Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy to join trust

Previous plans for the school to join London-based multi-academy trust Aldridge Education had met with protests from parents

The governors of a troubled academy school rated inadequate by Ofsted have agreed to join a multi-academy trust.

Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy (IPACA) in Dorset, whose principal resigned last month, will join Aspirations Academies Trust in September.

Its governing body said the move was "in the best interests of the children".

It was also announced 45 full-time jobs would be axed.

The school, which has 1,112 pupils aged from four to 19, was placed in special measures by Ofsted in January.

Joss Hayes, the school's principal, walked out at the end of last month.

The chairman and vice-chairman of IPACA board of governors resigned last year, and the school was issued with a government warning over its finances. Its main sponsor also announced it was pulling out.

An Ofsted inspection at IPACA took place in November

Catherine Shaw, chair of governors at IPACA, said: "We are going through a period of significant change and standards are slowly improving, but the current arrangements are not stable in the medium to long-term.

"IPACA needs a partner that can bring the skills and resources the school can't provide itself in order to rapidly improve and prevent more children receiving an education that is below expectations."

Aspirations Academies Trust currently runs 12 academies, three of which are in Dorset - Jewell Academy Bournemouth, Magna Academy Poole and Ocean Academy Poole.

It has a "proven track record of achieving rapid and sustained school improvement", with three of its academies rated outstanding, governors said.

The school had been due to join London-based multi-academy trust Aldridge Education in January.

The plans were met with protests from parents and in November Aldridge Foundation, the school's main sponsor, said the move would no longer go ahead and it would not continue as sponsor.