Willenhall E-ACT Academy: Crisis-hit school to close sixth form

The school, which is attempting to recover from a devastating Ofsted inspection where it was deemed inadequate across the board, has revealed that it feels 'the needs of year 12 students will be better met by other post 16 providers'.

Those pupils who are finishing year 12 this summer will be allowed to continue into year 13.

However, parents looking to send their children to the school for sixth form in September have said that they feel they have been 'let down'.

This comes less than two months after the damning Ofsted report, which claimed that sixth form pupils 'do not like to leave the sixth form area' because of rowdy behaviour from pupils in years 7-11.

Sixth form students behave very well but feel the behaviour of pupils in Years 7–11 is getting worse. A number of students do not like to leave the sixth form area because of this

Humayon Pramanik, spokesman for E-ACT, said: "After much consideration we have taken the difficult decision to suspend post 16 educational provision for year 12 students in September 2017 for a period of 12 months.

"This decision has not been taken lightly, however, as an E-ACT academy we are able to offer our students alternate post 16 provision at nearby West Walsall E-ACT Academy.

"At this stage in the academy’s journey of improvement, we feel the needs of year 12 students will be better met by other post 16 providers.

"Willenhall students progressing to year 13 in September 2017 will continue their education at the academy as planned.

"The academy’s priority is to now assist current year 11 students, starting with a post 16 support evening where students and parents will be given tailored advice and guidance by post 16 academy staff and other post 16 providers including local secondary schools and colleges."

A letter has been sent to parents this week informing them of the decision, signed by head teacher Kirsty Jones and Stuart Belworth, E-ACT's regional educational director for the Midlands area.

One parent, who did not wish to be named, said that she felt as though her children were left looking at 'second and third options' due to the timing of the announcement.

She said: "I can understand why the school has made this decision, because it is in a complete mess at the minute.

"I think as parents we should have been told earlier.

"A lot of kids will be looking at their second and third choices now because so many places at good schools will have gone.

"Some wouldn't have even considered having a second option because they wanted to stay on but they have been let down."

Mr Pramanik said that the school will be welcoming sixth form pupils again next year.

He said: "Good progress has already been made over the last few months at Willenhall, particularly since Kirsty Jones joined the academy as the new headteacher, and we look forward to welcoming a new cohort of year 12 students to the academy in September 2018."

Teachers recently held a strike over ‘unreasonable’ management and safety of staff.

Further strike action due to take place this week was called off after progress was made between bosses and union chiefs.