Re: Is Marple Hall to have a Sixth Form?

[Duke Fame]

If Marple Hall are going to have a sixth form from next year, they will also have to negotiate a funding agreement with the Education Funding Agency (EFA)

.......and they can't do that unless they become an Academy.   Which just underlines the fact that it simply ain't going to happen - not in 2013.

Simone writes:

can I suggest that you make a simple phone call/email to either the Headteacher, The Chair of Governors, or the Executive member for Schools at SMBC......I am sure they will be only too pleased to tell you of the school's intention. When you've established that - then you can speculate on the legal hoops and the timescale.

I am not disputing the school's intentions, and I have no particular interest in them.   My point is simply that there is no way they can open a sixth form next September.  That's all.   

You have no interest in the school's intentions? What have you been blabbering on about re. the importance of the college for so long

[Dave]

If Marple Hall are going to have a sixth form from next year, they will also have to negotiate a funding agreement with the Education Funding Agency (EFA)

.......and they can't do that unless they become an Academy.   Which just underlines the fact that it simply ain't going to happen - not in 2013.

Simone writes:

can I suggest that you make a simple phone call/email to either the Headteacher, The Chair of Governors, or the Executive member for Schools at SMBC......I am sure they will be only too pleased to tell you of the school's intention. When you've established that - then you can speculate on the legal hoops and the timescale.

I am not disputing the school's intentions, and I have no particular interest in them.   My point is simply that there is no way they can open a sixth form next September.  That's all.   

[Bowden Guy]

If Marple Hall are going to have a sixth form from next year, they will also have to negotiate a funding agreement with the Education Funding Agency (EFA), unless, of course, they intend to deliver the provision for no income.

[JMC]

I have a child in year 11 and nobody has mentioned there being a sixth form in 2013 as that would be her year. Most of the year 11s have already got college places (Aquinas, Marple etc) for next year. So if they are having a sixth form it must be after that time. Also they would probably need more buildings as capacity is already very big.

[simonesaffron]

Dave,

I really have no inclination to enter into a debate about this issue which is wholly unimportant to me anyway.

I merely mentioned it in passing. My "understanding" was gained from a conversation that I had with somebody who (with respect) is much better placed to know about the current situation at Marple Hall than you are. If you are genuinely interested in whether it is true or not then can I suggest that you make a simple phone call/email to either the Headteacher, The Chair of Governors, or the Executive member for Schools at SMBC. Apologies, I've duplicated here as person 2 & 3 are one and the same. I am sure they will be only too pleased to tell you of the school's intention. When you've established that - then you can speculate on the legal hoops and the timescale.

[Dave]

Which is not at all the same as saying

I also understand that Marple Hall is planning to have a 6th form from September, 2013.      

To start a new sixth form, the school would first have to become an Academy.  AFAIK the governors of Marple Hall rejected a proposal to convert to Academy status about a year ago.  So first of all they would have to change their minds about that.   The new Academy would then have to go through a lengthy legal process to get approval to start a new sixth form, in accordance with the Education and Inspections Act 2006.  If that is successful (a big 'if', given the objections that would be lodged, not least from camsfc which by then will probably be in the process of spending millions of pounds on its own new buildings),  it would then have to build new accommodation to house the sixth form, and recruit new staff to teach the students (unless they release capacity by reducing the intake at age 11, which seems highly unlikely).  These things take a bit longer than eight months.   If they started now they might just get it going in 2016 earliest!  

[simonesaffron]

There are 3/4 schools in Stockport seriously considering the provision of a sixth form. Marple Hall just happens to be one of them.

[Dave]

I also understand that Marple Hall is planning to have a 6th form from September, 2013.     

Really? Where on earth did that come from?