Conservative MP expresses concern about drop in pupil numbers at comprehensive run by controversial academy trust

A Conservative MP has raised concerns about falls in the number of pupils at a controversial academy trust’s large comprehensive in his constituency, in a sign that political pressure on the chain is continuing.

Ben Obese-Jecty, the recently-elected MP for Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, wrote on Facebook that he was worried about a “precipitous drop” in the number of students entering the sixth form at St Ivo Academy in the town of St Ives, which is one of the largest schools run by Sheffield-based Astrea Academy Trust.

He added that he was concerned about a “drop” in the number of pupils entering year seven at the school, and “puzzled” about the fact that St Ivo was undersubscribed, given “the continued growth of the local population”.

The comments seem to underline concerns that some parents and pupils may be voting with their feet, in the face of Astrea’s highly centralised approach to the way its schools are run which has proven controversial, especially given that St Ivo is the only state secondary in the town of St Ives.

Education Uncovered reported back in September that both St Ivo and another Astrea secondary in Cambridgeshire, Longsands in St Neots, had seen sixth form numbers plummeting under the trust: before it joined, St Ivo had 145 in year 12 as of 2018-19, but Mr Obese-Jecty reported the current figure as just 38.