Archived decisions

Contact: Bob Lloyd-Jones, Education Officer (Secondary and Post-16) 01962 846364

1 Summary

1.1. This paper describes the case for closing the sixth form at Horndean Technology College, and reports on the consultations. Advice is sought for the Executive Member for Education regarding the publication of Public Notices so that the recommendation by the governors of Horndean Technology College that the sixth form be closed to new admissions from September 2004 may be supported. (This would mean there would be no sixth form provision after July 2005).

2 Background

2.1. The County Council has been asked to close a sixth form which has become unviable and which may only be sustained by providing funding from the college's 11-16 budget. The governors at the college are recommending that the sixth form should be closed to new admissions into Year 12 from 1 September 2004.

2.2. An alternative exists for the college to retain the sixth form by exercising virement from the 11-16 budget and investing in an uncertain future for the sixth form. This would be based on the premise that it might be possible to recruit more 16-19 year olds in the future. This alternative has been rejected by the governors.

2.3. The college's sixth form was opened in September 1975, following the reorganisation of Hampshire's post-16 provision in 1974. This resulted in most sixth form places being provided in tertiary colleges. There are now 71 secondary comprehensive schools in Hampshire, 10 of which have sixth forms. Some schools acquired sixth forms during their period of grant maintained status. The long established sixth form at Petersfield School was closed from September 2001 because it became unviable.

2.4. The catchment area for Horndean Technology College includes Horndean, Clanfield, Rowlands Castle, the northern part of Waterlooville and the rural areas between. Traditionally, the college only recruits students to its sixth form from pupils already attending the college in Year 11.

2.5. The wider area of South East Hampshire, including Havant and Waterlooville, has within it two 16-19 institutions of high reputation. These are South Downs College of Further Education and Havant Sixth Form College. If the sixth form at Horndean were to be closed, students would suffer little or no penalty as a result because of the high quality teaching and breadth of courses available at the two colleges. Large numbers of pupils from Horndean already opt to attend these colleges, with smaller numbers going to other colleges in the local region. The chart below shows the destinations of students for the beginning of the academic year 2002-2003.

2.6. Table 1

Breakdown of those continuing in education by institution and gender - Horndean Technology College

Further Education Institution	Male	Female	Total
Chichester College	1	1	2
Fareham College	1		1
Havant College	21	24	45
Highbury College	1	3	4
Horndean Technology College	18	35	53
Marsden Tennis Academy	1		1
Merrist Wood College	1		1
South Downs College	57	84	141
Sparsholt College	1	1	2
Total	101	144	245

2.7. Student access to Havant and South Downs Colleges in particular is not difficult. The latter is sited some two miles south of the college's catchment area and both colleges are well served by roads - including the A3M - between Horndean and their locations.

3 The closure of the sixth form

3.1. Since 1998 the numbers entering the sixth form have been steadily falling. The table below illustrates this.

3.2. Table 2

Sixth form numbers at Horndean

	Year 12	Year 13	Year 14	Total
1998	116	114	7	237
1999	104	95	9	208
2000	78	80	5	163
2001	70	61	6	137
2002	53	46	5	104

3.3. Such has been the concern generated by the falling numbers, that the governors are recommending closure even though this is set against a background of improved `A' level results. In the year ending July 2002 there was a 100% pass rate at `A' level, preceded by two years of much improved results. Even these clear improvements have not resulted in halting the decline in recruitment numbers.

3.4. In reaching their decision to recommend closure, made on 19 February 2003 following two meetings, the governors gave close consideration to many factors including:

· The unlikely payment of any subsidy by either the County Council or the Local Learning and Skills Council (LLSC for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight). The governors were correctly informed that neither funding provider was able to subsidise sixth forms on the basis of there being insufficient student numbers.

· Concerns about students currently attending the sixth form. The governors were reassured that current sixth formers would be protected. The County Council and the LLSC were discussing the possibility of a one-off package of financial help to act as a safeguard for sixth form courses for 2003/2004.

