St Neots and mid cambs deserve a third secondary school

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St Neots, and the surrounding villages, are served by two mainstream secondary schools, both managed by the same multi-school academy trust, and both rated as “needs improvement” by OFSTED. Whereas parents from Huntingdon, St Ives and Ramsey all have a choice of schools rated as “Good” by OFSTED, St Neots parents have none. 

In April 2017, weeks before the last County Council elections, the Department of Education awarded Advantage Schools (who run the “Outstanding” Bedford Free School) the right to open a new Government funded Free School in St Neots.

All that the County Council had to do was find a site for the school in St Neots. Unfortunately, after two years of procrastination, no site was identified, and the opportunity to open a £22m school was lost. It is hard to justify that – in one of the fastest growing towns in the East of England (with the planned construction of 4000 new homes) – that no site could be found for a 600 pupil school. Judging from the minutes of the Children and Young People Committee meetings (in which our current County Councillor is a member), and the lack of outrage in the media, it seems that St Neots’ County Councillors were unconcerned about this decision, and apparently the standard of secondary education provision in St Neots.

Fortunately, a Freedom of Information request by a St Neots East parent revealed that both St Neots secondary schools will be at capacity by 2023 (just two years from now), which has caused the DfE to review their decision. 

We now have a second chance to open an outstanding Free School in St Neots. I have already pledged my support to this project:

“I am delighted at this news. St Neots is the fastest growing town in the East of England, but until now has offered students and parents the choice of just two secondary schools. Education is key to the future cultural and economic wellbeing of our community.

“I fully support the arrival of this new Free School which I believe will increase choice, competition and overall quality of educational provision in St Neots.”

Cllr Stephen Ferguson

I do acknowledge, and support, all of the hard work that continues to be done at both Ernulf and Longsands to improve their results and OFSTED score. However, with both schools managed by a single academy trust, and a need for extra capacity, I do believe that the time has come to increase the choice of education providers in St Neots. I also firmly believe that the increase in competition will raise the standards across all three schools benefitting everyone.

Four years ago St Neots County Councillors bungled the chance to open a (potentially) “Outstanding” third secondary school in St Neots. We have a second chance, but that must not be allowed to happen again.

If you elect me, I will work tirelessly with Advantage Schools, CCC Officers and Property Developers to identify a site for this school, which will provide needed capacity and help raise the standards across