School governors oppose proposed closure of Sutton sixth form centre
School governors have opposed the proposed closure of a sixth form in Sutton, as they believe a closure would negatively affect students' aspirations and may deter future students from enrolling at the school.
A consultation is currently underway on whether the sixth form at Sutton Community Academy should close.
Consultation 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.
Ged Rae, the trust’s executive principal, stated: “The core issue is that student numbers have historically been too low, and our projections indicate that they will continue to be insufficient to sustain a sixth form.”
The academy is conducting the consultation following the guidance from the Department for Education (DfE).
At this stage, the academy is consulting with all key stakeholders and will gather the information over six weeks and then share it with trustees.
Once the trustees have reviewed all the available information about the sixth form, they will decide whether to submit a proposal to the DfE for a decision.
Although the academy claims that the percentage of Year 11 students who historically continue to year 12 has been low, the Local Governors Board (LGB) has opposed the plans in a letter sent to your Chad.
Pete Edwards, the chair of the governors at Sutton Community Academy, expressed opposition to the proposed closure on behalf of the board.
He raised concerns that closing the sixth form would negatively affect families by increasing their transportation costs, further adding to the existing financial pressures caused by the rising cost of living.
He said: “We believe it will affect the aspirations of deprived children.
“Due to the high levels of deprivation within our community, it will negatively impact students who struggle to leave the area.”
Another reason for their opposition was a shared belief that the smaller, safer environment within the academy will be lost to both the school community and the wider community if the sixth form closed its doors.
He added: “We believe this decision disadvantages students by thrusting them into a large, noisy environment, particularly affecting those with limited mobility and external aspirations.
“Additionally, if current and future students do not see a sixth form option, it will negatively impact their aspirations and influence future students’ decisions about selecting Sutton Community Academy as their first choice.”
The board has proposed adding more academic options, which could include arts and a centre of excellence for drama, especially with the academy's new theatre.
He concluded: “We know that the suggested closure is entirely based on funding but we, the LGB, urge the trustees to reconsider this decision and prioritise the future of our students, families, and staff.”
Academy Transformation Trust (ATT) has been approached for a comment.