Cabinet agrees sixth form proposal
Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet has approved a proposal for a new sixth form at Etone School in Nuneaton.
The project would involve the construction of a new £6 million sixth-form centre on the school site offering post-16 provision to 250 students. The building, which is still subject to planning permission, would be funded by a Learning and Skills Council grant.
Etone has been judged by Ofsted as an ‘outstanding’ school and last year was given the status of a high-performing specialist school. This allows the Governors to make a proposal to develop post-16 provision. The new sixth form centre would provide AS and A level subjects, applied GCSEs and vocational studies, and courses built around the specialisms of the school.
The Government has recently announced plans that all 16-18 year olds should remain in education or training and it is hoped that the new project will help address some of these needs through collaborative working with other schools and colleges in the area.
Cllr John Burton, Cabinet Member for Schools, said:
“Etone is a very successful school and we recognise the case for this proposal which will benefit students who wish to continue their education in a school environment.
"We are lucky that we already have two excellent post-16 providers in North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, and King Edward VI College. We must ensure that this new provision does not impact adversely on the colleges and would urge the Governors to continue to work with the Local Authority and the two colleges in Nuneaton when developing their plans. Only by working collaboratively can we ensure the best possible deal for all young people across Nuneaton and Bedworth and narrow the gap in attainment and opportunity.”