Sixth form closure blamed on falling roll
10:20am Sunday 12th February 2012 in News
EDUCATION chiefs have written to parents worried about the closure of a town’s sixth form to explain the reasons for the decision.
As reported in The Bolton News, Westhoughton High School’s sixth form is to close next year once students currently in Year 12 (lower sixth) complete their A Levels.
There will be no new intake this year.
Ged Kelly, from asset management and pupil planning unit at Bolton Council, has now written to parents of pupils at the school in Bolton Road to explain the closure.
Mr Kelly said: “The number of students wishing to undertake sixth form study at Westhoughton High School has been steadily decreasing in recent years.
“Reductions to funding for schools with sixth forms, the establishment of a new sixth form facility in Bolton town centre and a greater willingness from students to travel to institutions outside the borough has had a significant negative impact on the numbers of students choosing to continue their education at Westhoughton.
“Smaller student numbers have an impact on the quality of learning. It also has significant financial consequences because staffing a sixth form class with one teacher for a few students is uneconomic.”
Concerned parents are being invited to attend drop-in sessions about the closure of the sixth form.
Cllr Chris Peacock, who represents Westhoughton North and Chew Moor, said: “Obviously I was really disappointed to hear that the sixth form was closing, but sadly it has become unsustainable.”
He said he believed the decision to pull the plug on the Building Schools for the Future programme, which would have seen investment at Westhoughton High School, was also a factor.
Cllr David Wilkinson, for Westhoughton South, said the closure was not unexpected as more pupils are choosing to travel further to other establishments with a larger choice of courses.
