Disappointment as school's sixth form is condemned to closure

POLITICIANS of all colours at Warrington have expressed disappointment at the decision of the government appointed schools’ adjudicator that Culcheth High School’s sixth form should close next year.
Labour and Conservative councillors and Warrington North Labour MP Helen Jones had joined forces in a fight to save the sixth form – and persuaded the borough council’s scrutiny committee to demand that the council reconsider.
But in the end, the decision was taken by the schools’ administrator – and the result is the sixth form will closed in August next year.
Ms Jones said: “This government can no longer claim to support parents who want more choice.
“In our area, the choice for local people is being reduced.
“The adjudicator’s decision is very disappointing and lets down the hundreds of people who objected to these plans for closure.”
In a joint statement, local Labour councillors Chris Vobe (left) and Matt Smith said: “We have always supported retaining a sixth form in our village. The excellent A-level results at Culcheth this year show the high standards of education the college offered.
“The Adjudicator has made the wrong decision, as yet again this Government proves they are not on the side of people in Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft.”
Conservative borough councillor Sue Bland said: “I am very disappointed with the decision but it was not unexpected.
“Although we would like to retain a sixth form, the figures speak for themselves and the decision makes commonsense.”
Cllr Paul Campbell (right), Conservative member of Culcheth and Glazebury Parish Council, and Conservative Parliamentary spokesman for Warrington North, added: “We have taken this issue as far as we can at the moment. But at some time in the future we we may be able to bring a sixth form back to Culcheth.
“~In the meantime, we will do all we can to support Culcheth High School and make it the best high school in Warrington.”
The Culcheth community was stunned last year when the school governors first announced their plan to close the sixth form.
A subsequent public consultation exercise did not persuade the governors to change their proposals – and they were eventually backed by the borough council’s executive
But Cllr Vobe – a former sixth form student – won the support of 12 other councillors and “called in” the decision to be examined by the scrutiny committee.
After hearing his submission, the scrutiny committee – which was told 179 objections to the closure, made on behalf of 249 individuals had been received – decided to refer the matter back to the executive board.
But, although the final decision was made by the schools’ adjudicator, the executive was unwilling to change its decision.
Council leader, Cllr Terry O’Neill said he believed it was “almost impossible” to run a sixth form at a school in a semi-rural area.
The sixth form at Culcheth had been struggling for years and if the borough council had received an earlier warning about what was happening it might have been able to help in some way.