Ten-year decline of school's sixth form

THE number of students staying on to study in Culcheth High School’s sixth form has been falling steadily over the last 10 years, the governing body has revealed.
At the same time, in the 11-16 range, the school has become an increasingly popular choice, with the governing body recently raising the admission number to 230.
It is against this background that the governors took the decision to start a consultation around the closing of the sixth form from July, 2015.
This would allow current Year 12 and 13 students to complete their studies but there would be no admissions of Year 12 students from September next year.
A statement issued by the governors said: “The fall in student numbers in the sixth form, combined with the national reduction in funding for each student has meant that it has become increasingly difficult for Culcheth High School to offer the range of subjects and the learning experience that students deserve.
“There are an increasing number of providers of post-16 education in the area and Culcheth High School students have a range of choices when it comes to selecting a place to study.
“We will continue to support all our students in securing the best and most appropriate provision at the end of Year 11.”
As Culcheth High is a community school, the consultation process will be led by Warrington Borough Council.
Full details will be provided by the school and local authority in November.
Culcheth High School was completely rebuilt at a cost of £28 million and moved into its new buildings less than two years ago.