School sixth forms 'struggling to keep students'

School sixth forms are struggling to retain students, according to an education consultant, as one recently announced it was unable to offer a lower sixth provision.

The East Anglian Schools Trust announced that due to only 19 students enrolling at Bungay High School's sixth form in Suffolk, it would be unable to offer education to those Year 12s.

Neil Watts, former headteacher of Northgate High School in Ipswich and education consultant, said while some sixth forms at schools still "survive and flourish", others struggled compared to colleges and sixth form centres.

The Department for Education has been approached for comment.

"It's been reshaped over a number of years," Mr Watts explained of secondary school sixth forms.

"What we've seen since probably the early mid-2000s is a gradual move toward more in the way of sixth form centres and colleges.

"Some sixth forms [at schools] still survive and flourish... but there are some areas where sixth forms have struggled to retain the numbers and also in fairness the funding of sixth forms has gone down in real terms since I was a head."

Sixth form colleges are typically larger than sixth forms attached to schools, and can support thousands of 16 to 19-year-old students studying for A-levels, as well as technical and vocational qualifications.

Mr Watts added that the impact of sixth form closures at secondary schools could affect the wider school community.

"For example you may not be able to attract the same quality of staff because certainly I looked to appoint staff who could teach right across the age and ability range, and the staff wanted to do it from Year 7 right through to Year 13," he added.

"There are pros and cons... I don't think it does the general quality of education any good.

"Our educational standards, in terms of sixth forms, have not really increased nationwide.

"We've still got this very mixed pattern, so there is still work to be done.

"What the perfect answer is in a rural county, I'm not sure, but personally I am sad to see sixth forms go."