· Arguments presented by Union representatives attending the decision-making meeting. These reflected teacher concerns about the possible closure of the sixth form:

¬ insufficient time had been allowed to reverse the recruitment trend;

¬ it would be damaging to close in terms of teacher morale, the diminution of parental choice and the loss of the special care which could be extended to students who required additional personal support;

¬ potentially there could be teacher redundancies. Also, in future, teacher recruitment to a school without a sixth form could be more difficult.

· Responding to the points made by the teacher associations, yet reflecting governor concerns, it was agreed that the only way to sustain the sixth form would be by taking funding from the 11-16 delegated budget. It was argued that by reducing 11-16 funding, young students might suffer and the improvements being made in KS3 and KS4 results might be adversely affected.

· The need to identify areas of potential improvement elsewhere; governors wanted to know where improvements to the life of the college could be made if the sixth form were to close.

3.5 After much discussion and debate, a proposal to recommend closure to the County Council was agreed.

3.6. The decision to recommend closure was made with regret, but was not without potential benefits:

· the 11-16 budget would no longer be required to compensate for any 16-18 shortfall

· the efforts of the teaching staff could be wholly focussed on Key Stage 3 and GCSE courses

· the college's main focus would be on 11 - 16, in line with the great majority of Hampshire's secondary schools.

3.7. The present headteacher was appointed by the governors with a clear brief to re-establish the college's tradition for achieving high standards in all subject areas. Clear strategies have been set for the improvement of results in KS3 and KS4. By supporting closure, the governors judged that the efforts of the headteacher and his staff would no longer need to be diverted in order to sustain an unviable sixth form.

3.8. In making their recommendation, the governors were clear that no student currently in the sixth form would be disadvantaged by such a change. Those students currently in their final year would be able to complete their courses and sit their examinations in May/June 2003 with the full and comprehensive teaching support traditionally provided. Similarly, all those on the AS programme in Year 12 would also receive the full support necessary for them to complete their courses and continue with their `A' level studies in preparation for their examinations in 2004.

3 Legal requirement to consult

3.6. The proposal to close the sixth form represents an alteration to Horndean Technology College as a community school for the purposes of Section 28 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. There is, therefore, a duty under Section 28(5) for the County Council as the local education authority to consult such persons as it appears to be appropriate, before publishing any proposals. If, in due course, it is decided following such consultation to publish public notices, and objections are received, the matter would then be referred to the School Organisation Committee for approval.

4 Summary of the consultation results

5.1 Consultations were held through meetings with the teachers and support staff at the college, with parents of children attending the college and with the LLSC. Written consultations took place with the two local 16-19 colleges and with parents who sent letters to the County Council.

5.2 Of those teachers and support staff who attended the consultation meeting convened by the education officer for secondary and post-16, the majority were in favour of retaining the sixth form. Thirty-nine staff attended the meeting and seven voted in favour of closure, 29 voted against and three abstained. The total number of staff in the college is 190.

5.3 Of the parents who attended the consultation meeting and remained for the vote at the end, two voted in favour of closure, 42 voted against and one abstained. There are 1463 families who have children attending the college.

5.4 The Local Learning and Skills Council has been fully consulted by both the County Council as the LEA and by the college. If the sixth form is closed, the LLSC is satisfied that arrangements would be put in place to ensure that students would not be disadvantaged. A statement by the LLSC is given in 8.3 below.

5.5 Both Havant Sixth Form College and South Downs College of Further Education believe that they are well placed to offer a wide range of courses to students, should the Horndean Technology College sixth form be closed. Both colleges have a tradition of admitting significant numbers of students from Horndean's Y11 and would continue to ensure that future students would be fully informed of the learning opportunities and courses available at the two 16-19 colleges; see 8.1 and 8.2 below.

5 The consultation with teachers and support staff - see appendix 1

5.1 The staff mainly made a case against closure and particularly focussed on the following:

· a view that perhaps Hampshire County Council has a prejudice against sixth forms in schools. This is not the case and evidence of support given to viable sixth forms was presented.

