Union says plans to suspend sixth form delayed

A school has delayed making a decision on whether to temporarily close its sixth form, a union representative said.

Longcroft School and Sixth Form College in Beverley sent parents an email in March suggesting it suspends new entries to its Year 12 for the next two years due to a "historic low" number of 86 pupils enrolling in 2021 who are now in Year 11.

Steve Scott of the National Education Union, who had a meeting with the school last week, said: "No decision has been made. They've delayed the decision on it which is a really positive outcome."

Headteacher David Perry said the school had "welcomed positive engagement from stakeholders".

A public consultation was launched by the school over the sixth form's future, with responses now being "worked through", Perry said.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council confirmed to the BBC no decision had been made on the sixth form.

Scott said there were about 35 members of the union who were involved in potential strike action due to the possible sixth form closure.

"The consultation is over and, based on the outcome, the governors have made the decision to not take a decision right now," he said.

The council said maintaining low pupil numbers for the next Year 12 would create a financial deficit which would impact the whole school.

The authority said it was considering best use of the space across the site but any changes would be managed so the school could still continue to offer sixth form provision.

In March, mum of three Rebecca Curley, who has one child who attends the sixth form and two others who are pupils at the school, set up a petition to try to save the sixth form.

She said one of her children had planned to attend the sixth form and was "very unsettled" by the uncertainty.

Curley said she hoped the petition, which attracted more than 370 signatures, would have "some sway in realising this is a huge thing for a lot of parents".

Parents and carers were able to share their views on the sixth form situation through the school's website before the consultation closed on 3 April.

In March, Perry said: "Longcroft School and Sixth Form continues to go from strength to strength, and is now amongst the highest performing academically anywhere in the region.

"This strong trajectory does, however, sit alongside a smaller Year 11 cohort this year, shaped by factors already outlined in our consultation," adding: "This presents real challenges for post‑16 recruitment."

He said leaders had a responsibility to ensure every young person received "an excellent education", and the school remained financially secure in the long term.

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