Wiltshire sixth form's closure leaves parent in 'limbo'

A mother has criticised a school after she only discovered plans to close the sixth form college at its open evening.

Barbara's daughter Robyn goes to Lavington School and was hoping to continue into Year 12 there.

She said that both her and Robyn, 15, feel "in limbo" at the news.

The school said its post-16 partnership with Devizes School was "financially unviable" after a decision to deliver "virtually all teaching" in Devizes.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wiltshire, Barbara explained that her son James, 16, is a current Year 12 student at the college and her daughter had hoped to follow in his footsteps.

"I feel like we've been left in limbo," she said.

"We moved to Lavington because of how good and close the school is.

"We live rurally and it will be a much longer and more expensive bus journey to Devizes."

She said they will "be chatting about" her daughter's options after the receiving the letter - which confirmed rumours that she heard at an open evening for the college - last Thursday.

The post-16 partnership between Lavington School and Devizes School has run for the past three years with classes taught on both sites.

From September Year 12 courses will only be delivered on the Devizes campus.

Lavington School said that Devizes School's new model of delivery meant "virtually all teaching" would take place on the Devizes site which "rendered the partnership financially unviable for Lavington School".

They added that they are "very disappointed to be in this position as we were fully planned to support these pupils on our site working in partnership with Devizes".

Current Year 12 students will be able to stay at Lavington until the end of their A Levels, the school said.

Devizes School told BBC Radio Wiltshire that it "values the partnership that they have shared" and that it "looks forward to welcoming students from Lavington School into the Devizes School Sixth Form".

Devizes School said a "joint decision" was taken by the schools that from September all Year 12 post-16 courses will be "delivered exclusively" from its site.

"This will ensure that we continue to provide the highest quality of education, pastoral care and personal development to our students," it added.

"We value the partnership that we have shared with Lavington School over a number of years and we remain committed to offering a broad curriculum offer to local families."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]