Consultation opens on possible closure of Sutton Community Academy sixth form

Consulation documents say the Academy Transformation Trust (ATT), which the college is part of, is consulting on proposals to shut the sixth form at the High Pavement Street site from September 1, 2026.

The proposal would see no students recruited into year 12 in September 2025 and the academy’s sixth form closed in September 2026 once the current year 12 students have been seen through to the end of their courses in year 13.

The consultation period opened on November 18 and will run until Monday, January 13 and the trust says all impacted parties, including parents of students at the college, have been informed.

The consultation is considering a number of key factors, including:

• The percentage of the year 11 cohort historically recruited into year 12 has been low, even in years when the sixth form compares well with local alternatives on attainment, retention, and progression.
• Too many year 11 students do not achieve the GCSE grades required for entry into the sixth form’s A-level academic and vocational courses.
• The sixth form is not financially viable, in its own right, and has had to be subsidised by the income for key stage three and four students to remain open, undermining their education.
• There are high-quality alternative places at local sixth form providers.

Ged Rae, the trust’s executive principal, said: “The underlying part of this is student numbers are too low and have been historically and our projections are that the numbers will remain too low to sustain a sixth form.

"We’ve modelled and explored a variety of options and have worked for the past number of years to adapt our curriculum to try and attract new students and develop our offer, for example, investing in facilties for the sixth form.

"However, those numbers have not risen so, going forward, based on current numbers and current projections for the academy, we don’t believe those numbers are going to improve in the medium term to allow the sixth form to be sustainable.

"We’re consulting in line with Department for Education (DfE) guidance and what we are doing at this point is consulting with all key stakeholders, that information will come back in in six weeks time and we will then share that information with our trustees and at that point, our trustees, with all that information that we have available about our sixth form, will make decision whether to progress that to the DfE for a decision.”

Coun Matthew Relf (Ash Ind), executive lead member for growth, regeneration and local planning at Ashfield Council, said: “Sutton Community Academy is a key strategic partner of the council, therefore any consultation that includes any reduction in educational provision is a concern.

"We have met with the Academy Transformation Trust to express our concerns about the potential to withdraw sixth form provision.

"Whilst we appreciate that the trust has to balance the books, the decision to even consult is a legacy of chronic underfunding in sixth form provision from the previous Conservative Government and in my view, a clear lack of confidence in the new Labour one.

"Ashfield Council will encourage pupils, parents, businesses and all residents in Ashfield to take part in this vital consultation.”