by Andrew Spence
Holderness Academy has announced it is holding a public consultation on the proposed closure of its sixth form.
In a letter sent out to parents, the school, which is a part of the Consortium Academy Trust, has said “falling numbers in the sixth form have meant that it may no longer be viable to run”.
Currently the Preston school’s sixth form has no year 12 students while having just 26 students in year 13.
The low student numbers in the sixth form have led the school to take the “deeply disappointing” decision to commence a four-week public consultation period, ending on October 21.
In the letter sent to parents, the school said: “The consultation will take place with our stakeholders and affected employees. All responses received during the consultation will be seriously considered before a final decision is taken to send a business case for closure to the Department for Education.”
The school has said that the majority of its current year 11 students were not planning on going to the sixth form, meaning their academic progression would not be affected.
However, for those students who were planning on staying at Holderness Academy for their A-level studies, the school has reassured them that “there are several other sixth forms and further education providers within the city of Hull and county of East Riding of Yorkshire, providing excellent opportunities for high-quality educational experiences for post-16 students”.
If, following the consultation, it is decided that the sixth form is to close, the closure will take place in September 2025, meaning the year 13 students will be able to complete their A-level studies before it closes.
The school has urged those interested to engage with the consultation to contact [email protected] with their feedback.