harewood College, which was graded as Inadequate earlier this year.

The school, for boys aged 11-16, is on the same site as the Trust’s other settings, Avonbourne College, Avonbourne Sixth Form and Avonwood Primary School in Harewood Avenue.

Just weeks after the damning inspection at Harewood it was revealed that trust chief executive Debbie Godfrey-Phaure would be leaving at Easter. She had been off work for health reasons since January.

The trust’s four schools will be joining the United Learning Multi Academy Trust, which also runs Carter Community School in Poole and Glenmoor and Winton Academies in Bournemouth.

Former Magna Academy Principal Richard Tutt, dubbed Britain’s strictest head teacher, has also joined United Learning as its executive principal. When contacted by the Daily Echo, a spokesman for the Avonbourne Trust said: “There are no plans to merge Avonbourne and Harewood colleges.

“We can confirm, however, that Avonbourne Trust will no longer exist from August 1 and our four schools - Avonbourne College, Harewood College, Avonwood Primary and Avonbourne Sixth Form – will be joining United Learning.

“Our Trustees voluntarily took the decision in March of this year to enable a larger multi-academy trust to take on our schools. We took that decision as we believe it is the best way to ensure the rapid and sustained progress of Harewood College, and the continued success of Avonbourne College, Avonbourne Sixth Form and Avonwood Primary – all Ofsted Good rated schools. Larger multi-academy trusts are better resourced and will be well-placed to take our schools forward. United Learning is one of the country’s largest multi-academy trusts and has a fantastic track record. It already looks after local secondary schools. We welcome this new partnership and the opportunities it will bring to our students.