· that the decision-making process for closure was premature; students were normally recruited up until Easter, yet the recommendation for closure was made in February. The governors needed to make the decision in order for (i) the LEA's decision-making timetable to be met and (ii) to remove any uncertainty so that at least students and parents know clearly of the difficulties and can make their own plans accordingly.

· that had the college carried on recruiting, the head of sixth form believed that up to 50 students could have been recruited for September's new intake. There was no guarantee that this would happen; the evidence from recent years clearly undermines this argument.

· a recognition that the number applying for sixth form places this year was low, but an optimistic view that the number of students in Y10 who would wish to apply for a place in 2004 was much higher. There may be evidence of this, but who can say with certainty that the decline in applications will definitely be reversed? Meanwhile, where will the funding come from to bridge the gap? Even if the lower sixth numbers increased in 2004, the overall number in the sixth form would still render it unviable.

· the need for a "year's grace" in line with the request put by union representatives to the meeting of governors. Again, the question remains, where will the money come from in order to make up the difference in funding? The only budget from which it could be taken would be from that allocated to younger pupils.

· the argument put by union representatives to the governors that many students gained particular benefit from the supportive environment provided by a school sixth form. Whilst this might be so, there is no evidence to suggest that local 16-19 colleges are not equally as capable of providing a supportive pastoral structure for students.

· an argument that access to Havant Sixth Form College and South Downs College of Further Education is difficult. It is certainly more difficult than attending the local sixth form. However, evidence of the numbers of Horndean students who do travel the distance seems to suggest that any access issue is insufficient to deter the great majority of pupils from undertaking their 16-19 studies at the two colleges.

Notes from the meeting are given in appendix 1.

6 The consultation with parents

6.1 The parents attending the meeting mainly argued against closure, with questions and statements focussed on the following:

· a view that the college had made insufficient effort to recruit viable numbers. The college should have considered

¬ recruiting from other schools;

¬ researching into the reasons why students chose to go elsewhere;

¬ giving clearer information and guidance to Y11 students;

¬ concentrating more on attracting A-level students to remain at Horndean.

By way of reply, parents were told:

¬ it was difficult to establish a new culture of recruitment from other schools because the college had a strong tradition of recruiting only from its own Y11 pupils and other schools had an equally strong tradition of sending Y11 pupils to local colleges (often closer to them)

¬ the staff at Horndean worked very closely with students in supporting the process for choosing post-16 courses. Students very properly were guided to make choices best suited to their future study requirements and career choices

¬ students were always given clear information and guidance

¬ for its own part, Horndean had done everything possible to persuade students of the attraction of staying to study in the sixth form. In spite of a 100% pass rate and of other favourable factors, the great majority of students still opted to attend 16-19 colleges.

· Concerns about what renders a sixth form unviable:

¬ why wasn't money vired from paying for buildings and environment to sustain sixth form courses?

¬ when is a sixth form deemed to be too small to be viable?

¬ are other school sixth forms in Hampshire unviable?

Answers given included the following information:

¬ every time a student is lost to a sixth form, a school loses £3000. There is a view rehearsed in national debate that for a school sixth form to be viable, it needs a total number on roll of around 150. With individual courses at Horndean, where there are 20 in a class, then the course is viable. If 20 students all opt for different courses, then these become unviable.

¬ the money for the sixth form is given as a discrete amount. There is separate funding for 11-16 year olds. Capital for buildings is identified separately. Money for the artwork around Horndean Technology College is provided from the National Lottery and may only be spent on the project agreed.

¬ there are some Hampshire schools where the governors are having to face the difficulty of running sixth forms which are currently too small.

· The impact on teachers and recruitment:

¬ the teachers wish to keep the sixth form;

¬ having a sixth form is an advantage when recruiting teachers;

¬ there is a 100% A-level pass rate as a result of the hard work of teachers supporting students.

Replies were made which made the following points:

¬ the majority of teachers do wish to keep the sixth form but they should realise that they would have to subsidise it from their 11-16 resources;

¬ having a sixth form does help with the recruitment of some teachers; there is also evidence of some teachers not applying for jobs where it involves teaching 16-19 year olds;

¬ the 100% A-level pass rate is highly commendable. The fact remains that student numbers are falling in spite of the best efforts of teachers.

