St Ivo School has announced this morning (Monday) that it will be joining the Astrea Academy Trust.

The school is the fifth secondary school in the county to join Astrea, along with Longsands and Ernulf academies, in St Neots, and two special schools in Cambridge.

“Astrea has the very highest of expectations when it comes to academic results, but the trust’s aspirations far exceed the traditional concept of ‘schooling’,” said a statement from the trust.

Trust chief executive, Libby Nicholas, added: “We are absolutely delighted that St Ivo will be joining our growing family of schools in Cambridgeshire. At Astrea, we are absolutely passionate about delivering an education that ‘inspires beyond measure’.

“We focus on academic excellence, supported by the broadest range of enrichment opportunities encompassing arts, sports, music, debating, leadership and the community. We look forward to working with Sam Griffin and the team to ensure that every pupil has the best possible education throughout their time with us.”

Sam Griffin, principal of St Ivo, said: “I am delighted that St Ivo School has made the decision to join Astrea. As part of a trust with a strong regional and national presence we can work together to ensure continued improvement and success for students at the school. I have been impressed with vision and expertise of everyone at Astrea and we are all excited to be working with them.”

St Ivo is expected to formally join Astrea on March 1, 2019, with staff transferring to Astrea under TUPE arrangements.

Astrea Academy Trust is a multi academy trust that was set up as part of the DfE northern education fund initiative. The trust runs primary, secondary and post-16 provision with a specific focus on an ‘all through’ aspirational education.

There are now 25 academies in the trust.