On the way out - Ely College principal Evelyn Forde says she is to leave just 18 months after being appointed

Evelyn Forde, the principal of Ely College, is to leave at the end of the summer term, the Ely Standard can reveal today.

The decision comes at a time when the academy trust running the college is also to change.

She was appointed to the college last April and promised she would be “resolute in my determination to make changes at Ely College to ensure that all students fulfil their potential”.

And she added: “Moving forward therefore, I am confident that the work that has been done since April and my relentless focus on good quality teaching will ensure much better outcomes in the future.”

Ms Forde took over as principal in April, days after a damning Ofsted inspection plunged Ely College, an academy run by CfBT Education Trust, into special measures.

Catherine Jenkinson-Dix stood down as principal, and Martha Ball and Richard Baker resigned as vice-principals. All three left when the spring term ended.

The Ofsted report said standards in numeracy and literacy had dropped, targets for students were unrealistic and changes in staffing had reduced the quality of teaching.

Inspectors also said that “too many students” were being removed from lessons during the day because of behavioural problems and blamed the school’s zero-tolerance policy on “many days of learning being lost”.

Ms Forde announced her departure in a letter to parents in which she said she was “extremely proud of all that has been achieved by everyone in the school and to have worked with so many excellent staff and students during my time here”.

Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) takes over the college from July.

Recently MP Lucy Frazer has held meetings at the college to give parents and carers of pupils at the college to opportunity to meet the new sponsors.