Archived decisions
To parents of students attending Frogmore Community College |
SC/SPU/IBL | ||
Dear Parents
Frogmore Community College - Proposed closure of the sixth form
Following an approach from the governing body of Frogmore College, the County Council's Executive Member for Education has agreed that local consultations should be undertaken on a proposal that the sixth form at the college should close. This letter explains this proposal and invites you to send us your comments. More details, and a copy of the report that was considered by the Executive Member, can be found on the web-site at
/decisions/decisions-docs/060323-excmse-R0317134329
Frogmore College is one of only two community schools in Hampshire with a sixth form (Yateley being the other). Of the 739 students on roll in January 2006, 81 were in the sixth form. The governing body has become increasingly concerned about the viability of such a small sixth form, in terms of the difficulty of sustaining classes with small numbers of students in each, the impossibility of offering an appropriately broad curriculum with such a small cohort and the impact on the finance available for the whole school . Indeed, recruitment for September 2006 was already problematic and it has been necessary to withdraw some subjects offered where only three, or fewer, students had expressed an interest. The proximity and popularity of other post-16 institutions means that Frogmore College is a very unequal competitor and will continue to be so.
The college wants to be outstanding and to serve its community well. The governing body has, therefore, asked the County Council to undertake these consultations. The outcome will be reported to the Children's Services Policy Review Committee and the Executive Member for Education, in October 2006. If agreed, formal public notices of the intention will be published, giving a six week period in which anybody can object or make other comments. If there are no objections, the County Council can approve the closure. If there are objections, the proposal will be considered by the independent School Organisation Committee for Hampshire.
As the earliest date on which a formal decision to close the sixth form could be made is December 2006, the college will continue to offer some courses for students to start in September 2006, although it will not be possible to offer a full range of courses. Any students currently in year 12 continuing to the second year of a two year course in September 2006 will remain at the college until July 2007 to complete their studies. This means that the college would cease to cater for the 16-19 age range after July 2008, or July 2007 if no new students are admitted to two year courses in September 2006.
If you have any comments on this proposal, please send them to me, at the address at the top of this letter, to arrive by Friday 21 July 2006. You can also send comments via a dedicated web-site which can be found at
http://www.hants.gov.uk/education/frogmorereview/
We will also be arranging a meeting at the college which will give you the opportunity to obtain further information and comment on the proposal.
If you wish to discuss the position of an individual student, please contact the college direct.
Yours sincerely