Results in from public consultation over the future of an Eastbourne sixth form

By India Wentworth
Published 16th Mar 2023, 16:17 BST
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A school in Eastbourne has carried out a public consultation over whether to get rid of its sixth form and the results are in.

Last December it was announced Gildredge House could be closing its sixth form due to low student numbers.

Read our piece from December here

The school asked students and their families, staff members, and the wider community for their views – now this consultation period is over. From the 128 responses to its consultation, 32.8 per cent said they supported the school’s proposal while 67.2 per cent said they disagreed.

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Headteacher Craig Bull said: “We are grateful that many respondents understood the reason we are making this proposal, and we recognise and understand the disappointment expressed by others. However, while we acknowledge that disappointment, nothing was said that altered our very clear belief that this is the best option for the future success of the school.

“We wanted to make sure we consulted as extensively as possible not just within the school but also within the wider community. It was important that we heard from as many people as possible. Given how widely this was publicised, 86 responses disagreeing with the proposal is relatively small.”

Julian Mace, the school’s chair of governors, said: “We have carefully considered all of the responses and all the feedback, and we have decided to go ahead with our application to the government for a phased closure of the sixth form. Gildredge House has flourished over the last 10 years and is a vibrant and happy place to learn. It is our duty, not only to ensure that remains the case, but also to have a vision for how we build on it for the future.”

Mr Bull said: “If we get government agreement to close the sixth form, all current students will continue to be nurtured, challenged, and inspired to do their very best. The decision will simply mean no new sixth form admissions from September 2023. We also remain absolutely committed to our current Year 11 students and will fully support them as they consider their alternative sixth form options.”

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