Merger plans are good news
THE merger of Southport’s two colleges will strengthen what both can offer students rather than diminish them, the leaders of the two institutions have stated.
Speaking to the Visiter at a Southport College open evening, KGV’s vice-principal Anne-Marie Francis and Southport College’s principal John Clarke said that the merger would lead to more investment and a wider curriculum being on offer.
Both Anne-Marie and John were also keen to express that both centres would remain distinct from each other, with KGV continuing to specialise in A-levels and Southport College in vocational training.
The main aim of the merger, they explained, is actually to ensure that more students stay in Southport for their post-16 education, rather than looking to colleges outside of the town.
John said: “This merger is actually quite straight forward – it’s about preserving the existing sites, we’re not going to merge the two brands.
“Really, what we’re aiming to do is say to people, ‘ You don’t actually need to look elsewhere, because in Southport you’ve got a high quality sixth form education.’
“So whether it be vocational here, or academic at KGV, that’s really the aim of it.”
Further to this, John has categorically stated that the merger will not save money, while increasing student numbers will lead to greater investment as funding is allocated based on enrolment levels.
The process of the merger is ongoing and it is expected to take shape from the next academic year, though staff are already able to recommend prospective students to either college, while Ann-Marie and John have been visiting schools together to explain the merger.
The merger comes at a time when fortunes at both colleges are looking up. Southport College has recently received a positive Ofsted report at a time when many other are not, while KGV has undergone major change in the past two years.
After a scathing report and staff losses in 2014, KGV has turned a corner since Anne-Marie’s arrival in 2015.
She said: “One of the jobs we’ve had to do, and it’s ongoing, is to reassure people that quality is there because King George V has had troubled times. The outcome of the 2014 Ofsted inspection can’t be ignored, but it’s been acted upon to the point that our A-level results now are amongst the best in the country.
“We’ve actually got courses that out-perform any other sixth-form colleges anywhere right across the curriculum offer and we’re continuing to improve.
“Ofsted representatives have been back and they’re now saying that all the improvements we have put in place are having an impact and we can very confidently tell people that you don’t need to go anywhere else.
“Stay in Southport, do your A-levels and go to university, do your advanced level vocational and go to university or into employment, become an apprentice, everything your career ambition might be pointed towards, you can do in Southport and that’s why the partnership is so important to us.”