Did teachers at one controversial Astrea academy have to miss lessons to be on site at an Ofsted inspection at another?

Astrea's use of external staff during inspections feeds into the multi-faceted current debate about Ofsted.

Were lessons at one of a controversial academy trust’s secondary schools compromised because teachers were sent to a neighbouring institution to be on site for its Ofsted inspection?

Education Uncovered has heard that teachers at Longsands Academy, in St Neots, Cambridgeshire left their normal lessons to be on site for the inspection last month of Ernulf Academy, a second school in the town which is also run by Astrea Academy Trust.

The claim, which comes after the trust admitted that 25 extra staff were drafted in from outside to be on site at Longsands for its own inspection last year, was put to Astrea, but there was no response. If true, it would be the latest in a seemingly endless series of twists involving the management of Cambridgeshire secondaries by the 26-school trust, which is based 100 miles away in Sheffield.