An undersubscribed studio school on the Isle of Wight has announced it will close, just five years after it opened.

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.

However, the programme has been beset by problems, with a number of studio schools announcing their intention to close due to difficulties in recruiting sufficient students, including projects in Bradford, Clacton, Hull, Southampton, Nuneaton and Hinckley.

The Isle of Wight Studio School, which opened in 2014 and is run by the Inspire Academy Trust, is set to close in August 2019, blaming poor recruitment to its sixth form.

The trust’s finance officer Richard Bryant said: “The IOW Studio School has provided an excellent learning experience for many children on the Island.

“However, unfortunately the school has not been able to recruit sufficient students to its sixth form, and it is a sad reality that such a small school cannot continue long-term. Student recruitment is a problem which has affected many studio schools across the country. “

He added that the 120 pupils currently in years 10 and 11 will be able to complete their GCSEs as planned.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We have agreed, in principle, to the closure of Isle of Wight Studio School. The decision - now subject to a listening period which will give parents the opportunity to provide their views on the proposed closure - will allow all pupils to finish studying without disruption.”

Parents and other interested parties can give their views on the proposed closure by emailing DFE.IOWSS@education.gov.uk by 22 May.