Plymouth Studio School has announced that it is set to become the 19th studio school to close, following a damning Ofsted report.

The disclosure follows yesterday’s announcement that the Isle of Wight Studio School will shut after experiencing problems recruiting sixth-formers.

Studio schools are a type of free school designed for pupils aged 14-19 to “address the growing gap between the skills and knowledge that young people require to succeed, and those that the current education system provides”, by focusing on teaching through “enterprise projects and real work” in partnership with local employers.

Mark Cahill, headteacher of Plymouth Studio School, said: “We are extremely sorry to be announcing this news, which we recognise will come as a disappointment to parents and pupils. Our primary concern now is the future wellbeing and best outcomes for our pupils. 

‘Sufficient places’ elsewhere for pupils

“We are assured by the local authority that there are sufficient places in the city’s secondary schools to accommodate all studio school pupils, and my staff will be working closely with the local authority, the regional schools commissioner and others to ensure a smooth transition for all of our pupils to their new schools. 

“Our focus for the rest of the year will continue to be on providing the very best teaching, learning and assessment we can for our pupils.”

The school is now entering a “listening period” in which parents and interested parties can give their views on the proposed closure, with the Department for Education expected to take a final decision in July.

The school said that the Ofsted report, which has not yet been published, rates the school “inadequate” and “identifies a number of fundamental areas for improvement and whilst it was recognised that the current management team at the school has made some improvements, unfortunately insufficient timely progress has been made”.

Mr Cahill added: “A number of issues identified by Ofsted have already been addressed, including a safeguarding review, which was completed earlier in the month. My staff and I remain absolutely committed to addressing the other areas for improvement identified in the Ofsted report.”