More detailed questions, statements and replies are given in appendix 2.

7 Consultations with Havant Sixth Form College, South Downs College of Further Education and the Local Learning and Skills Council for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

7.1 In discussion with the Principal of Havant College, the following points were made:

· It is clear from the figures that over the past four years, particularly since the introduction of Curriculum 2000, the numbers of students staying on at Horndean Technology College have declined considerably. This could reflect the broader choice of curriculum and high standards of achievement which are produced at local post-16 colleges. For a number of years, the numbers of students attending Havant from Horndean have been increasing; the majority of these students have been very successful.

· Havant College has an excellent academic record and a strong system of student support and guidance. Havant College is very accessible and is always reviewing transport arrangements in order to make things easier for students.

· It is always disappointing to see sixth form provision close but this should be seen within the context of the overall provision in the area. If the sixth form does close, Havant College will support the further development of positive links with Horndean Technology College, to ensure that students are fully informed of opportunities in the college and of how they can benefit form the high quality of education offered.

7.2 In discussion with the Principal of South Downs College, the following points were made:

· The college knew of the problems faced by Horndean Technology College and had every sympathy for the position in which the headteacher and governors find themselves. It was recognised that part of the difficulty arose from the very large numbers opting for the wide choice and high quality courses available at South Downs.

· South Downs College has very high standards and records of achievement. Its very high standing is recognised by the LEA, the LLSC and by schools which send their students to the college. The college has an outstanding reputation for designing effective courses for the full ability range.

· The Principal at the college will continue to give students from Horndean College every support in the future, just as has been given in the past. The reason why so many students from Horndean attend South Downs College is because of the levels of success students achieve.

7.3 Following discussions with the Local Learning and Skills Council for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, the following statement was made:

"The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has been fully consulted by the LEA and the School on the proposal to close the Horndean School Sixth Form following the year on year decline in the number of students applying for post 16 courses. The LSC's concerns throughout this process has been to ensure quality and choice of curriculum for all of the pupils at the school and that they would not be disadvantaged by the closure. We are satisfied with the proposed arrangements and are working with the LEA and Connexions to put in place transition arrangements to support the students and the school. The Horndean catchment area is well served by two excellent, easily accessible colleges which offer a rich variety of vocational and academic courses thereby maintaining the quality and choice of curriculum for students."

8 Conclusion

8.1 The results of the consultations show that of those parents who attended the meeting (some 45+, from an estimated total of 2,500), the majority wished the sixth form at Horndean Technology College to remain open. Similarly, of those teachers and support staff who attended the meeting (39 from a possible 190), the majority favoured retention of the sixth form. Were it feasible, the governors and the headteacher would also wish to retain the sixth form. However, the overwhelming evidence is that the sixth form is becoming increasingly unviable and that the only way to fund its future existence is by using significant monies from the 11-16 budget. For this reason the governors are recommending to the County Council that the sixth form be closed. The County Council for its part has to take very close account of the governors' view, not least because the Council cannot direct the governors to subsidise the sixth form from other pupils' (11-16) monies.

8.2 On the basis of the consultation responses received so far, the Executive Member is minded to agree with the governing body's proposal. However, this is only a preliminary view at this stage, and full discussion of the matter by the Education Policy Review Committee is awaited before a final decision will be made.

Recommendation

That the Education Policy Review Committee advise the Executive Member as to whether proposals should be published for the ceasing of sixth form provision at Horndean Technology College after July 2005, with no new admissions from 1 September 2004, in accordance with the governing body's request.

Section D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extend in the preparation of this report.

There are no background documents.

SC/BLJ/2003/feb03/feb063LJh

Appendix 1

Notes of consultation meeting with staff on 10 April 2003 at 3.30 pm.

Q. Did the County Council think that staff were not focussed enough?

A. The County Council did not think that the staff at Horndean were not focussed, rather it was recognised that working to support smaller sixth form numbers did represent a potential drain on resources and focus.

