MEETING UNITES AGAINST 6TH FORM REVIEW

In what was a passionate meeting at William Parker School they warned about the crisis they face.

Behind a lecturn emblazoned with the slogan, 'Save Our Sixth Forms', heads explained what is happening in the post-16 review and the uncertainty it has created for them, their staff and students.

On September 23, the county council's cabinet will discuss the proposal which has been put together by the Project Board.

A week later, the Sussex Learning and Skills Council, who fund post-16 education and are running the review, will do the same and both will make a recommendation about whether to accept or reject it.

The details of the proposals are not yet known by heads or governors. They fear, however, that they will be based around a new tertiary college, which would see all five Hastings secondary school sixth forms closed.

William Parker head, Derek Greenup, said all the schools faced an uncertain future if sixth forms were closed.

Jenny Blackburn, head of Helenswood, outlined some of the proposals the schools have put to the LSC, which she said had not been listened to. They included the schools working closer together with each other and Bexhill College.

Alex Scrivener, a member of the student council at William Parker, made a rallying cry to the audience to fight to save sixth forms.

He said: "It's my opinion that we have all benefited from the existence of sixth forms. In our sixth forms many people succeed and excel. The students have spoken and it is time for the town to listen."

Roger Mitchell, former head of William Parker, made a passionate speech about why he felt many teachers and students prefer 11-18 schools over 11-16.

He said: "11-16 schools would never have had an attraction when I was working. 11-18 schools provides the opportunity for students to stay on with teachers whom they know and who know them extremely well. The people who most benefit from staying on are the ones who might well drop out if that if that option was not allowed."

A female social worker said: "I have two boys who are the proverbial chalk and cheese and I want the very best for the both of them. I won't be able to get it if I don't have choice."

Sarah Holmes-Smith, who is a recruitment officers for the local NHS, said she had moved to the area from London, and the kind of schools on offer was a big part of her decision.

She said: "When I am recruiting, people want to know about the schools and so I want to say that there are implications right across the board for the economy of Hastings."

Michael Foster, MP for Hastings, said his sympathies were with the retention of sixth forms, but said he could only back that option as long as it stood up to rigorous analysis and was proved to be better than others.