Students canvassed on why they are snubbing Bridgnorth school's sixth form

Bridgnorth Endowed School has launched a consultation on plans to close its sixth form.

It says more than two-thirds of 16-year-olds are choosing to go out-of-town for further education.

Over the past few years, in a bid to understand the shift, the school has canvassed its students for the reasons behind their decisions.

The overwhelming response has been that, although happy at the school, they are ready for a change after their GCSEs and are looking for greater depth and breadth of subjects available to them.

Shrewsbury Colleges Group and King Edward VI College in Stourbridge are both popular destinations among students and are able to offer school leavers variety across A-level and vocational courses.

Students have also cited a 'wider range of facilities' and 'more social opportunities' as reasons for leaving town, plus 'specialist 16-18 teaching' and 'better preparation for going to university'.

The school is hoping to develop closer relationships with educational institutions such as King Edward VI College in Stourbridge, Thomas Telford, and the colleges in Shrewsbury, Telford and Kidderminster.

Diversity

Current sixth form students will not be affected.

Bridgnorth Endowed’s headteacher, Barry Worth, said: “We have not taken this decision lightly but it’s what’s right for the school and for the town as a whole.

"With the majority of students looking for more diversity, it’s important for us to respond in the right way and fully prepare them for the next stage of their journey.

“We strongly believe that by providing an excellent education up to the age of 16 with even greater support, we will enable students to get into the best universities and secure the most sought-after apprenticeships to build an exciting future for themselves.”

The period of consultation started on Monday and will run for six weeks.

Consultation documents are available on the school's website.

Oldbury Wells School has recently made the move to set up its ‘Bridgnorth sixth form’, which offers a range of A-levels and a number of new vocational courses to students wishing to remain in Bridgnorth to study.

The changing local picture sits against a national backdrop of reduced funding for post-16 education, which has fallen by over 20 per cent since 2010, leaving providers to face financial squeeze.