Q. February was too early to decide about closing the sixth form - lots of students were still undecided about going anywhere.

A. One of the concerns facing the governors was that if it was rumoured that the sixth form was facing difficulty, then what little recruitment there was might itself be blighted. The governors decision to take clear action was very understandable.

Q. There has been a huge turnover of staff here and students cling to small sixth forms at schools. A one-year period would test and push the community, staff and parents to try to keep it open.

A. If the sixth form was kept open longer there would still be the possibility of the students not turning up. Would you be happy with the consequences from the deficit of money? The governors and the LEA are concerned there would be bigger classes, less equipment, less staff etc. The Headteacher tried to get more money but none is available and none is forthcoming.

Q. Would the Policy and Resources document on 20 May 2003 be an open document?

A. Yes. five days or so before the meeting the document would be available on the County Council website.

Staff statement: It would be hard to have one A-level student only in a class but 5-12 students is ideal and they could bounce off each other. Colleges do not have classes of less than 30 - Horndean has a smaller environment, which is better.

Q. Governors have not been seen in the sixth form area - how can they make their decisions without having visited the sixth form or having spoken to the students of the sixth form and staff? They haven't even spoken to the head of the sixth form or tried to find out things for themselves.

A. (By Support Staff Governor) - I refute that very much - this is not the governors' fault. Nobody is more sad than myself. I am a member of the Finance and Site Committee and there have been many expenses and the college has not been in a good financial position for about four years. Therefore, the decision was made and taken with great regret and I voted for closure as a governor.

Q. Both teacher governors contributed to the debate and both have been available to speak with the students; why weren't they asked to report the views of students?

A. There have been some tough decisions made and it has not been an easy decision for the governing body - there should be no criticism of the governing body who have debated the issue in full and have made a fully informed decision.

Q. The LEA is the landlord - the closure of the sixth form will free up space, therefore the space could be used for what the LEA decides - the college needs the space.

A. The is a whole new subject - in the first instance, the powers are with the governors. At a time when the government is supporting a debate about 'Extended Schools', there may be many opportunities for the use of any spare accommodation.

Q. I've recently been appointed as Head of Business Studies and wanted the sixth form to be a challenge, but I feel cheated to not be able to try and turn things around. What support can the LEA offer to staff if it does close? My department would have a shortfall of hours if this goes ahead.

A. Hampshire doesn't want to lose staff; we value teachers and there is a problem with recruiting. A teacher would be protected and given opportunities to be deployed elsewhere. In a big college such as this, this is not usually a problem.

Q. This is a period of uncertainty.

A. The headteacher will manage the situation; some uncertainty is unavoidable.

Staff statement: The students value the teaching staff and are loyal to them and there has been a massive turnover with new heads of departments - they need to be given time and a chance to pave the way forward. When the students see staff leave en masse they start to ask questions and vote with their feet.

Q. Would the admission numbers drop if there were no sixth form offered?

A. The parents may be disappointed but it is the LEA's responsibility to ensure that money is spent effectively. If these issues are not addressed, the college could fail to deliver its commitment to continue raising standards at KS3 and KS4. The sixth form must be viable and the reasons for it not being are not simple. In the end it is the student/parent choice that matters and in this case, students have been choosing to go elsewhere for their 16-19 studies.

Q. The sixth form does contribute to the 11-16 years as well; it is a two-way thing.

A. The ethos is very good and I agree, schools do value their sixth forms.

Q. The English teachers wanted to teach the sixth form - if it closes then Horndean may loose staff and the turnover will get worse.

A. The potential loss of valuable staff is a worry. However, most Hampshire schools do not have sixth forms.

Vote in support of closure of the sixth form:

The meeting finished after approximately one hour.

Numbers of staff in the college:

Appendix 2

Notes of consultation meeting with parents on the 10 April 2003 at 7.05 pm.

Q, Schools recruit from other schools - why can't we do the same?

A. It is unusual for schools with sixth forms to recruit from outside. There is only one school in Hampshire where there is any significant recruitment from other schools into Y12.

