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Jun 2024
Boroughbridge sixth form to close permanently
North Yorkshire Council has approved plans to abolish the sixth form at Boroughbridge High School.
The school, which currently has no pupils registered to study after GCSEs, will close permanently at the end of August.
Following a consultation in the autumn of 2021, the federated governing board of Boroughbridge High School and King James’s School in Knaresborough agreed to temporarily suspend entries to the sixth form from September 2022.
The number of sixth form students had dwindled over several years, the council said.
Another consultation was held on January 9 this year to seek views on the future of the sixth form.
However, the council ultimately approved the decision to close the sixth form yesterday (June 18).
Councillor Robert Windass, a Conservative who represents the Boroughbridge and Claro division, said he was “sorry” about the closure, but added he supports any decision which improves young people’s education.
Cllr Windass told the Stray Ferret the decision had been “on the cards for a while”, adding he feels it is “the right move”.
He said:
Pupils wouldn’t have got the best education. I am sorry it has happened in Boroughbridge, but it is the right decision.
If it means young people are getting a better education, then I will support that.
The council’s assistant director for education and skills, Amanda Newbold, added:
Over the past few years, a decline in post-16 pupil numbers at the school has made it more difficult to maintain viable sixth-form class sizes at Boroughbridge High School in terms of quality of experience, subject breadth and financial viability.
We are ambitious for all our children and young people in North Yorkshire and try and do all we can to make sure that they receive high quality education in schools and settings across the county.
The council said the move will not lead to any staff changes and the school will continue to operate secondary school provisions.
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