Plan to axe 6th forms leaves parents furious
Fears for standards if closure goes ahead Council stresses no decision made:
PARENTS fear school standards will fall under plans to close and reorganise sixth forms in Bridgend.
A shake-up of post-16 education is under way, with the closure of all sixth forms, mergers and greater collaboration among options being considered.
Bridgend council is also considering building new sixth-form centres at sites such as Bridgend town centre and Bridgend College’s Pencoed campus.
But parents say pupils may not want to travel further from home or start at a new school for sixth form. They also fear standards in the GCSE years will drop if there are no older pupils to act as role models.
More than 500 people have signed an online petition to save Cynffig Comprehensive School’s sixth form.
The petition launched by students says: “Our sixth form helps prepare us as young adults to go on to university, apprenticeships or employment. The relationships developed from the beginning of secondary education to sixth form, not just with other pupils but with our teachers, lay the foundations for our success.
“Our teachers genuinely care about us and our success in sixth form and our futures. We fear this would not be the case in a sixth-form centre, which would care about our grades, not our wellbeing. Having an accessible sixth form in our community is imperative for our future, please help us save ours.”
Cindy Davies, whose 13-year-old twins Liam and Naomi are in Year 8 at Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen, said: “This is causing a lot of anxiety for parents and pupils. They say facilities will be better, but they spent £39m building Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen not long ago and the facilities are outstanding.
“I think taking away the sixth form would affect my children and other children. They aspire to go as far as A-levels in one place and stay with their peers, not all go to different places for sixth form.
“Going on to other schools for sixth form would unsettle them. The younger children look up to the sixth-formers and the head boy and girl and they are good role models.
“I know some children have already said they won’t go on to sixth form if there isn’t one at their school.”
Under the options being looked at, Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen’s sixth form would go to Bridgend College or Maesteg Comprehensive – both a 40-minute drive from their home compared to a short drive now, added Cindy.
Douglas McGlashan, who lives in Blaengarw, is worried his daughter Skye, 15, who is currently in Year 11 at Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen, will be among the first to be affected.
“She’s hoping to go to university but we’re not sure about how she’ll feel about travelling to a new school in Bridgend or Maesteg. It is very disruptive,” he said.
“My daughter does really well because they have a good rapport with the teachers at Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen.”
Even parents of primary-age children are worried. Sophie Jenkins, who has two children in their last year at Blaengarw Primary, thinks taking the sixth form out of the local school will lower aspirations in the area.
“We are already isolated in this valley and to know there is a sixth form is a lifeline to us,” she said.
“People in this area can lack confidence, it’s a deprived area and pupil wellbeing may be affected.”
Bridgend council has said it intends to create sixth-form centres with a minimum capacity of 250 students, saying it will then ensure there are enough learners to provide a broad curriculum.
Projections suggest only Brynteg School will continue to exceed 250 students in the next decade, while Porthcawl and Bryntirion comprehensive schools’ sixth forms will be close to that.
All other schools in Bridgend have sixth forms well below 250 students.
A Bridgend Council spokesman said: “It is important to note that no decisions have been made yet, and one of the three options under consideration already includes retaining sixth-form provision at all secondary schools.”
A decision is expected in the spring.