Our Lady’s takes A-level year out

No advance warning leaves pupils in limbo

DEVASTATED pupils have been told they can’t do A-levels at Our Lady’s Sixth Form College in the next school year.

The only options on offer will be health and social care or public services diplomas, as staff say they cannot operate the courses across a split site — Our Lady’s in Royton and St Augustine’s, Werneth.

The two schools will merge in September to become The Blessed John Henry Newman School, before moving into a new building on Broadway, Chadderton, next year.

Our Lady’s Year 11 students were given prospectuses at an open evening in October and told that places on all courses would be available in 2011/12.

But 77 pupils who chose to study AS levels there have now been told they will have to study elsewhere.

Application deadlines for other local sixth-form colleges are now closed.

One parent, whose daughter hoped to go to Our Lady’s, is worried she will be a number among thousands at a bigger college, rather than a face with a name.

She said: “My daughter is devastated. We’re having to ring round other sixth forms now and explain our situation but she doesn’t particularly want to go to any of them.

“She would get personalised tuition at Our Lady’s.

“We’ve missed all the closing dates for the other colleges now anyway.

“This must have been planned — it’s outrageous that we haven’t had the opportunity to get forms in everywhere else.

“There has been no parent consultation on this.

“At the open evening it was being pushed that they wanted the children to commit to places in order to keep a Catholic sixth form in this area.”

Head teacher Mike McGhee said a recent reduction in funding for post-16 learners prevents them from running a curriculum which offers a breadth of subjects, while operating across two sites.

But he maintained that the sixth form is a vitally important feature of the new school — Blessed John Henry Newman Catholic College.

He said: “The temporary governing body of Blessed John Henry Newman Catholic College took the decision to limit the number of Year 12 courses to be offered, in the new academic year, to those courses attracting sufficient numbers to ensure their viability.

“The unanimous decision had the full support of both the Salford Diocese and the local authority.

“The decision has been taken in the light of recent substantial funding cuts, affecting all post-16 providers, and North Chadderton School’s withdrawal from the sixth form collaboration.

“It remains our intention to maintain the sixth form as we go in to the new Blessed John Henry Newman Catholic College and we will be exploring opportunities for collaboration with the two outstanding colleges, Oldham Sixth Form College and The Oldham College.”

Current AS pupils will not be affected and can continue their studies in 2012, as Year 13.

Jayne Clarke, Oldham Sixth Form College’s principal, has said that pupils who had wished to go to Our Lady’s Sixth Form will be guaranteed a place for September, subject to meeting entry requirements.