Q. Has anyone asked the children or surveyed them about what is attracting them elsewhere?

A. The LEA has not. Teachers work closely with the students who are counselled to see what is best for them; teachers will usually know the reasons for pupil choices.

Q. At least two children were not asked about where they would like to go.

A. Careers information and guidance is given to all pupils.

Q. Sculptures, architecture, buildings - where does the funding come from for this? Why isn't it being spent on students?

A. Often, schools receive monies which are earmarked for special projects. Capital is earmarked for buildings, revenue for teachers pay, books and so on. The college is committed to making learning environment stimulating as possible; so an investment in the built environment shouldn't be seen as a waste of money.

Parent statement: Architecture is a waste of money - I work at a school in another county and the students are the primary concern. The sixth form teaching staff recruit from other schools. There has been no discussion here and we have not been told that they would not come here from other schools.

Q. There is a 100% pass rate here and it is ideal to publicise it; why hasn't it been?

A. Here, there is a tradition of recruiting from the college's own Y11. This County Council does encourage schools to sustain sixth forms but only where they are viable. On the basis of present and predicted numbers, the governors don't believe the sixth form to be viable and the education department has a sympathy for this view.

Q. What is the number for the sixth form to be viable?

A. This is a national debate - the viable figure for sixth forms is normally 150-200. If schools fall below 100 they get into the sorts of difficulties being faced here. Every time a student is lost as a potential sixth form student, a school loses £3000.

Headteacher:

It is not easy but about 20 on one course is o.k. and cost effective. If a lot of people are on different courses then it is no good as more staff are required. If there are 150 students in total, then it is viable.

Money for the artwork (sculpture) was funded by the Lottery art bid; the external work is funded by the LEA.

Q. Is there a trend in falling numbers - if not - what has the government done to redress this?

A. There is in some school sixth forms. More students are following vocational courses and go to colleges of further education. In some Hampshire schools, sixth form numbers are growing. Here in south-east Hampshire, the two local colleges are very popular. In overall terms, the numbers of students staying on post-16 are increasing.

Q. Will the LEA look at what has happened in the college?

A. It will see the evidence resulting from the choices made by students.

Q. There is something seriously wrong with the ethos of the college. How many teachers have changed and come and gone?

A. There has been some difficulty with staff turnover and staff illness. This college is managing as well as any other school would. Over the past year or two, recruitment has been a problem everywhere.

Q. There has been five years of disruptions.

A. There has been a lot of staff turnover, but often new recruits bring added strengths.

Q. Recruiting is not a problem, keeping them is the problem.

A. The government has itself identified this as a problem. Many argue that the reason is that teachers' pay is too low.

Q. Without the sixth form, good teachers are already leaving after only having been here 18 months. Students don't see any continuity in the college.

A. Recruiting teachers who it is recognised want to teach in sixth forms is a fact and this college has always treasured its sixth form, but 11-16 schools also recruit teachers who do not wish to teach in sixth forms. Schools are able to recruit without a sixth form. This college has gone through a lot of change and the governing board and Headteacher will maintain the standards and stability that you want. It has to decide how to provide a focus and it is believed that focus should be 11-16 year olds. There is a feeling of having lost something as governors wanted to keep the sixth form, but without the funding it is impossible and can only be achieved by taking the money from 11-16 year olds. The 100% pass rate shows the staff has worked hard.

Q. Why are you going to take a vote? What is the significance of it?

A. So that people who are here and who have taken the trouble to come, can show their feelings, and so that the elected members can get a picture of the events and results of these consultations.

Q. Statistics show that since Mr Crane has left due to illness, there has been a reduction in teaching staff and the influence under Mr Crane has gone too. This must have an impact on the students. Since that leadership is gone there has been a decline. Students in Years 9 and 10 have not been approached about their views, they have not been asked. In the run up to this meeting there has been a strong emphasis on the numbers. The sixth form does not need to close.

A. The Headteacher and governors are faced with making decisions which will be best for the college in light of falling sixth form numbers.

