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Torfaen sixth forms face shake-up (From Free Press Series)
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Torfaen sixth forms face shake-up
4:30pm Thursday 28th January 2010
TORFAEN'S sixth forms may be axed in favour of either one or two 'super-colleges'.
The council decided yesterday to shortlist three options for the future of post-16 education in the borough.
Not one of the three options which will now be further investigated would retain sixth forms within schools.
The three options are:
Abolishing current sixth forms and creating a single integrated sixth on a current site,
Forming two sixth form centres in Torfaen on existing school sites
Creating a single post-16 centre with potential links with Merthyr and Blaenau Gwent.
Chief education officer Mark Provis said: “We generated 10 options and evaluated them individually. We are now left with three options that we will take on to the next stage and look at in greater depth.”
Officers are recommending councillors evaluate the three against a list of criteria including whether they are, viable, affordable, achievable and represent value for money.
The majority of Torfaen's five sixth forms are in the south – Cwmbran’s Fairwater High, St Albans RC High, Welsh-medium Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw, Croesyceiliog Comprehensive and Llantarnam Comprehensive.
Headteacher at Abersychan Comprehensive Michael Conway said: “The concern of parents, staff and governors has been the inequality between the north and south of the borough where Abersychan and West Mon Comprehensives don’t have a sixth form.
“Our main objective has always been to provide for the youngsters in the north an education where they’re on an equal playing field to those in the south.”
Abersychan Cllr Gwyneira Clark insisted: "What we can’t do is do nothing. Children in the north of the borough are currently disadvantaged.”
A year ago Torfaen Council submitted proposed changes to post 16 education to the Assembly.
The report was well received by the Assembly which has now provided £83,200 of funding towards taking the process on to the next stage.
A final proposal will be submitted to the Assembly in the next couple of months.
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