THE plan to close the sixth form at the £28 million Culcheth High School, Warrington, looks set to go ahead.
Town Hall chiefs at Warrington will be recommended next week to press ahead with the statutory notice setting out the intention to close the sixth form.
A consultation process has been undertaken since the school’s governing body decided in October to seek to remove the sixth form because of a dwindling number of students. But there was a very low response rate, considering the number of people and organisations consulted.
The borough council received 25 objections to the closure and one letter of support. Three of the objections came from local councillors, 11 from parents, one from a student, on from a member of staff and one from the governors of a neighbouring primary school.
Only 13 people attended a drop-in session for parents and pupils.
A report to be considered by the council’s executive board on Monday notes: “It was a very low response rate.”
Students were asked if they would definitely stay on at the sixth form and 26 said “yes.” Another 56 said “maybe” and 115 said they would move to another college or school.
Those who said they would not choose Culcheth said it did not offer the subjects they wanted (28), they “wanted a change not attached to the school” (26), cited peer pressure that another college was better (4), wanted to attend a college closer to them (4) and had heard the sixth form was closing so looked elsewhere (9).
The report says the school has estimated the cost of maintaining the current sixth form would be £630,000-a-year leading to a current shortfall of £384,000 which has to be met from resources provided for the rest of the school. If the sixth form closed, more money could be targeted at improving the quality of 11-16 education at the school.
If the closure goes ahead, the school will no longer admit new sixth form students from September. Those already in the sixth form will be able to complete their courses and those in the current Year 11 who would like to stay on in the sixth form will be supported in identifying alternative provision.
Since 2011, the number of students in the Culcheth Sixth Form has fallen from 57 to27 while the number opting to go to Priestley College, Warrington or Winstanley College, Wigan has increased from 82 to 138.
After a six week period for representations following publication of the statutory notice, the council’s executive board will make its final decision on June 10.
