A full house is expected at a public meeting later this month for the community to share their views on secondary school education in St Neots.  

Anthony Browne, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, is hosting the event which now has a waiting list to attend. 

It will take place at the Citizen Hub in Market Square on June 21, 2024. 

A survey he conducted revealed 92 per cent of the 566 respondents are not confident in the leadership at Longsands Academy and Ernulf Academy.  

Both are run by the Astrea Academy Trust – and Longsands Academy was awarded a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating last month.  

Mr Browne said on Facebook: “Whilst this is an improvement on their previous rating, it has flagged serious concerns about how the Astrea Trust is managing both Ernulf and Longsands Academies.  

“It is clear that the relationship between the trust and many parents has broken down.  

“Out of 783 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey, only 14 per cent of parents would recommend Longsands and 69 per cent disagree with the statement that their child is happy at the school.  

“This is deeply worrying.” 

The Hunts Post: Anthony Browne, is the Conservative parliamentary candidate for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire.Anthony Browne, is the Conservative parliamentary candidate for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire. (Image: Stephen Frost)Mr Browne has now met with the trust's leadership and an Astrea spokesperson said it was “able to provide assurances on the improvements” it is making.  

She added: “We have also reached out to local councillors to keep them updated on our progress, and are happy to engage with any local candidates where they have an interest in education locally.”   

Cllr Stephen Ferguson, the constituency's independent Parliamentary Candidate, has been following the issue.  

He said: “I’ve been involved with speaking to lots of parents individually, I’ve been in to talk to the school, I’ve also talked to some staff members. I absolutely hear their concerns.  

“When we visited Longsands earlier in the year, I told the CEO and the headteacher the condition of my continued support was a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating.  

“If that didn’t happen, a group of us would be ready to write to the Regional Educational Director [Department for Education] and request Astrea to give up one of their schools.  

“So I offered Astrea a robust challenge and they’ve met that challenge.” 

The Hunts Post: Cllr Stephen Ferguson, an Independent candidate for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire.Cllr Stephen Ferguson, an Independent candidate for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire. (Image: Cllr Stephen Ferguson)Cllr Ferguson now wants to see the school aspire to reaching an “Outstanding” rating and have the community work together to reach that goal.  

Meanwhile, Ian Sollom, the Lib Dems candidate for the upcoming election, congratulated students and staff at Longsands Academy for the Ofsted result.  

However, he said: “I am deeply concerned that Astrea’s approach in recent years both at Longsands and Ernulf has created deep divides between school leadership, parents and the wider community in St Neots.” 

Mr Sollom said he was also concerned with the Ofsted Parent View survey results “when there is a crisis in young people’s mental health” and that “high staff turnover has created an unstable learning environment”. 

The Hunts Post: Ian Sollom, the Liberal Democrat candidate for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire.Ian Sollom, the Liberal Democrat candidate for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire. (Image: Ian Sollom)He added: “While welcome, this Ofsted report should not simply be taken as an endorsement of an approach that has alienated so many.  

“The instability must end and the divides now bridged.” 

Green Party candidate Kathryn Fisher says academisation is not the answer to education and the greens advocate for a more child-centred approach to learning.  

The Hunts Post: Kathryn Fisher, the Green Party candidate for the St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire constituency.Kathryn Fisher, the Green Party candidate for the St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire constituency. (Image: Supplied)She said: “We believe that the education of our children should build on the skills and interests of each particular child and should move away from the targets-based and exam-driven model favoured by the Conservatives.” 

One of their policies is to reduce class sizes to a maximum of 20 students per class. 

It also opposes the creation of more academies and would integrate current academies into the Local Authority school system.   

Parliamentary candidates Marianna Masters (Labour) and Guy Lachlan (Reform) were both approached to comment on this issue.      

Astrea Academy Trust’s spokesperson says it is “now in a position to build on the foundations” of the “Good” Ofsted ratings at Longsands Academy and St Ivo Academy, in St Ives.