Q. What is the number of students that go to other colleges go for vocational courses and not for A-level courses? What is the comparison of students going to do A-level at other colleges compared to those staying and doing A-level courses here?

A. Because so many going from here to colleges elsewhere, it becomes unviable to maintain a sixth form here. Students aren't only going elsewhere to study vocational courses, but A-levels too. This year, far more students wishing to study A-levels have opted for colleges than have opted for Y12 here.

Q. How many students left to do vocational courses and how many to do A-levels?

A. A large proportion of students going to South Downs and all of those going to Havant went in order to study A-levels. The detailed information is held by the college and bears out what has been said.

Q. Why are they going - because it is disjointed here with lack of continuity. The college should focus on falling numbers to find out why. There is not good leadership here, it is uninspirational. Has nobody explored the reason for students leaving?

A. The majority of teachers wanted the sixth form to remain open. The teachers are working hard and the results are good. The governors and headteacher were not happy in deciding to close the sixth form but they had to face their responsibilities and the fact remains, the sixth form is no longer viable and students are choosing to go elsewhere.

Q. Why has the college not tried promoting the sixth form by recruiting elsewhere?

A. This isn't something that has suddenly happened - the numbers of students wishing to stay here at 16+ has been reducing for a number of years. There is no tradition locally of other schools sending students to schools with sixth forms -their students (with the exception of Oaklands) all go to 14-19 colleges.

Q. Why is there consultation after the fact - why not talk about it before?

A. The recommendation is for closure; the final decision has yet to be made; this consultation is part of the decision-making process.

Q. When a student wishes to go to Havant or South Downs, they have a tour of the college. When applying here they are not shown around. There is a lack of communication and students do not have an actual idea of what happens.

A. This college does encourage its students to come here, but if the courses are not available then it has a duty to advise pupils of this and of where best to continue their education.

Q. February was too early for a decision to be made. The students are committed but the staff are not.

A. There are two aspects to consider. Firstly, the timetable for the County Council to make a decision. Secondly, governors did wait for all students to submit their choice of sixth form provision. Decisions can't be put off if the college is to be able to plan for its post-16 students.

Q. If the students knew they might have said they would come.

A. There is no hard evidence to support this; the governors have no money for funding budget deficiencies and plugging gaps in the finance.

Q. Why did they not speak to the parents before when there was time to do something? They would be happy to give up their time. How do you legally stand when Y11 received letters giving them a place in the sixth form?

A. By tradition, an offer of a place is made but if not available it can be removed and an alternative offered. The letters were issued with the best of intent, but it doesn't follow that a school and sometimes a college can always deliver what they hope to. In the end, course viability depends upon the numbers of students recruited.

Q. I get the impression that this is a foregone conclusion with no chance of the sixth form staying open.

A. Recommendation will be made. It is not a foregone conclusion - I will be reporting personally to Councillor Don Allen and to members of the County Council.

Q. What use do the authorities and management think will be made of any spare accommodation resulting from closure?

A. The accommodation might well be used as a resource for the community.

Q. I moved to this area for the schools. The sixth form presentation I attended was boring; it was more interesting at another college. If the numbers are low, why not pull out stops to encourage people to come here? It was a total shock about the closure and the Y11 students have been told to find elsewhere. The letter we received did not give any options or discussions - it just left things up in the air. It is not fair on them - being treated as children. I have watched the college do down in three years.

Q. During the process, only able students were approached to attend the sixth form, not the average students.

A. The college always invests a great deal of effort in supporting students in their choice of post-16 destination. Interestingly, the present Y11 is one of the most academic, but still a relatively small number of students applied to come here, opting instead for 16-19 colleges.

Q, How can parents make their views known to elected members?

A. The governing body represents parents and the community, are unpaid and have made a courageous and proper recommendation due to the funding gap. They are committed to doing their best by the college. Not withstanding this, if parents wish to send a deputation to the Education Policy Review Committee, then they may.

