AVON Valley College Sixth Form is to close permanently at the end of this year, blaming "unacceptable financial challenges".

The college, which is part of Salisbury Plain Academies Trust Board is in Durrington, and primarily serves the populations of Durrington, Larkhill, and Bulford, with more than 400 pupils across Key Stages 3-5.

In a statement on its website, the Academies Trust Board said it has made the "difficult decision to close the Avon Valley College 6th Form at the end of this academic year (July 2021)".

It added: "The forecast was that, without closure, the whole school and the wider Trust schools would be facing unacceptable financial challenges from 2021-22.

"Therefore, urgent and immediate action was required.

"Since 2017, considerable effort has been put into increasing the size of Avon Valley College Sixth Form (AV6) and by 2020 numbers had increased to 31 in Years 12 and 13 combined.

"However, this figure remains significantly below a viable number and the latest projections for local population figures show that it would remain unsustainable for many years".

'We had no other option'

Mr John Nutt, Chair of the Salisbury Plain Academies Trust Board said: “This was a very difficult decision for the Salisbury Plain Academies Trust Board but the financial situation left us with no other option.

Everything possible will now be done to assist the pupils and others who are going to be affected by the closure”.

The statement goes onto say that the "immediate priority" will be supporting the current Year 12s with the completion of their courses at other providers.

It says that work has begun, and funds will be made available to ensure that as much of the work that has been completed will contribute to their achievement of their respective qualifications.

The statement concludes: "The closure of the 6th Form will enable the best possible educational resourcing for Key Stages 3 and 4 at Avon Valley College and this action will ensure its stability as Year 7 grows and school improvement work continues to have a sustained and significant impact on outcomes and life chances of pupils".

For more information go to avonvalleycollege.org.uk/sixth-form-home.