Q. You talk as if the sixth form is separate. The teachers leave and there are problems down the college.

A. There are two separate funding systems, one for 11-16 and one for 16-19. there is concern when funding has to be taken from 11-16 to support 16-19, the consequences may be:

· a reduction in spending on books etc for 11-16 year olds;

· increases in class sizes in KS3 and KS4;

· a reduction in teacher non-contact time.

Q. This is a fait accompli; all the way there has been sympathy with everyone except the students or parents. I am disappointed about the taking of a one-sided view. You are using funding to your advantage. There is a feeling here that trends are going down. When have they been re-addressed - no marketing. We have been faced with the empathy for the senior management and the board of governors at this college.

A. Members will take into consideration the best interest of all of the students at this college.

Q. The senior management and governors have taken their decision but the students are proactive. The heads of departments are leaving and there is low morale of teachers and students. What can we take back to our children? The final decision will be on 9 September, where do the students stand if there is no place to come to here? They need a place at college, therefore no one will come here, and we are put in a dilemma..

A. The recommendation is to close to new recruitment for September 2004. People are concerned about the students and courses in the meantime. If the college cannot deliver a viable sixth form programme, it would be wrong not to tell the students this. A small group turning up in September 2003 may find that the subjects they want cannot be staffed because the class sizes aren't viable. The students take notice of what is being said at college and in the end will probably wish to attend an institution that can provide a full 14-19 programme tailored to their needs. The Headteacher will continue to advise what is best for students.

Q. This discussion should be aimed at 2004/2006 and would give us a forewarning, not give us a timetable of events that leaves us no choice, this is appalling.

A. We are consulting on the new entrants for 2004. The LEA is not advising anyone to do anything different. We have a fragile position here and in reality students have to consider not coming here in September 2003.

Q. We were told it was closed from this year. We have never been told it is closing for next September. The present Y11 started in1998/1999 and there have been two changes of headteachers. There has been disruption through Years 9-11 with supply teachers and 70% turnover of staff since last summer. Year 11 are voting with their feet as they have been poorly treated. What is being done to consult Years 9 and 10 - through the citizenship programme the Years 9 and 10 can be canvassed to formally ask them their commitment to the sixth form. The college is more or less washing its hands of it. A fait accompli is being presented. Another school in Hampshire has a sixth form of fewer than 100 students how does that keep going?

A. The governors have made the decision to fund it in some other way. These opportunities do not exist here.

Q. There are three secondary schools here to recruit form; they are ripe for picking, why has there been no marketing? Are students going to be given the chance to apply for the sixth form here and then see if the numbers have gone up?

A. I have spoken about this previously; students form other schools have a long tradition of attending local colleges.

Q. If more applications were made, would they be considered?

A. Yes, but it is my understanding that if only 40 students came in September, this would not be viable. If 150 in total attended the sixth form here, then it would be viable.

Q. They are being denied that chance.

A. They were all asked to apply and the senior management and governors only received 40 applications. If the governors knew that 150 were coming to the sixth form, they may not have needed to make their recommendation.

Q. Staff are brilliant and the college has a good reputation. Staff are leaving - why? Long-established staff are going - why - it is very sad.

A. There is a very significant turnover of staff in Hampshire as a whole. Horndean's turnover is high, but not unusually so.

Q. Have exit interviews been made why staff leave? This would ensure that things are o.k. at Horndean.

A. Hampshire as an employer does seek solutions to recruitment problems and does interview teachers with a view to the results informing staff retention strategies.

Q. Why are teachers not coming here? One teacher is leaving and staying only for his present Y11 and the college is not keeping to its agreement. The Technology Department has gone from average to brilliant, but the morale through the college is not there any more.

We would like it to go on record that we have no confidence in the senior management and governors of the college

Vote in support of closure of the sixth form:

More than 45 parents attended (some had to leave before the vote was taken) and 7 or 8 students, together with some teachers, governors.

The meeting was closed at 9.00 pm

The County Council has received a total of eight letters/e-mails from parents. The letters reflected the arguments presented at the consultation meeting. One letter supported closure and seven were against.

Total numbers of families and parents: